The 18-year-old Indian, agonisingly close to shocking her higher-ranked Canadian opponent, suffered a heartbreaking 21-11, 9-21, 21-23 defeat in a match that lasted just under an hour here at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
Unnati had come in the second round after a hard-fought straight-games win over Myanmar\u2019s Thet Htar Thuzar 22-20, 21-16. In 2025, she picked up one of the biggest wins of her career when she defeated the two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu at the China Open.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Unnati had a solid start as she pocketed four points in quick succession, making her intentions clear early in the game to take a 4-1 lead. The Indian maintained her advantage, heading into the interval with a three-point cushion at 11-8 in the opening game.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
A risky gamble by Li at the net cost Unnati the point and her serve, but the Indian still held a comfortable lead. Unnati made her experienced opponent work for every point before closing out the opening game in style.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Unnati carried the confidence from the opening game into the second, starting with a 3-1 lead. However, momentum shifted in Li\u2019s favour in the blink of an eye as the Canadian marched ahead 6-4 and headed into the mid-game interval with an 11-5 advantage. Unforced errors from Unnati allowed Li to elevate her game and take the second set 21-9 <\/p>\r\n\r\n
A risky gamble by Li at the net cost Unnati the point and her serve, but the Indian still held a comfortable lead. Unnati made her experienced opponent work for every point before closing out the opening game in style.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Just one rally later, poor shot selection brought Li level at 10-all, leaving Unnati in disbelief. The match remained evenly poised at 19-all before a clever deception and a solid smash gave Unnati match point opportunity at 20-19. However, she was unable to convert. A misjudged shot at the crucial moment allowed Li to fight back and close out a 23-21 win, handing Unnati a heartbreaking loss on her World Championships debut.<\/p>\r\n\r\n