Srikanth lose as youngsters set up all-Indian women’s final

The Al Ain Masters 2025 reached its climax on Saturday with a thrilling line-up of semi-final clashes that tested both skill and endurance.

While seasoned stars produced flashes of world-class badminton, it was the youngsters who stole the spotlight with fearless performances.

As one of the BWF Super 100 tournaments, the Al Ain Masters continues to provide a vital platform for rising shuttlers to climb the rankings and gain experience at higher levels. This year was no exception, with several breakthrough moments marking the penultimate day at the Khalifa Bin Zayed Hall.

Malaysia’s Aidil Sholeh recorded the biggest win of his career, stunning former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth of India in the men’s singles semi-finals. For Sholeh, now competing as an independent player, this will be his second career Super 100 final after a silver medal at the Indonesia Masters last year.

“The second game was tough as my opponent (Kidambi) changed his game plan. There was some drift as well, but I’m happy I managed to stay composed,” said Sholeh after the victory.

In the other semi-final, Finland’s world No. 54 Joakim Oldorff delivered a commanding performance to defeat Vietnam’s Hai Dang Nguyen 21-17, 21-17. The Finnish shuttler, a European Championships bronze medallist, now advances to his first-ever Super 100 final. “This is my biggest breakthrough at the senior level, and I’m really excited for the final,” Oldorff said.

India’s rising stars Tasnim Mir and Shriyanshi Valishetty booked their places in their maiden Super 100 finals and will now meet in an all-Indian women’s singles showdown on Sunday.

The 20-year-old Mir, from Gujarat, battled back from a game down to defeat Turkey’s Neslihan Arin 9-21, 21-17, 21-10. “I’m very happy to reach the final. This is a step forward toward competing at higher-level tournaments like the Super 300 and Super 500, and improving my ranking,” said Mir, the former world junior no. 1.

Valishetty was more clinical, brushing aside Indonesia’s Chiara Marvella Handoyo 21-11, 21-12 in straight games to book her spot.

In women’s doubles, Chinese Taipei’s teenage duo Liang Ching Sun and Yan Fei Chen produced one of the biggest upsets of the tournament by defeating Australian Olympians and Oceania champions Gronya Somerville and Angela Yu 21-11, 21-17 in just 27 minutes.

The 17-year-olds, who are also Asian Junior U-17 champions, are through to their first Super 100 final, where they will face Bulgarian top seeds and multiple European champions Gabriela and Stefani Stoeva. “We aim for the top 30 by the end of the year, but first we want to be champions here,” said world No. 50 Liang Ching.

With around 300 shuttlers from 38 nations competing, the Al Ain Masters 2025 — the only BWF event in the Middle East—now heads to its much-anticipated finals on Sunday, promising a showcase of intensity and rising talent.