Orleans, March 21 Indian shuttlers Tanvi Sharma and Isharani Baruah were eliminated in the women's singles semifinals after suffering straight-game losses at the Orleans Masters Super 300 badminton tournament here on Saturday.
Unable to control her errors, 17-year-old Tanvi, a silver medallist at the World Junior Championships, lost 9-21, 16-21 in 35 minutes to former world champion and fifth seed Nozomi Okuhara of Japan.
Later, 22-year-old Isharani lost 12-21, 21-23 to Thailand's Pitchamon Opatniputh, bringing an end to India's campaign in the USD 250,000 event.
Tanvi had entered the match with confidence, having defeated Okuhara, a bronze medallist at the 2016 Olympics, in a thrilling three-game contest at the Syed Modi International last year.
Known for her long rallies, Okuhara established a 3-0 lead and moved to 6-3 as Tanvi committed a series of unforced errors. The Japanese effectively used her deception, while Tanvi struggled with her length, trailing 6-11 at the interval.
Okuhara constructed her rallies smartly, moving Tanvi around the court and finishing with powerful smashes. The Indian looked out of sorts as most of her strokes went wide or long, allowing Okuhara to surge to 19-7.
A cross-court smash briefly kept Tanvi in the contest before Okuhara earned multiple game points and sealed the first game when Tanvi hit long.
After the break, Okuhara again established a 3-0 lead as Tanvi's forehand continued to let her down, with shots going wide, long, or into the net.
The Indian showed brief resistance, producing a fine net shot and smash combination at 4-7 and later clawed back to 12-12 after a series of errors from Okuhara.
However, the Japanese regained control, winning a 25-shot rally at 14-13 and moving ahead with precise placement. A brilliant diving save at 18-14 took her within touching distance of victory.
Tanvi sprayed wide to hand over match points and, despite saving one, succumbed after Okuhara finished with a delicate slice winner.
Isharani vs Opatniputh
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Isharani was level at 4-4 early on but fell behind as Opatniputh took control, opening up a lead and maintaining it to close out the first game comfortably.
The Indian relied on her opponent's errors at times but struggled to break through the Thai's solid defence, eventually conceding the game after a series of mistakes.
In the second game, Isharani started strongly, moving to 6-3 and then 9-4 with attacking strokes. However, a series of unforced errors, including a long serve and wayward returns, allowed Opatniputh to claw back and take a narrow lead at the interval.
The Indian fought hard, drawing level at 17-17 and even taking the lead after winning a gruelling 31-shot rally.
But in a tense finish, errors at crucial moments proved costly as she failed to convert game points, eventually handing the match to the Thai, who sealed it with a cross-court smash.
The 19-year-old Opatniputh, a runner-up at the Indonesia Masters earlier this year, showed greater composure in the closing stages, while Isharani, a 2025 Odisha Masters Super 100 runner-up, fell just short despite a spirited effort.