BWF Junior Championships: Gnana, Bhavya-Vishakha spring upsets as Tanvi, Unnati advance

GUWAHATI: India’s young shuttlers continued to impress at the BWF World Junior Championships 2025 as Gnana Dattu TT and the mixed doubles pair of Bhavya Chhabra and Vishakha Toppo pulled off major upsets to reach the quarter-finals at the National Centre of Excellence on Thursday.

Gnana Dattu, making his debut at the world juniors, stunned eighth seed Garret Tan of the USA 15-12, 15-13 in the boys’ singles pre-quarterfinals. In mixed doubles, Bhavya and Vishakha bounced back after dropping the opening game to overcome third seeds Thibault Gardon and Agathe Cuevas of France 12-15, 15-11, 15-12.

In girls’ singles, top seed Tanvi Sharma and eighth seed Unnati Hooda eased into the last eight with dominant wins. Tanvi outplayed China’s Sun Li Yuan 15-8, 15-5, while Unnati recovered from a slow start to beat Malaysia’s Carine Tee 15-10, 15-7. Tanvi will now face Japan’s Saki Matsumoto, and Unnati takes on second seed Anyapat Phichitpreechasak of Thailand for a semi-final spot.

While Tanvi and Unnati lived up to expectations, Dattu and the Bhavya-Vishakha pairing rose above their seedings to move within reach of a potential medal.

Dattu showcased composure beyond his years, using sharp flicks and deft drops to control rallies against the more experienced Tan. He held his nerve after his opponent saved three match points in the second game to clinch victory on the fourth.

“Though he has more experience, I was confident I could beat him if I played my best. I’m happy I could do that today,” said Dattu.

In the mixed doubles clash, Bhavya and Vishakha turned the tide after trailing 8-11 in the decider, reworking their tactics to win six straight points and seal a memorable victory. They next face Chinese Taipei’s Hung Bing Fu and Chou Yun An in the quarter-finals.