Michelle Li and Unnati Hooda have only crossed paths once — the Round of 16 at the 2024 Arctic Open in Vantaa. Li came in fresh off dismantling P.V. Sindhu in the first round, while Unnati had just survived a three-game battle to get there.

Li made it look easy again: 21-10, 21-19, though Unnati clawed back in game two before falling short.

Now it’s a rematch at the BWF World Championships in New Delhi, and the gap has closed. Li’s still the higher-ranked player (world No. 13) against Unnati (No. 26), but the latter coming off big scalps this year, including a win over Sindhu herself, and has looked sharp so far on home soil.

The 18-year-old needed 40 minutes to get past Myanmar’s Thet Htar Thuzar 22-20, 21-16 in the women’s singles first round in the ongoing BWF Worlds.

Published on Aug 19, 2026