Backed by vocal home support and buoyed by growing maturity on court, Surya Charishma Tamiri capped a memorable week by clinching the women’s singles title at the Senior Badminton Nationals Championships, while Rithvik Sanjeevi S showcased nerves of steel to lift the men’s singles crown, bringing the curtain down on a gripping championship in Vijayawada on Sunday.
For the local favourite Surya Charishma, the triumph was as much about temperament as it was about talent. In a compelling women’s singles final that lived up to its billing, the 19-year-old Vijayawada-born shuttler came from behind to defeat the fast-rising Tanvi Patri 17-21, 21-12, 21-14 in a 58-minute contest that swung repeatedly on momentum and mental strength.
Tanvi, bidding to become the youngest senior national champion, began with admirable poise. She controlled the tempo through the middle phase of the opening game, forcing Charishma into uncharacteristic errors and capitalising on her own consistency to take a deserved early lead. At that stage, the pressure of expectations seemed to weigh heavier on the local favourite.
A pivotal moment arrived early in the second game at 6-5, when Charishma miscued a service return into the net, only for the service judge to call a fault for height. The reprieve proved decisive. Freed from a potential setback, Charishma surged ahead, reeling off seven consecutive points to seize control of the game. From there, she began dictating rallies with greater authority, mixing patience with timely aggression.
The decider saw Charishma lean on experience and physical endurance. She deliberately engaged Tanvi in longer rallies, stretching exchanges and testing the youngster’s stamina. While Tanvi attempted to match her opponent shot for shot, signs of fatigue crept in. From 15-14, Charishma found another gear, stringing together six unanswered points to close out the match and seal a title that underlined her arrival as a genuine senior contender.
Earlier in the tournament, Charishma had already announced her intent by knocking out top seed Unnati Hooda in the quarterfinals and world number 45 Rakshita Sree R in a hard-fought semifinal. Tanvi’s path to the final had been equally impressive, highlighted by a comeback win over seasoned campaigner Shruti Mundada, signalling the emergence of another exciting prospect in Indian women’s badminton.
The men’s singles final, though shorter in duration, carried its own share of tension. Rithvik Sanjeevi S, the 2024 Odisha Masters winner, defeated Bharat Raghav 21-16, 22-20 in 39 minutes, relying on superior defence, tactical clarity and remarkable composure under pressure.
Rithvik settled quickly, pocketing the opening game without major alarms. The second, however, tested his resolve. Bharat surged to a 9-5 lead, pressing aggressively and forcing Rithvik onto the back foot. Just as the match threatened to slip, Rithvik responded with a six-point burst, reclaiming the initiative and seemingly steering towards a straight-games win. A couple of poor judgment calls allowed Bharat back into contention, even earning him a game point, but Rithvik remained calm, stuck to his patterns and closed out the contest with authority.
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Rithvik’s title run was built on resilience. In the semifinals, he had saved a match point before stunning top seed Kiran George in a dramatic three-game encounter lasting over an hour. Bharat Raghav, meanwhile, had earned his place in the final by upsetting second seed M Tharun, underlining the depth of competition in the men’s field.
The doubles events provided equally compelling finishes. In women’s doubles, the experienced pairing of Shikha Gautam and Ashwini Bhat K lived up to their pedigree, defeating second seeds Priya Devi Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra 21-14, 21-18 to claim the title. The men’s doubles crown went to top seeds Hariharan Amsakarunan and R Ruban Kumar, who outplayed Mithileish P Krishnan and Prejan 21-17, 21-12 in the final.
The mixed doubles title was claimed by second seeds Sathwik Reddy K and Radhika Sharma, who produced a commanding performance to upset top seeds Ashith Surya and Amrutha P 21-9, 21-15, rounding off a week marked by high-quality badminton and breakthrough performances.
As the dust settled in Vijayawada, the championships stood out not merely for crowning new champions, but for highlighting a generational shift. With emerging players challenging established names and delivering under pressure, the Senior Nationals offered a compelling glimpse into the future of Indian badminton.
