Tanvi Sharma wins Taipei Open with exquisite timing on her smash in Tai Tzu-land

(BAI photo)India has had the sting smash of Saina Nehwal. It has boasted the steep expansive crosscourt smash of PV Sindhu. Now, welcome the Tanvi Sharma smash with timing and titanic theatre embedded in it. Trapezing on that super shot, Tanvi brought a title back to India, that Nehwal had won in 2008, enhancing her reputation with a 21-16, 21-16 victory. Winning her first title of 2026 and a maiden Super 300, Tanvi defeated Thuy Linh Nguyen at the Taipei Open where her propensity to squander advantages lent drama to top shot-making including straight smashes that teemed with timing.

Coached by her badminton-loving mother in her early years, the younger of two daughters had literally cornered her mother’s attention by the sweet timing on her smashes and drops. It’s what they call natural, god-gifted. She strikes the shuttle from the sweet spot of the racquet head, hits it at precise stage of its flight and transfers power into the shoulder and snappiness into the wrists to make it a terifically-timed hit. Her’s is the game that will turn neutral fans by its sheer silk.

In Tai Tzu-ying territory of Taipei arena, Tanvi added many fans. But the theatre wasn’t far away. The Indian led 10-2 and allowed the Vietnamese to come back to 10-8. That big lead was built up using those straight struck smashes on either flanks. It was the first of four mini-phases where the Tanvi lead got whittled down to make the match interesting and life difficult for herself.

Coach Park Tae Sang has brought focus and formidability to Tanvi’s game, but both tend to be nervous wrecks when she goes about her tantalizing strokemaking. Main course if winners comes with a side of errors and bitten nails for fans. So even as the smash was bulking up her leads, she was capable of erring in the net and sending shots long or wide.Story continues below this ad The 10-8 return from Nguyen was snapped by a get-out-of-trouble straight smash. A slight hop, the zippy shoulder and smack with a rich drizzle of timing. She would send one down the other flank to restore another lead at 14-9. In between came smooth net deception to get to 12-9. Those slashed smashed got a variation a 17-9 when the smash was slightly angled, not cross just crooked. But always deep into the backcourt. The shot variery compared not just to Tai Tzu-ying, but also the other Taiwanese great in attendance and watching. Twice Olympic champion in men’s doubles and now the country’s Sports Minister Lee Yang. Wrapping up the first set however was made entertaining by the Indian. From 19-12 up, Tanvi continued to wrack up errors with her drops straying wide, the pushes heading long as Nguyen came to within 19-15. But the smash was back – a reboot, a confidence booster, a supercharger to her game that somehow brings her back on track. She would take the opener 21-16. She started the second 0-3 down, but was quickly back in possession of the lead at 8-4 and 15-8 on the back of all-court roundedness and her pet stroke. But a moment of magic that got Tai Tzu-ying land in a tizzy was at 12-9. She had sent a backhand from close to the backline, and stuck out the racquet to her right and flicked the wrist for a forehand push that was reminiscent of a viral Shoibul Fikri-stroke. At 17, it is pristine skill.Story continues below this ad The 15-8 lead was too much for the Vietnamese 28-year-old, 11 years older. And the Indian marched to the title gloriously, urging coach Park to join her on the podium for the medal ceremony.

It was apt somehow that Tanvi Sharma won her first senior title of this level at Taipei — there’s shades of Tai Tzu-ying and Saina Nehwal to it, and the amalgam of those two games can only point to success. The final might well heal her heartbreak from losing the World Junior final, and the long illness effects from dengue – which she played through.

India now has a fourth title winner at S300 after Saina, Sindhu and De