Promising shuttler Tanvi leaves a giant impression

SHUTTLER Tanvi Sharma took a sizeable leap last week. So much so that she has put herself in the debate to potentially emulate greats like PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal.

- ANMOL GURUNG @ Chennai

With her deceptive drop shots, potent smashes and her ability to glide around the court, the 16-year-old slayed some higher-ranked opponents to enter the title match of the US Open. In the decider on Sunday, the teenager from Punjab showed guts of a fighter to stretch World No 21 (now World No 18) Beiwen Zhang, an opponent almost twice her age, but she eventually ran out of gas in the close stages to end up as runner-up in the BWF Super 300 meet. She might have missed the title by a whisker but she certainly left a giant impression on many.

Tanvi, despite the setback in the final, is level-headed and is focusing on the gains from her latest eye-catching run. "I'm thrilled, I'll get plenty of experience from this event. After the final got over, even Zhang also said, 'keep going, you can do it'," she told this daily from Iowa.