Isharani Baruah’s impressive run at the Vietnam Open Super 100 came to an abrupt end at the final hurdle as the Indian shuttler was beaten by Thailand’s Sarunrak Vitidsarn in straight games on Sunday. Baruah, who had been unbeaten throughout the tournament and had not dropped a single game on her way to the summit clash, found herself under pressure from the opening rally before going down 8-21, 15-21 in 34 minutes.
Ranked 39th in the world and seeded third at the tournament, Baruah entered the final as the higher-ranked player against an unseeded Vitidsarn, who was ranked 106th. But rankings counted for little once the two stepped on court. The Thai youngster produced a composed performance, maintained control through the crucial phases of both games and denied Baruah the chance to add a Super 100 title to what had been an encouraging tournament campaign.
For Baruah, the opening game proved particularly difficult. Vitidsarn quickly established her rhythm and forced the Indian to play from behind. Baruah struggled to build the same attacking momentum that had carried her through the earlier rounds, allowing the Thai shuttler to establish a commanding advantage before closing out the game 21-8. The second game offered Baruah a stronger response, but Vitidsarn remained in control when the points mattered most, eventually sealing it 21-15.
The defeat marked Baruah’s second loss against Vitidsarn. The pair had previously met four years ago at the India Junior International Grand Prix in 2022, meaning their Vietnam Open final was effectively a rematch after a long gap. Vitidsarn’s victory also demonstrated how quickly the younger generation of Asian badminton players can develop between junior and senior competition.
Baruah’s campaign, however, deserves to be viewed beyond the final result. The 22-year-old had reached the title clash without dropping a game, beating opponents with consistency and composure through the earlier rounds. Her semifinal was particularly significant as she defeated fellow Indian Rakshitha Sree Ramraj in straight games to book her place in the final. That semifinal victory had set up what looked like a favourable opportunity for Baruah to complete an unbeaten tournament.
Instead, Vitidsarn produced the performance that mattered most on the biggest stage of the week. The result also adds another important chapter to Baruah’s development on the international circuit. At 22, the Indian remains at an age where sustained performances at BWF World Tour events can be crucial for building ranking momentum and gaining experience against players from the leading badminton nations.
For Vitidsarn, meanwhile, the victory represents a notable breakthrough against a higher-ranked opponent. Thailand has long been one of Asia’s major badminton nations, and the country’s women’s singles programme continues to produce players capable of competing on the international stage. The Thai shuttler’s surname will also be familiar to badminton followers.
She is the younger sister of Kunlavut Vitidsarn, the reigning Olympic men’s singles champion and one of Thailand’s biggest stars in the sport. Kunlavut’s rise from the junior circuit to the top of the world has provided Thailand with another major figure on the international stage, and Sarunrak’s success adds another promising name to the country’s badminton story.
For Baruah, the disappointment will naturally centre on the final. A tournament that had promised a perfect finish ended with a straight-game defeat. But the larger picture remains positive. Reaching the final of a BWF Super 100 event, defeating compatriots and maintaining an unbeaten run until the title match are all signs of a player building consistency at senior level. The challenge now will be converting such runs into titles.
The final scoreline may read like a one-sided defeat, but Baruah’s Vietnam Open campaign should not be judged solely by the 8-21, 15-21 result. The most encouraging aspect of the Indian’s week was her consistency before the final. She did not drop a game through the tournament and arrived at the summit clash with genuine momentum. That makes the defeat particularly instructive. At the highest level, a player is often judged not by how comfortably she reaches a final, but by how she responds when an opponent disrupts her preferred rhythm.
Baruah could not impose the same control that had characterised her earlier matches, while the Thai shuttler showed the composure required to close out both games. For an Indian player still establishing herself on the senior international circuit, that experience could prove valuable. The Vietnam Open has therefore ended with disappointment, but it has also offered Baruah a platform.
The next step is clear: turn deep tournament runs into titles and ensure that performances like this become the beginning of a sustained climb rather than an isolated week. For now, Sarunrak Vitidsarn has the trophy. Isharani Baruah leaves Vietnam with a runner-up finish and another reminder of what remains between reaching the final and winning it.
