Guwahati, Oct 18 (NationPress) Tanvi Sharma delivered an exceptional performance against China's Liu Si Ya, propelling her to the finals of the BWF World Junior Championships 2025 at the National Centre of Excellence on Saturday.

The 16-year-old followed the legacy of fellow Indians Aparna Popat and former world No. 1 Saina Nehwal, becoming only the third Indian female athlete to reach the finals of the world junior championships. She achieved a decisive victory with scores of 15-11, 15-9 over Liu, the silver medallist from the Asian Junior Championships, completing the match in just over half an hour.

The top-seeded Indian is set to face second-seeded Anyapat Phichitpreechasak from Thailand, who made a remarkable comeback from a game down to defeat compatriot Yataweemin Ketklieng 10-15, 15-11, 15-5 in the other semifinal.

Tanvi has already made history as the first Indian female player in 17 years to secure a medal at the world junior championships. She came out strong in the semifinals against Liu, taking control from the first point. The Indian player aimed for winners right from the beginning and skillfully executed late flicks and sharp cross-court pushes, keeping her opponent off-balance.

This strategy paid off as she quickly built a 7-3 lead in the first game. Although Liu narrowed the score to 8-7, Tanvi remained unflustered.

She escalated the intensity of the rallies, not allowing Liu to find her rhythm, and concluded the opening game with a signature cross-court smash in just 13 minutes.

With the first game secured, Tanvi played even more confidently, establishing a 12-4 lead in the second game. At this juncture, she made a couple of mistakes but quickly corrected course, responding with a perfectly executed down-the-line smash on Liu's serve.

Having trained at the NCE for almost a year, Tanvi continued to maneuver her opponent around the court, scoring points with cross-court drives while countering Liu's smashes. She ultimately clinched her spot in the finals when Liu sent a forehand drive wide.

“I felt very comfortable today, and I am thrilled with my performance. I made a few mistakes at 12-4 in the second game, but my coach advised me to keep my strokes slightly inside the lines, and that made a difference,” said Tanvi, who now aspires to follow in Saina’s footsteps and capture the world junior title on home soil.

In earlier action, the boys’ singles top seed Mohd. Zaki Ubaidillah had to fend off three points in the second game before triumphing over China's Li Zhi Hang 14-16, 16-14, 15-12 in a thrilling match that lasted an hour.

In the first game, Ubaidillah held an 11-6 lead before Li rallied to win four consecutive points, closing in at 11-10. The Indonesian managed to regain a four-point lead at 14-10, but Li fought back, winning six straight points to take the game.

In a nail-biting second game, Ubaidillah was on the brink of elimination as Li earned three match points. However, Ubaidillah’s powerful down-the-line smashes helped him recover, scoring five consecutive points to force a decider.

Throughout the final game, Ubaidillah maintained his lead despite Li's attempts to close the gap from 13-7 to 13-12. Ultimately, the Indonesian relied on his smashes to secure a place in the finals.