Tanvi Patri loses three-game final to Zhang Yi Xin, takes Youth Olympic silver in Dakar
Tanvi Patri lost to China's Zhang Yi Xin in a three-game final at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar on Thursday night, leaving the 15-year-old with the individual silver medal. She was beaten 21-15, 13-21, 24-26 in a match that lasted one hour and 22 minutes.
Patri became the first Indian woman shuttler to win an individual silver at the Youth Olympics in Dakar and saved six match points during the final, while producing three separate opportunities to close out the title. Zhang Yi Xin entered the match as the reigning world junior champion. Before Patri, HS Prannoy (2010) and Lakshya Sen (2018) were the only Indians to have won individual silver medals at the Youth Olympic Games.
In the opening game, Patri took time to find her rhythm but then produced a run of seven consecutive points to move from 3-5 to 10-5. She manufactured openings with punch tosses and dominated the net exchanges, closing out the first game after 25 minutes.
Patri began the second game with a 4-0 lead, but the drift coming from behind her started to affect her control on the clears. Zhang wrested control after the mid-game interval and reversed the momentum to force a deciding third game.
Zhang surged in the decider with trademark cross court drops and opened a 19-10 lead. Patri reduced the deficit to 19-15, but an error on a cross-court smash from the Indian handed her opponent five match points; Patri then saved those points and produced three chances to win the match before Zhang closed it out.
After the final, Patri said, "I think this achievement means a lot to me and it will encourage me to play well in the future tournaments. And next year I am going to compete in Indonesia for the International Challenge Tournament. I hope I play well there," she said after the match.
Sanjay Mishra, General Secretary of the Badminton Association of India, said, "Tanvi Patri has made the entire nation proud with a historic achievement at the Youth Olympic Games. Winning a silver medal at just 15 is an extraordinary accomplishment and a moment of immense pride for India," and added, "Her fighting spirit, composure and performances throughout the competition reflect the immense potential of our young sporting generation. This achievement is a significant milestone for Indian sport and a testament to the growing presence of our athletes on the global stage."
She has confirmed a scheduled appearance in Indonesia next year for the International Challenge Tournament, which she mentioned as her planned next competition in her post-match remarks.