Korea Open 2026: Tanvi Sharma defeats Japanese player to enter Round of 16

Indian badminton player Tanvi Sharma has entered the Round of 16 in the Korea Open 2026 competition by defeating Japanese player Manami Suizu. In this highly thrilling match played on Wednesday, Tanvi secured victory with a score of 21-16, 12-21, 21-17.

The match began with a brilliant performance by Tanvi. During the first game, her dominance was so profound that she was never trailing on the scoreboard throughout the entire game. However, Japanese player Manami Suizu attempted to level the match by reaching a score of 14-14 and challenged Tanvi, but Tanvi immediately regained control of the match. Tanvi lost only two points to win this game.

The situation changed in the second game, where Suizu made a very strong start and took a 6-1 lead. During this difficult period, Tanvi did not lose courage and succeeded in equalising the score by scoring five consecutive points. However, the 23-year-old Japanese player Suizu maintained her focus at a score of 12-12 and subsequently scored nine consecutive points to drag the match into a third game.

The third game was highly thrilling and extremely competitive, with both players taking turns to lead. During this period, Tanvi had taken a 13-9 lead. In the final stages of the match, Suizu fought hard to make a comeback, but Tanvi held her off to win the match.

Now, in the Round of 16, Tanvi will once again face Japan's Hina Akachi. This will be the fourth encounter between these two players. Previously, in the semifinals of the Guwahati Masters in December 2025, Tanvi had defeated Akachi to secure a win, but in May 2026 during the Thailand Open, she had faced defeat against Akachi.

Tanvi Sharma is ranked 21st in the BWF World Rankings.