The Senior National Badminton Championships in Vijayawada produced one of its most dramatic days on Friday as the women’s singles draw was thrown wide open following the exits of the top two seeds.
Local favourite Surya Charishma Tamiri and seasoned campaigner Shruti Mundada delivered composed, straight-game victories to book their places in the semifinals, underlining the growing depth and unpredictability in India’s domestic circuit.
Playing in familiar conditions, Surya Charishma produced one of the standout performances of the tournament to dismantle top seed Unnati Hooda 21-12, 21-15 in just 36 minutes. The scoreline reflected her authority throughout the match, as she controlled rallies from the outset and rarely allowed Unnati to dictate play. Using her court coverage effectively and mixing pace with precision, Surya kept the pressure constant, denying the top seed the opportunity to build any sustained momentum.
Soon after, Shruti Mundada ensured that the second seed would also make an early exit. The experienced campaigner overcame former national champion Anupama Upadhyaya 22-20, 21-12 in a quarterfinal that showcased her tactical discipline. The opening game was tightly contested, with Shruti holding her nerve at key moments to edge ahead. Once she secured the first game, Shruti raised her level in the second, controlling the exchanges and pulling away decisively to close out the contest in 39 minutes.
The results set up intriguing semifinal matchups. Surya Charishma will face Rakshita Sree, who continued her steady run with a fighting three-game victory over world junior championships silver medallist Tanvi Sharma. Rakshita dropped the opening game 16-21 but responded strongly, tightening her defence and extending rallies to turn the match around 21-14, 21-18. Her ability to stay composed in the decider proved decisive, especially against an opponent known for her attacking instincts.
Friday’s upsets followed a strong showing by the younger generation on Thursday, when several juniors announced themselves with confident performances in the pre-quarterfinals. Tanvi Sharma, Rounak Chauhan and Tanvi Patri all registered notable wins to progress, reinforcing the sense that the championship is witnessing a transition phase, with emerging players increasingly challenging established names.
In the women’s singles on Thursday, Tanvi Sharma came through a fluctuating contest against 10th seed Devika Sihag, winning 21-11, 10-21, 21-10. After dominating the opening game, Tanvi briefly lost control in the second but regrouped effectively in the decider, reasserting her attacking game to close out the match. Tanvi Patri, meanwhile, produced a composed display to defeat Parul Choudhary 21-14, 21-17, earning herself a quarterfinal clash against the experienced Aakarshi Kashyap.
Aakarshi underlined her pedigree by ousting third seed Anmol Kharb 21-18, 21-18 in the pre-quarterfinals, while top seed Unnati Hooda and second seed Anupama Upadhyaya both navigated contrasting routes to the last eight before their eventual exits on Friday. Unnati had to fight back from a game down to overcome M Meghana Reddy 19-21, 21-14, 21-12, whereas Anupama progressed more comfortably with a 21-13, 21-5 win over Anvi Rathore.
The men’s singles draw has also taken shape with a blend of expected progress and competitive challenges. On Friday, top seed Kiran George was tested by 11th seed Rounak Chauhan before securing a 21-18, 21-18 victory in 41 minutes. Rounak, who had already caused an upset on Thursday by defeating sixth seed Lakshya Sharma 21-16, 21-16, once again showed his ability to stay with higher-ranked opponents, pushing Kiran to maintain focus through both games.
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Kiran will next face 2024 Odisha Open champion Rithvik Sanjeevi S, who came through his quarterfinal against K Sathish Kumar 21-13, 22-20. The match saw Rithvik manage the key points effectively, especially in a closely fought second game, to secure his place in the semifinals.
The other men’s singles semifinal will see second seed M Tharun take on unseeded Bharat Raghav. Tharun continued his consistent run by defeating Manraj Singh 21-13, 22-20, while Bharat advanced with a 21-17, 21-13 win over Ginpaul Sonna. Bharat’s progress has been one of the quieter stories of the tournament, but his straight-game victories suggest a player growing in confidence with each round.
Elsewhere, the women’s doubles draw witnessed an early surprise, with top seeds Rutuparna and Swetaparna Panda bowing out in the pre-quarterfinals. They were beaten 21-16, 21-19 by Riduvarshini Ramasamy and Sania Sikkandar, another reminder of the competitive balance that has characterised this year’s championships.
As the tournament heads into the semifinal stage, the narrative has shifted decisively toward the rise of new contenders and the resurgence of experienced players willing to challenge established hierarchies.
For the likes of Surya Charishma and Shruti Mundada, Friday’s results represent more than just personal milestones they signal a wider churn within Indian badminton’s domestic ranks, where rankings offer no guarantees and every round demands precision, patience and resilience.
