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India’s journey in BWF Taipei Open 2025 concluded with the defeats of Unnati Hooda and Ayush Shetty in the semi-final of the tournament on May 10. Both youngsters looked impressive in the tournament but lost the knockout battle against their Asian competitors. Ayush registered a 18-21, 17-21 defeat against Taiwan’s veteran Chou Tien-chen while the 17-year-old Unnati recorded a loss of 19-21, 11-21 to Japan’s Tomoka Miyazaki, who holds the title of the 2022 World Junior Championship.
Ayush displayed fighting spirit against the 35-year-old Taiwanese and took a 8-4 lead in the initial stage of the contest. However, Chou didn’t lose hope and utilised his vast experience to get the better of Shetty to win the first game by 21-18 figures. In the next game, Chou again found it difficult to tackle Shetty, who took a 11-10 lead at the interval. In the crunch situation, Chou again held his nerves and delivered angle returns to build pressure on Shetty. Chou’s tactic worked as his shots pushed the 20-year-old to the corners and got him a 20-16 lead. Eventually, Shetty conceded his defeat with a backhand shot which collided in the net.
Unnati Hooda capitulates against formidable Tomoka Miyazki
Unnati gave a stiff fight to Tomoka in the first game but lost in the final moments. Confident with the win in the opening game, the Japanese looked relentless and outclassed Hooda to conclude the game in dominant style. Following the loss in the first game, Hooda looked inconsistent against the 18-year-old.
The Japanese picked up a 4-0 lead in quick succession. The early attack from Miyazaki shattered Unnati’s confidence and she missed some crucial opportunities to bounce back in the game. Tomoka will next face Thailand’s Pitchamon Opatniputh in the final.
