How Unnati Hooda beat World No 6 Wardani to make Last 8 of Asian Games

"Our girl held on; she didn't leave single shuttle despite being tired," says coach Guru Saidutt who says Unnati has rare grit

4 min readSep 26, 2026 05:05 PM IST

Playing a sensationally gritty match, Unnati Hooda, defeated the Indonesian Top Tenner 21-19, 21-13, literally forcing her opponent to crack in the face of a never-give-up attitude. (ANI Photo)

Unnati Hooda had played an arduous, sapping 80 minute match against Malaysian Wong Chin Lin, winning 21-14, 20-22, 21-19. The Asian Games schedule demanded she show up within three hours to play World No 6 Putri Kusuma Wardani, to prove she belongs to the elite.

Playing a sensationally gritty match, the Indian World No 24, who enters Top 20 next week, defeated the Indonesian Top Tenner 21-19, 21-13, literally forcing her opponent to crack in the face of a never-give-up attitude.

It was a sparky Saturday for the Indian contingent at the Asian Games, when squash star Anahat Singh too defeated Japanese World No 6 to make finals. Unnati though was far from the spotlight– on corner Court 4, with not even a Youtube stream. Besides, the court was playing funky with sudden drift from one side. Shuttles were stopping on blocks at the net, which Unnati used entirely to her advantage.

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“I was very clear she should come up with her own strategy because you can’t suddenly flood a player with advice,” coach Guru Saidutt sitting for her match, said. “She’s playing well so too much planning wasn’t needed. But when we told her small things, like switching serve or changing shot, she executed immediately, so the trust was there,” Guru added. In the endgame against Wong, she had been brave to flick the serve to the back when Gopichand instructed. “You have to give it to her mental strength. She was just not leaving the shuttle even when physically exhausted. It’s rare, I’ve seen it only in Saina,” Guru added.

Onto Court 4 where the evening sessions had only Guru on the coaching chair. “Even when Wardani had her moments, Unnati simply kept going, kept going. Then she would suddenly turn around and play a winner,” Guru recalls. Wardani went from 11-15 to 17-15. Unnati dragged it back on sheer persistence, going on in long rallies, undeterred by if she won or lost the point. That patience ate into Wardani’s resolve and with desperation as Unnati didn’t drop the ball, came the errors.

Not giving up when tired is what wins you matches. And Unnati used her discipline and blinkers to simply do anything to keep shuttle in play. With that she put immense pressure on Wardani who started cracking and went into survival-mode, stopping to hit her smashes altogether. After Unnati took the opener 21-19, she got even better at putting the Indonesian out of position making her work hard.

“Wardani could’ve come back. But Unnati didn’t make errors that Top players like pouncing on. Our girl held on; she didn’t leave single shuttle despite being tired,” Guru said.

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The defense was impressive. But Guru insists there’s a very handy kill-shot in her armour too. “When she gets time on backcourt, she has very good cross court smash. She’s not defensive in the sense of passive. She just played her heart out,” he described.

Though she did well in the World Championships getting to a fighting decider with Michelle Li, and even in the Teams against Tomoka Miyazaki, criticism of her awkward footwork has always follow her – the trolling merciless on social media.

Guru guffaws. “I mean, a few changes, 10-15% here and there will make her comfortable and tire her less in thevkongbrun. But both her opponents were technically solid, had great footwork. She still beat them. She has something else – ability to keep shuttle in play. Grit. Even when she is tired, she just doesn’t leave the shuttle. And that wins you matches. Footwork is alright,” he chuckled.

Shivani Naik

Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More

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