15-year-old Tanvi Patri breaks new ground, enters Youth Olympic badminton final

Tanvi Patri produced a spirited fightback to defeat Japan’s Yuzuno Watanabe 21-14, 11-21, 21-19 and storm into the girls’ singles final at the Youth Olympic Games on Wednesday. The 15-year-old became the first Indian woman to reach the badminton final at the competition, extending her impressive run in Buenos Aires.

The Odisha shuttler had to dig deep in a thrilling three-game encounter, particularly after Watanabe fought back to level the contest. However, Tanvi held her nerve in a tense decider to seal a memorable victory and move within one win of a historic gold medal.

Tanvi made an assertive start, taking the opening point and immediately putting Watanabe under pressure. The Japanese shuttler, who had beaten her in their previous meeting at the 2024 Pathum Thani Junior International Series in Thailand, took time to settle into the contest.

That allowed Tanvi to build an early advantage and dictate the pace of the opening game. She held on to her lead through much of the contest, stretching the gap to five points midway through the game.

Watanabe attempted to find her rhythm by extending the rallies and making Tanvi cover more ground. However, the Indian responded with some impressive attacking play, using her smashes and cross-court placements to keep her opponent on the back foot.

Even as Watanabe began to find her bearings, Tanvi continued to find ways to break through her defence. A well-directed smash into the corner helped her regain control before she wrapped up the opening game 21-14.

WATANABE FIGHTS BACK

The second game, however, brought a different challenge. Tanvi initially found herself trailing but tried to claw her way back by increasing the intensity of her rallies.

Watanabe, though, began to find success with her shots towards the corners. Tanvi misjudged a few of those attempts, expecting them to sail beyond the baseline, only for the shuttle to land inside the court.

Those errors proved costly as the Japanese shuttler began to pull away. Watanabe also managed to draw Tanvi into longer rallies, gradually taking control of the exchanges and widening the gap.

Tanvi produced a few impressive shots towards the end of the game, but she could not prevent Watanabe from taking it 21-11 and forcing a decider.

TANVI HOLDS HER NERVE

The third game turned into a test of temperament. Tanvi got off the mark quickly, but Watanabe found her rhythm and looked to take control of the contest.

The Indian refused to let the Japanese shuttler dictate terms for long. She fought her way back into the game, reclaimed the lead and ensured that the contest remained finely balanced.

With a place in the final at stake, the pressure continued to build. Watanabe managed to draw level as Tanvi showed visible frustration, briefly putting her head down and covering her face after a missed opportunity.

But the youngster responded in the manner that had brought her success throughout the match. She went back to her attacking game, looking to finish points with her trademark smashes rather than allow Watanabe to settle into extended rallies.

The Japanese shuttler continued to fight, drawing level once again and keeping the contest alive. Tanvi, however, produced a powerful smash that put Watanabe on the floor and helped her regain the advantage.

A forced error from Watanabe then brought Tanvi within touching distance of victory. The Indian eventually sealed the contest with another attacking effort, completing a hard-fought 21-19 win in the deciding game.

The victory also marked a turnaround from her previous meeting with Watanabe, who had beaten her 21-14, 21-10 in Thailand last year.

ANOTHER MILESTONE FOR INDIAN BADMINTON

Tanvi’s run has already broken new ground for Indian badminton. Before her, only HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen and Aditya Joshi had reached the badminton semifinals at the Youth Olympic Games.

Prannoy won silver at the inaugural edition in Singapore in 2010, while Lakshya also finished runner-up at the 2018 Games in Buenos Aires. Aditya reached the boys’ singles semifinals in 2014 but returned without a medal.

Tanvi had also made headlines earlier by winning the girls’ singles U-17 title at the Badminton Asia U-17 and U-15 Championships in Chengdu, becoming the first Indian shuttler to win both continental titles.

Now, she has another opportunity to add to her growing list of achievements, with a historic Youth Olympic gold medal within reach.

– Ends