Nguyen Thuy Linh during her match against Tanvi Sharma in the 2026 Taiwan Open International Badminton Championship final, midday 2/8. *Screenshot*

Before the match on midday 2/8 in Taiwan, Thuy Linh had lost four Super 300 finals on the BWF World Tour system: the Germany Open 2024, 2025, Canada Open 2025, and Korea Masters 2025. Therefore, the Vietnamese player was expected to claim her first title when facing Tanvi Sharma, a young player ranked 9 places below Thuy Linh in the world rankings.

However, the match unfolded with the Vietnamese player being completely outplayed by Tanvi's youthful vigor. The Indian player showcased versatile play, powerful smashes, and delicate drop shots. Throughout the match, Thuy Linh expended all her energy, moving tirelessly to retrieve shots, but she could not achieve a breakthrough.

The expectation of becoming the first Vietnamese female player to win a Super 300 title even burdened Thuy Linh psychologically as the match began. With tight serves and powerful smashes, Tanvi quickly took leads of 4-1, then 8-2, and 10-2, capitalizing on Thuy Linh's errors.

Subsequently, the player from Phu Tho became more composed, executing drop shots to score a run of six points, narrowing the gap to 8-10. This was Thuy Linh's most impressive scoring run, as Tanvi soon regained control, leading 14-9 and then 18-9. Despite another run of five points, Thuy Linh lost the first set 16-21.

Nguyen Thuy Linh lost 0-2 to Tanvi Sharma in the 2026 Taiwan Open International Badminton Championship final, midday 2/8. *Screenshot*

Entering the second set, following advice from coach Bui Bang Duc, Thuy Linh avoided high clears that allowed her opponent powerful smashes. Instead, she frequently employed drop shots and cross-court drives. This strategy helped her gain an early lead of three points.

However, Tanvi quickly anticipated the change in tactics. She frequently moved to the net to intercept Thuy Linh's drop shots, then returned her own delicate drop shots, making it difficult for the Vietnamese player to defend. The Indian player then leveled the score at 3-3 before taking leads of 8-4 and 14-8.

Beyond her youth, Tanvi displayed flexible and diverse shot-making, allowing her to comfortably secure a 21-16 victory and her first title in 36 minutes.

Thuy Linh once again missed out on a Super 300 championship, but her performance throughout the tournament was impressive. She successively defeated host players, from the top one to the top three, before faltering at the finish line. Her runner-up position also earned Thuy Linh USD 9,500 and an additional 5,950 BWF ranking points.

Thuy Linh is Vietnam's top one female badminton player, having won the national individual badminton championship seven consecutive times. She also secured three consecutive Vietnam Open titles since 2022 and participated in the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics two times. On the Super 300 circuit, she had previously been a runner-up four times at the Germany Open 2024, 2025, Canada Open 2025, and Korea Masters 2025.

After the Taiwan tournament, Thuy Linh will compete in the Korea Masters Super 300, followed by the World Championships held in India from 17-23/8. Subsequently, she will return to Vietnam to prepare for ASIAD 20 in september in Japan.

Duc Dong