Junior national champion Hansini Mathan, wild card entrant Sanil Shetty, and the mixed doubles pairing of Payas Jain and Syndrela Das delivered impressive performances to upset higher-ranked opponents and progress to the second round of the WTT Feeder Series 2026, presented by the Sports Authority of Gujarat, at the SAMA Indoor Sports Complex in Vadodara on Friday.
Hansini’s Stellar Showdown
The 16-year-old Hansini, the youngest junior national champion in India, showcased her top form against world number 78 and third seed Yoo Yerin from the Republic of Korea, securing a confident victory with scores of 11-8, 11-3, 11-9. In the next round, she will face Ryu Hanna from the Korean Republic, who narrowly defeated another young Indian talent, Tanishka Kalbhairav, with scores of 7-11, 11-7, 11-5, 9-11, 11-9.
In women’s doubles, Hansini partnered with Sampada Bhiwandkar to create an upset over the third seeds Anusha Kutumbale and Baisya, winning 9-11, 15-13, 11-4, 6-11, 12-10.
Men’s Singles Highlights
In men’s singles, Shetty made an impressive comeback after trailing by two games and saving a match point to triumph over second seed Harmeet Desai, winning 6-11, 5-11, 14-12, 13-11, 11-7. In the pre-quarterfinals, he will meet qualifier Sougata Sarkar.
Priyanuj Bhattacharya also caused a stir by defeating eighth seed Navid Shams of Iran 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-4. He will next play against Yashansh Malik in the second round.
Mixed Doubles Action
In the mixed doubles first round, Jain and Das overcame a tough opening game to defeat Pal and Baisya, winning 4-11, 11-6, 11-8, 10-12, 11-6, advancing to the next stage.
Top Players Progress
Other notable players in men’s singles included first seed Manush Shah, third seed Snehit Suravajjula, and sixth seed Ankur Bhattacharjee, all advancing to the next round. Manush triumphed over qualifier Parth Magar with scores of 11-7, 11-4, 11-4. Snehit defeated wild card entrant Pratham Madlani 11-5, 11-7, 11-3, while Bhattacharjee bested Abhinandh Pradhivadhi 11-6, 3-11, 11-8, 11-6.
Manush, hailing from Baroda, took charge early, leading 5-2 in the opening game. Despite Magar closing the gap to 7-6, Manush maintained control and secured the win effortlessly in the second and third games.
Upcoming Matches
In the pre-quarterfinals, Bhattacharjee will face Mudit Dani, who won against Ved Sheth with scores of 11-7, 7-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-6. Snehit will take on Divyansh Srivastava, who defeated qualifier Balamurugan Rajasekaran 11-6, 11-9, 11-4.