Taipei Open badminton: Unnati Hooda enters semi final after overcoming mid-match blip against home challenger Hung Yi-Ting
Unnati Hooda played home challenger Hung Yi-Ting, had a mini meltdown after getting a yellow card for challenging a net-fault, heard the home crowd cheer for the Chinese Taipei player. But in a match that had its troughs and crests, she prevailed in the hugely see-sawing battle 21-8, 19-21, 21-19.
Against the 28-year-old Hung, Unnati started with a blitz taking the opener 21-8, and though father and coach Upkar Hooda says she ought to have wrapped up in two sets, the finish didn't kick in at 16-18 or 18-19 in the second. 'Those were one or two bad judgments from her. And though there was drift, and she had dominated first, there were mistakes,' he says.
There was a mini meltdown at 19-15 in the decider when the umpire handed her a fault, and it precipitated into a yellow card. 'It was a close call and she only asked the umpire why it was a fault, but they pulled a yellow card. You have to accept the umpire's calls. It came so fast, you can't plan. But next time she will be experienced,' he assures. On the day, it cost her a 20-19 scare. However, she managed the situation to win in 52 minutes, backing her attack.
Unnati, considered one of the finest juniors in terms of her game and aggressive attitude, has reached Singapore International Challenge final this year, but squandered 6 match points at Germany in the quarters in an 85-minute humdinger against Riko Gunji, a former junior World Champion. 'She has to cut down on negatives. She naturally plays a fast game which can backfire,' he says.
Someone in the Saina Nehwal mould – some of her shots are mirror images – Unnati, however, lacks power on her smash. 'We are happy with the smash, but she needs to balance aggression and patience with that shot,' Upkar says of the temperament.
Unnati lines up against the highly-rated Japanese Tomoka Miyazaki next. The two never squared off in seniors, but Unnati was handed a straight-sets whooping at the World Juniors a few seasons ago in Spokane, USA. A loss might not rankle given how far ahead Miyazaki has sprinted (she is now world No 8) but a win could be a phenomenal scalp.
In Taipei, Unnati has missed home, Rohtak in Haryana. Upkar dedicated the quarterfinal victory to the Indian armed forces, as the duo rushed to check the latest updates on Google. 'First of all, we want to dedicate this win to all Indian soldiers,' Upkar says. It's not an easy situation for someone of Unnati's age, and Upkar added that being away while playing a tournament made it trickier for the 17-year-old. 'Because we are far away from home, the anxiety this time is different from other tournaments before. Unnati keeps listening to news clips and scrolling Google and there's concern for those we know,' he adds.
At 17, though heralded as a big player in the making within India for her fearless shotmaking, Unnati divides many opinions. For one, she keeps playing doubles that splits her energy, though that's slowly fading. 'She has two more years in juniors. This is the only time to add to her skills, that's why I insist on doubles to improve her singles,' Upkar explains. A clean break, could be underway. And clarity: 'Yes, singles is the goal,' he adds.
There's even more curiosity over where Unnati will be headed for the next leap into professionalism. She currently trains at her own academy in Rohtak. 'We are not closed about her moving on, and when required she will go to a bigger academy. India has 4-5 excellent ones, Gopichand's at Hyderabad and Prakash Padukone's at Bangalore. Even our Haryana academy is good, make no mistake,' he says, 'But we are open to options now and won't stick to just one approach.'
What drove the point home was Unnati's tibia injury that burst her ankle last year. 'We realised recovery is most important thing in tournaments after the injury. If she has to have a long career, can't ignore that,' he adds.
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