With a sparkling and inventive style, Anthony Ginting is one of the most exciting players to watch on the men’s singles circuit. His creativity magnifies his aggression to give him an irresistable approach to competition.
I often wonder if he ever had gymnastic training in early life. He is very well balanced – great poise, springy feet, so swift around the court – he can reach the furthest corner. Possibly he could do with a little more height (he is 171cm), but he compensates for this lack of reach with his supersonic speed. His rapid reactions let him play at the net one moment, the next, he is smashing from the back trams.
The essence of his style is that he wants to win. All players profit from their rival’s mistakes in a match but I think that his primary strategy is to play to seize the initiative. He has a very courageous approach to his shot selection. The percentage game is not for him. He will go toe-to-toe at the net or aim for the lines. I love his sequence of shots when he traps his opponent into a weak lift from the net and then smashes cross court for the point. He has a very strong ‘flat game’: his drives across the net are so hostile no-one can resist them. They remind me of the approach of the Minions when they start to bombard their foes at the other side of the court. The reverse-slice backhand straight drop that he plays is a jaw dropping thing of beauty that should be commemorated in the Badminton Hall of Fame.
Technically he is a very accomplished player, no surprise given his background in the badminton hotspot of Indonesia. The coaches and other players he works with are among the best in the world. He has the most sublime net skills to enhance his aggressive style: a really lovely touch that can snare his opponent into responding to him with a lift. He can vary the pace of the shuttle at will and this can be shattering to play against. Anticipation is a key part of the game for all elite players. Anthony’s deception skills lead to confusion and delay in response and at this level a split second of lag can mean the difference between winning and losing.
His expert racket skills and instantaneous reactions make him a stellar defender. He will reach the shot and retaliate. This can make for some spectacular high-speed exchanges in his matches. Psychologically it is the antidote to an opponent’s venom because it is difficult to intimidate him.
Embed from Getty ImagesGill Clarke wondered aloud on air once whether he ‘needs’ to get a good start in a match to get the win. His offensive style certainly benefits from momentum but I think this would be true of most players.
Video courtesy BWF
It’s impossible to think about Ginting in isolation; his rivalry with Kento Momota has the potential to motivate both of them to glittering heights. There is an frisson of adversarial creativity to their meetings. At the moment Momota has the upper hand but it is only a slight advantage and over the next three or four years I think they could inspire each other to legendary status. The bottom line at the moment is that Anthony makes too many mistakes; Momota realises this and will prolong rallies until the inevitable happens. Of course there are far more subtle elements at play than only this, but here is where the balance of power lies at present. It can change.
His dignified and sporting reaction to his shock loss in the HK Open final – in part due to a shocking umpire decision at match point – shows what a great asset he is to the badminton community. I don’t think he is anywhere near his full potential yet; there’s a lot of sweat and toil on the training courts to come. I’m a huge fan of his and would love to see him become one of the superstars of the game. If he could cut out some of his mistakes without losing his willingness to be brave he will be a major force in the men’s sector in the years ahead.
If you enjoyed this take a look at my piece about Gregoria Mariska Tungung by following the link https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/09/08/indonesias-gregoria-mariska-tunjung/ or this one from Podcast Tepak Bulu about Indonesian badminton generally https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/07/14/has-indonesian-badminton-stagnated/
I have also written about GreyAp, just follow this link https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/04/12/a-thriving-partnership-indonesias-polii-and-rahayu/
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Amanda Bloss All Rights Reserved
Women's Badminton 
Great analysis on Anthony Ginting and his play style. He’s certainly very entertaining to watch and I’m sure we’ll all be looking forward to seeing him in more tournaments to come!
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Thanks! Yes I can’t tell you how disappointed I was by his R1 exit at the All England. He should have done much better.
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