The Senior National Badminton Championships in Vijayawada witnessed seismic upsets on Friday as the tournament's top two women's singles seeds were sent packing in stunning fashion. Local favourite Surya Charishma Tamiri and seasoned campaigner Shruti Mundada produced commanding performances to advance to the semifinals, defeating Unnati Hooda and Anupama Upadhyaya respectively.
David vs Goliath: Underdogs Triumph
Surya Charishma Tamiri was in sublime form against the top-seeded Unnati Hooda. Displaying remarkable control and precision, Tamiri secured a decisive straight-games victory with a scoreline of 21-12, 21-15. The entire contest lasted just 36 minutes, marking a dominant display by the local star.
In the other major quarterfinal shock, Shruti Mundada accounted for the second seed and former national champion, Anupama Upadhyaya. Mundada held her nerve in a tight first game before cruising in the second, clinching the match 22-20, 21-12 in a 39-minute battle.
Men's Singles: Top Seed Survives Scare
While the women's draw saw chaos, the men's top seed, Kiran George, managed to navigate a tricky challenge. He was pushed hard by the 11th seed, Rounak Chauhan, but ultimately prevailed with a 21-18, 21-18 win in a 41-minute encounter.
George will now face 2024 Odisha Open champion Rithvik Sanjeevi S in the semifinals. Rithvik secured his spot by defeating K Sathish Kumar 21-13, 22-20. The other men's singles semifinal will feature second seed Tharun Mannepalli against unseeded Bharat Raghav.
Road to the Finals and Other Surprises
In the women's singles semifinals, Surya Charishma Tamiri will take on 18-year-old Rakshita Sree, who staged a remarkable comeback in her quarterfinal. Rakshita recovered from a game down to overcome world junior championships silver medallist Tanvi Sharma 16-21, 21-14, 21-18.
The upset trend extended to the women's doubles category as well. The top-seeded pair of Rutuparna and Swetaparna Panda were knocked out in the pre-quarterfinal stage. The duo of Riduvarshini Ramasamy and Sania Sikkandar defeated them 21-16, 21-19, adding to the day of surprises.
As the tournament moves into its penultimate stage, the exits of the top favourites have thrown the competitions wide open, promising thrilling semifinal clashes in Vijayawada.
