Guwahati, Oct 15 (NationPress) Top seed Tanvi Sharma, eighth seed Unnati Hooda, and 10th seed Rakshitha Sree Ramraj faced some tense moments before finding their rhythm to advance to the pre-quarterfinals of the BWF World Junior Championships 2025, held at the National Center of Excellence this Wednesday.

Tanvi triumphed over Oei Winarto of Indonesia with scores of 15-12, 15-7, while Unnati secured victory against Alice Wang from the United States with a score of 15-8, 15-5. Rakshitha rallied from a game down to defeat Singapore’s Aaliyah Zakaria, finalizing her match at 11-15, 15-5, 15-8.

As the girls continue their quest for medals, only Gnana Dattu TT is left to represent India in the boys' singles after he triumphed over 15th seed Suryaksh Rawat with scores of 11-15, 15-6, 15-11 in an all-Indian round of 32.

The mixed doubles duo of Bhavya Chhabra and Vishakha Toppo also advanced, overcoming a late challenge from Denmark’s Aske Romer and Jasmin Willis to win 15-13, 15-11.

India has sent a 25-member team to the BWF World Junior Championships on home soil, with the girls' singles players expected to contribute to the nation's impressive tally of 11 individual medals in the competition's history.

Junior World No. 1 Tanvi was the first to compete on Wednesday, demonstrating her control with an early 9-4 lead against Winarto. Despite facing some errors, she managed to clinch the opening game after a series of rallies. The second game showcased her dominance.

“Initially, I was performing well. 9-4, 9-5, it felt easy. Then I began making unforced errors. My coach advised me to focus on rallies, and I succeeded. The drift was tricky today; otherwise, I felt at ease,” remarked Tanvi, who will now face newcomer Li Yuan Sun from China for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Later, Rakshitha struggled with the unfamiliar conditions and her opponent, allowing Zakaria to establish a 2-12 lead. However, she regained control, winning the next two games comfortably to close the match in 32 minutes.

“At first, I needed time to adjust to the court and my opponent. This 15-point game is new to us. When she reached 8 points, it felt like a significant lead, and I felt the pressure. But I gained confidence after scoring 6-7 points. From there, it became easier,” stated Rakshitha, who is set to compete against Sri Lankan fourth seed Ranithma Liyanage, who defeated Malaysia’s Ler Qi Eng 15-9, 15-12.

In boys' singles, Gnana Dattu bounced back from a game down to defeat his higher-ranked countryman. The 17-year-old, who previously struggled with a Lat muscle pull, initially took time to find his groove against Suryaksh. However, once he found his rhythm, the former Asian U-17 bronze medallist dominated.

Later, Rounak fought valiantly against China’s Li Zhi Hang but succumbed to an 11-15, 12-15 defeat.

Indian results:

Boys' singles:

Gnana Dattu TT bt 15-Suryaksh Rawat 11-15, 15-6, 15-11; 11-Rounak Chouhan lost to Li Zhi Hang (China) 11-15, 12-15; Lalthazuala Hmar lost to 14-Riyan Malhan (UAE) 13-15, 6-15

Women’s singles:

1-Tanvi Sharma bt Oei Winarto (Indonesia) 15-12, 15-7; 8-Unnati Hooda bt Alice Wang (USA) 15-8, 15-5; 10-Rakshitha Sree bt Aaliyah Zakaria (Singapore) 11-15, 15-5, 15-8

Mixed doubles:

14-Bhavya Chhabra/Vishakha Toppo bt Aske Romer/Jasmin Willis (Denmark) 15-13, 15-11; C Lalramsanga/Taarini Suri lost to 8-Shuji Sawada/Aoi Banno (Japan) 10-15, 6-15