Indian shuttler Tanvi Sharma’s quest for gold at the BWF World Junior Championships came to an end as she lost to Thailand’s Anyapat Phichitpreechasak in the women’s singles final on Sunday.The 16-year-old Tanvi became the third Indian female shuttler to reach the tournament final, following former world No.1 Saina Nehwal and Aparna Popat. She lost 7-15 12-15 to the second-seeded Thai player.Tanvi secured India’s first silver medal at the World Junior Championships in 17 years. Previously, only Saina had won gold in 2008 and silver in 2006, while Aparna claimed silver in 1996.
The match began competitively with both players tied at 2-2 and then 4-4, with unforced errors from both sides.Phichitpreechasak’s deceptive returns at the front court helped her build a 10-5 lead. The Thai player secured the first game when Tanvi’s backhand shot went into the net.In the second game, Tanvi started strongly with a 6-1 lead through precise deep returns. However, net errors allowed the Thai player to reduce the gap to 5-7.Despite holding an 8-5 lead at the interval, Tanvi faced mounting pressure as Phichitpreechasak leveled the score and then took a 9-8 lead.The Thai player extended her advantage to 11-8 with well-constructed points and maintained control with sharp cross-court winners.At 9-13, Tanvi showed resilience with a skillful net dribble. She won a disputed point after a long rally but sent another shot wide, giving her opponent three championship points.Though Phichitpreechasak hit one wide, she secured the title with a powerful smash in the next point.
