Tanvi Sharma Claims Maiden BWF World Tour Title at Taipei Open
Tanvi Sharma, a 17-year-old badminton player from Punjab, secured her first BWF World Tour title by defeating Vietnam’s sixth seed Thuy Linh Nguyen in straight games in the women’s singles final of the Taipei Open Super 300 tournament, held on Sunday. The match concluded in just 36 minutes, with Tanvi winning 21-16, 21-16 against the world No. 21.
With this victory, Tanvi became the youngest champion in Taipei Open history, achieving this milestone at 17 years and 222 days old—surpassing Tai Tzu Ying’s prior record. “I’m really very happy to win this title here,” Tanvi remarked after her victory. “I didn’t expect to win a title, but yeah, I just thought I’ll give my best over here. So I was going step by step, match by match. So yeah, every match I played really well here.”
Coached by Park Tae-sang, who previously mentored PV Sindhu, Tanvi also marked a significant achievement as the first Indian woman to win the Taipei Open singles title since Saina Nehwal in 2008. Reflecting on her journey through the tournament, she mentioned, “I was quite nervous, but I just thought I will play my 100 percent. It was pretty hard for me as well, playing five matches. But yeah, I just needed to be consistent. I have to work harder for playing Super 500 and 750s, so I’ll keep working hard.”
During the final match, Tanvi opened strong with a 4-1 lead, utilizing deceptive drops and cross-court smashes to outmaneuver Nguyen. Although she encountered a slip in performance with minor errors, her timely smashes allowed her to maintain a lead in the first game, which she won with a cross-court smash.
In the second game, Nguyen started strong, leading 3-0, but Tanvi quickly regained control, showcasing her impressive net play and deceptive shots to pull ahead to an 11-8 lead at the interval. Despite a tense finish where she squandered three match points, Tanvi ultimately converted her final opportunity to clinch the title.
In a touching gesture, Tanvi placed her gold medal around coach Park Tae-sang’s neck following her victory. This accomplishment positions her as the youngest finalist in the tournament’s history, breaking the record set in 2006 by Korean doubles player Lee Yong Dae.
Tanvi has already made a significant mark in her career, previously winning two medals at the World Junior Championships and being part of the Indian team that secured its first gold at the Asian Team Championships. Her rise in badminton has been supported by her mother, Meena Sharma, a former national volleyball player, who has been a pivotal figure in her training.
Special Credits: Image Courtesy of Espn
