New Delhi, Aug 2 (IANS) Two-time Olympics medallist PV Sindhu lauded Tanvi Sharma for scripting history by becoming the youngest-ever Taipei Open champion, adding that this is just the beginning of more laurels for the youngster in her career and that she should keep working hard, believing in herself and being hungry for more glory.
On Sunday, Tanvi, 17, won her maiden BWF World Tour Super 300 title with a straight-games victory over Vietnam’s Nguyen Thuy Linh. Tanvi delivered a tactical masterclass to outclass Nguyen 21-16, 21-16 in just 36 minutes, the youngest player across any category to win the Taipei Open.
“Couldn’t be prouder of this girl. I’ve been saying for years that Tanvi has all the ingredients to become a very special player. The talent, the stroke-making, the courage to take on the best, it’s all there. The only thing she needed was a little more stability and experience, and it’s been so lovely to watch that come together.
“This is just the beginning, Tanvi. Keep working, keep believing, and stay hungry. Indian badminton has a very bright future ahead of it with players like you. So proud of you,” Sindhu wrote on her ‘X’ account.
The milestone triumph sees Tanvi join the legendary Saina Nehwal (2008) as only the second Indian women’s singles player to claim the Taipei Open title. The victory also snaps a 17-year drought for India in the category at the event, while securing the country’s third title overall – the last of which came when the mixed doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and V Diju won the crown back in 2009.
The victory marks a huge milestone for Tanvi, who previously finished runner-up at the US Open last year, alongside second-place finishes at the Odisha Masters and Guwahati Masters Super 100 tournaments.
With this milestone win, Tanvi has become only the fourth Indian women’s singles shuttler to clinch a Super 300 or higher-level title after Saina, Sindhu, and Devika Sihag. The triumph also makes her the third-youngest player globally to claim a BWF Super 300 crown.
–IANS
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