One of India’s rising badminton stars Unnati Hooda put on an amazing performance at the Singapore International Challenge, where she finished as the runner-up. The fourth-seeded Unnati faced a tough competitor in Indonesia’s Ruzana in the finals, ultimately falling short in straight games (17-21, 16-21) after a 42-minute contest.
Unnati Hooda’s run to finals
Throughout the tournament, Unnati showed her exceptional skills, she has done ama amazing job winning the matches till the finals. Her journey to the finals included a notable straight-game win over Asian Games medallist Saena Kawakami from Australia in the second round. She also defeated Chinese Taipei contenders Siang Syuan Lin and Yi-Ting Hung on her path to the semifinals. In a gripping semifinal match, Unnati showed her top by coming from behind to clinch a win over Vietnam’s Thi Trang (B) Vu in a thrilling three-game battle (18-21, 21-19, 22-20), where she edged out Vu after a tie at 20-20 in the decider.
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A promising start to the year for Unnati Hooda
Despite falling short in the final, Unnati’s impressive run at the tournament sets a positive tone for the year ahead. Her performance will also contribute valuable ranking points, improving her prospects for entry into major BWF tournaments. Meanwhile, fellow young Indian shuttler Devika Sihag also made her mark with a decent quarter-final finish in the women’s singles category.
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