UAE Shuttlers Show Promise Despite Last 16 Exit at Al Ain Masters 2025

Al Ain Masters 2025: UAE shuttlers’ campaign ends in last 16Coach reflects on team’s growth and areas for improvement after Al Ain performanceAl Ain (UAE): The ongoing Al Ain Masters 2025 has been significant for the United Arab Emirates in many ways. As the only BWF event in the Middle East, the tournament gave the UAE team a platform to perform at a high level — and the players surprised many with their fighting spirit.While the results may not fully reflect their efforts, the hosts’ campaign came to an end in the last 16 of the BWF Super 100 tournament at the Al Ain Club. Several juniors, including Mysha Omer, stretched seasoned players to the limit, while others such as her sister Taabia Khan, Dev and Dhiren Ayyappan, and Bharath Latheesh matched shot for shot and strategy for strategy against Olympians and regional medallists.Head coach Nathan Rice, who has been working with the team alongside high performance director Michael Noerbaek since July, praised the performances but also noted areas to improve.“We have had some good performances here at Al Ain. Our players showed their talent, commitment, and work ethic, and they all gained valuable experience. Some of the performances were not at the level we would have liked, but there were important lessons learned for the future, especially for the younger players,” he said.‘Encouraging show’Rice added: “I was really encouraged to see the players compete. I’ve done a lot of training with them, and it’s fascinating to learn about their mentality and how they respond under pressure. The difference between their level in training and in competition is clear, but I believe their level can be even better. From a mental point of view — building a competition mindset, staying tough, finding focus, and being comfortable with being uncomfortable — these are areas where we can improve.”One of the highlights on Thursday came from junior Mysha Omer and Prakriti Bharath in their mixed doubles match against the seasoned Australian pair of Olympians and multiple-time Oceania champions Gronya Somerville and Angela Yu. The UAE pair lost 12-21, 18-21 but walked away with valuable lessons.Mysha’s sister Taabia was in action in two events on the day but fell short. In the women’s doubles, she and Janani Ananthakumar lost to Türkiye’s Bengisu Ercetin and Nazlıcan Inci 21-8, 21-12. Later, Taabia paired with Dhiren Ayyappan in mixed doubles but the 161st-ranked pair were outclassed by Germany’s 79th-ranked Marvin Seidel and Thuc Phuong Nguyen, losing 21-10, 21-14.“I was really excited to come and play in this tournament – so many good players were here. I’m happy to compete against some of the best,” said Taabia, ranked 79th in women’s doubles, who is aiming for podium finishes in Challenger tournaments and qualification for the World Championships.“Yesterday was the best day for me, as we won our Round of 32 matches. But we fell short today. There were rallies, but we made a lot of mistakes,” added the 19-year-old, who will next head to International Challenger events in Türkiye and the Czech Republic.Upset for Top SeedsIt was a tough day for several top seeds as the tournament entered the Round of 16.Men’s singles top seed Justin Hoh (world no. 36) suffered a shock defeat to India’s 114th-ranked Saneeth Dayanand, losing 21-14, 22-20. It marked Hoh’s third straight Round of 16 exit this year, despite a silver medal at the Macau Open in August.In mixed doubles, the top-seeded Indian pair of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde also bowed out, beaten by Sweden’s 114th-ranked Filip Karlborg and Tilda Sjoo in a thrilling three-game match, 21-18, 19-21, 13-21. The Swedish duo, who already have two podium finishes this season, will be eyeing their first gold of 2025 in Al Ain.Among others, former world no. 1 Kidambi Srikanth (currently ranked 42nd) overcame a scare before edging past India’s Siddhanth Gupta 21-17, 25-23 in a tight men’s singles round 16 match that last last ed for 44 minutes.In contrast, the Bulgarian sisters Gabriela and Stefani Stoeva, top seeds in women’s doubles and world no. 14, needed just 23 minutes to dispatch the UAE’s Nivedha Srinivasan and Anju Thomas 21-8, 21-12. The four-time European champions, however, remained cautious:“We don’t want to be complacent. We’re focusing on one match at a time,” said Gabriela who is making first tournament appearance in the UAE.The Al Ain Masters 2025 features nearly 300 players from 38 countries, making it the largest badminton event ever hosted in the city. The tournament runs until 5 October at the Khalifa Bin Zayed Hall, with the semi-finals and finals scheduled for the weekend.