Adventures in anxiety await us all as the intensity of the Olympic competition plays out. Will CHEN Yu Fei defend her title? Can TAI Tzu Ying or Marin cajole their tired muscles for one last effort? Is this really AN Se Young’s medal to claim?
Who will make the step up from good to great to Gold?
Artwork by kind permission of Amelia Parkes Cordock
Quarterfinal Showdowns
This edition of the Olympic WS has some brilliant players: from battle-hardened veterans at their fourth Olympiad to some first-timers. They are all at La Chapelle Arena ready to showcase the best version of themselves and aim for glory.
AN Se Young and Akane Yamaguchi
About a year ago AN Se Young was destined to completely dominate women’s badminton but since her knee injury she is not invincible. She is favourite for the Gold here, but the constant pressure of high-level matches will be a big test. After the group stage she gets a bye into the quarterfinals and is likely to face Akane Yamaguchi, who has experienced her own injury problems. Akane at her best could get into the semifinal. I watched their match at the All England this year and AY’s refusal to concede was extraordinary. If she can bring that indomitable belief to the court, she will not be beaten. At the start of the National Team training camp in July she was playing down her chances of regaining her peak fitness though, so the early group stages should give us an idea of what level she can achieve.
TAI Tzu Ying and Gregoria Tunjung
TAI Tzu Ying and Ratchanok Intanon encounter each other early on – in Group E – but only one can progress to the knockouts. Many neutrals will be wistful about the lost opportunity for these two to play each other later on in the competition. Both are drawing their dazzling careers to an end; both would grace any Olympic podium. The reality is that both have suffered quite bad injuries this year so that may affect what either can accomplish- nevertheless it will not blight their ambitions .
The winner of their group will probably face Gregoria Tunjung who has the shots and the speed to go deep into the competition. She must maintain her mental resilience if she is going to get on the podium – she is a definite dark horse. It could be her time. Read more about her here https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2023/04/03/gregoria-mariska-tunjung-anything-is-possible/
Ayo Ohori and Carolina Marin
Ohori has had an excellent 2024 and has reached her highest ever ranking (10). Although she is not widely seen as a medal contender, she has a reasonable draw and is fit. Her victory at the Thailand Masters back in February was over 3 sets and 80 minutes so she shouldn’t have too many problems in an attritional slow hall.
Meanwhile, Marin is determined to win back her Gold from Rio. She is the most focused competitor, but it’s asking a lot eight years on to repeat the win. I would never bet against the Spaniard but at the French Open this year she underachieved by her own standards (lost in R32) however she then bounced back to win the All England in the following week.
CHEN Yu Fei and HE Bing Jiao
Can the defending champion retain her medal? Given her win against AN Se Young at the Indonesia Open a few weeks ago, it looks like she has a good chance. However, first she must navigate a probable QF with her compatriot HE Bing Jiao. It’s possible for HBJ to pull off an upset, but the odds are stacked against her. Not least because CHEN knows exactly what it takes to grab gold and can gain a lot of positives from her recent victory. In that game she pushed and pushed: not content to simply return the shuttle, she went for the lines, stayed positive and got her reward. This could be a possible strategy if she has to face the Korean in the SF.
Top Takeaways
Injuries and the draw have made this a very open competition. Success will depend on who can adjust to the stadium conditions and stay fit enough to keep going. It would be a dream come true to see TAI Tzu Ying at the top of the podium: she may get there but she needs to avoid grueling games and I don’t think that will be possible. Gregoria has an outside chance of a medal but it is difficult to see beyond a CHEN Yu Fei or AN Se Young success in Paris.
My first memory of watching badminton was as a young kid at my uncles’ house. It was the 1999 World Championship final between DAI Yun and Camilla Martin; sensationally the Dane scored a rare victory in a sport dominated by Chinese players. Martin was the first woman to consistently challenge this. In 2000 at the Sydney Olympics, it was Martin who was fighting the Chinese dominance of women’s singles. She battled GONG Zhichao in the final but had to settle for Silver. In Athens 2004 I distinctly remember the match between Mia Audina and ZHANG Nin won by the Chinese athlete in the third set after losing the first. So, my earliest recollections of women’s singles is a sector where China was the superior force.
Fast forward to the 2008 Olympics. I was in class 9 when I watched Beijing’s grand opening ceremony and started to understand the gravitas of the Games. I heard about Saina Nehwal – a young 16-year-old from Hyderabad – I remember that third round match against WANG Chen. No Indian player had reached beyond round of 16 in Olympics and here she was, defeating a world top 5 player in three sets. I was curious. I started watching other matches to see if she could win a medal. I prayed that Saina should get Yulianti and avoid Tina Baun. Yes, Saina Nehwal did get Indonesia’s Maria Yulianti in the QF. It was a real rollercoaster of a game. Saina won the first set in extra points, lost set 2 easily and had a lead of 11-3 in final but it was not to be, and she lost 21-15 in the end.
It was the era of “Saina versus China,” and I followed her progress everywhere. I saw her winning the first prestigious super series 2009 in Indonesia – in front of a crazy Istora Senayan – defeating another Chinese player WANG Lin over 3 sets. Then came the Hyderabad world championship: Saina reached the QF but on this occasion lost to WANG Lin.
It was 2010 and Saina was flourishing. She won 2 SuperSeries tournaments (India Open & Singapore Open), retained her Indonesia Open title and had made it to world #2. Although seeded 2 for the Paris World Championships, she lost in the QF, this time to Chinese WANG Shixian in two straight games. Her focus was shifting to her first multi sporting event – the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. I saw her winning that gold medal from WONG Mew Choo of Malaysia in three hard fought sets. It was a momentous day for Indian badminton.
China dominated the 2011 World Championships winning all five gold medals. Saina expected to do well in London but lost in the quarters again to the Chinese: this time it was tricky WANG Xin who annihilated her in two games. I saw the brilliance of ZHAO Yunlei winning two medals: a gold and a silver. ZHAO for me is one of the greatest players of all time – the only player to have won two Golds at the same Olympics.
London 2012 and Saina arrived in the UK in superb form with a win at the Thailand Open and a third Indonesia Open victory. She got a straightforward draw until the quarters where she faced tricky Tina Baun. That day she won the first game easily, lost momentum in the second game and I switched off the TV. After 3 minutes I saw the news “Saina in Semis of Olympics games” . As a fan, that day in August is a special day in my life. Knowing Saina had a patchy record against the Chinese I still hoped that after breaking the QF barrier she would give a good fight to top seed WANG Yihan like 2011 Super Series finals, but it was not to be. WANG Yihan had other plans. She was untroubled by Saina in both set s 21-13,21-13. Saina then played bronze medal against WANG Xin. WANG Xin started controlling the pace of the match but soon Saina fought back. When Wang Xin fell, initially, I thought it was a tactic to take a break, but no, it was seriously injury, and the game was ended by WANG Xin’s retirement. When the greatest badminton player of all time – LI Lingwei – presented the medal to Saina, I could not hold back my tears. ZHAO Yunlei won two Golds (XD & WD) in London, the only player to have achieved this at the same Olympics.
Although China won Gold and Silver in the Women’s Singles in London, looking back it was the last time Chinese athletes dominated that sector. Suddenly, women players from around the world were challenging for the most prestigious honours.
2013 was a watershed year and the World Championships in Guangzhou epitomized this. On grand finals day with 11000 spectators shouting “Jiayou!” to LI Xuerui, I thought that the young Ratchanok would falter but it was not the case: she was trailing 19-12 but played a net shot to force a lift from LI X. It was just out at the back line and the deceptive Thai started her show. She won that set 22-20, lost the momentum in the second but in third game she controlled her lead and won the match 21-14. On the biggest stage China lost the gold medal to a young Thai girl.
That triumph provided the headlines but if we look a little deeper into the tournament there were other signs that China’s supremacy in WS was being dispelled. P V Sindhu defeated two Chinese opponents back-to-back (WANG Yihan & WANG Shixian) to clinch Bronze; now she has gone on to win a total of five World Championship medals. The stand-out QF for me was the thrilling match between Ratchanok and Carolina Marin. The young Marin lost in three tight sets but has gone on to win the tournament three times, as well as numerous Superseries events and 2016 Olympic Gold.
I have watched greats come and go. I saw the utter dominance of China but the 2013 World Championships and the arrival of Ratchanok, Carolina Marin and Sindhu changed the landscape of Women singles. Later that year an unseeded 16 year-old became the first Japanese woman athlete to win the Japan Open. Akane Yamaguchi stunned the world with her victory over the up-and-coming TAI Tzu Ying; now she is reigning two times World Champion and TAI Tzu Ying has held the World #1 spot for Taiwan for longer than 200 weeks.
Badminton in Women singles is no longer China vs China. Over the past few years, it has become the most diverse group among all 5 disciplines. However, with CHEN Yu Fei winning Gold at the Tokyo Olympics, HE Bing Jao an ever present top ten player and the rise of WANG Zhi Yi and HAN Yue it is arguable that the fightback is on, and the Chinese team are trying their best to reclaim their dominance.
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China’s athletes have the potential to win both titles in the women’s sector plus XD as well. However, nothing is certain except that this tournament promises outstanding matches between players with sublime skills. This really is a meeting of all the talents so jump on the emotional rollercoaster and enjoy the ride!
Graphic courtesy BWF
Women’s Singles – Beware Marin Incoming!
The million dollar question is how Carolina Marin is feeling? Have her injuries and recovery diluted her game. If she is 100% then everyone should fear her return because she will be hungry for the fight. Her aggression and knack of scoring sequences of points can be overwhelming. In the opposite side of the draw to CHEN YuFei and TAI Tzu Ying she will be determined to do everything she can to meet one of them in the final.
Akane Yamaguchi is looking to retain her title although in her first match she will likely face Gregoria Tunjung who has beaten her twice in a row recently in Malaysia. She is enduring a bit of a slump in form and has a very tough draw considering she is seeded 1. Having said that, she is the current All England Champion and I expect that her extraordinary court coverage, grit and resilience will get her through most matches successfully.
CHEN YuFei is seeded 4 but who can stop her advancing to the Gold? She is an expert at frustrating her opponents and forcing errors since she excels at reducing their opportunities to score. She combines this with an ability to accelerate her own scoring at key times in the match. She is seeded to meet Pornpawee in R16 and I think this could be a tricky encounter if Mew stays aggressive and is able to impose her own tempo on play. If YuFei prevails then a QF against Ratchanok Intanon is on the cards. May will typically be provoked by CYF into risky shots but her death or glory approach under pressure could backfire. If Ratchanok can hold her nerve and triumph, then we could be looking at the 32nd edition of the #MayTAI.
If TAI Tzu Ying is allowed to play her way then she could upgrade her World Championships Silver from Huelva. Millions of fans will be hoping that this is the year her brilliance earns Gold. She has proven before that she can use patience to defeat CHEN YuFei but as usual she is going to have to eradicate errors and loss of focus. AN Se Young is still a little prone to fatigue based injury after a succession of tough matches but she is also ambitious for the big titles.
Women’s Singles promises stellar clashes beginning from R64. Although China’s Chen YuFei is hot favourite, her compatriots HE Bingjiao and WANG Zhiyi could both travel deep into the competition.
Women’s Doubles
The battle hardened pair of CHEN Qing Chen and JIA Yi Fan should seize their opportunity to defend their title and win the Gold again. This sector feels quite open as it’s in a transition phase with some players on the cusp of retirement whilst others need to step up a level with an eye on the future. The main threat to their quest for a hat-trick of Golds will come from the Japanese and Korean pairs. LEE/SHIN (Silver 2021) could derail them at the SF stage whilst a possible final against Hirota/Fukushima (3, yes three Silvers) or KIM/KONG looms. FukuHiro have shown the strength of their partnership throughout Hirota’s injury crisis and this competition on home soil could be a great chance to put past Tokyo disappointments behind them. My possible dark horses to overachieve would be the Malaysian pair of Pearly TAN and Thinaah Muralitheran. They’ve just won at the Commonwealth Games, are continuing to improve, and will be arriving on court full of confidence.
Mixed Doubles
The magnificent partnership of HUANG Yaqiong & ZHENG Siwei belongs at the top of the podium. They arrive in Japan in red-hot form and should be looking to complete their hat-trick of World Championship titles. One of the pairs standing in their way are compatriots and Olympic winners HUANG Dongping and WANG Yilyu. Owing to the seeding only one of these teams can get to the final. The defending champions from Thailand Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai could find themselves in a semifinal with Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino. It’s difficult to foresee a final that doesn’t include two pairs from these four however I think Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue could disrupt Yuta and Arisa’s campaign. The French couple are on an determined trajectory towards the Paris Olympics so will expect to be still scrapping for points on finals weekend.
China’s players could win all of these titles but it would also be true to say that Japan has the personnel to equal that and they have home advantage. The World Championships 2022 is overflowing with awesome players in every sector – it’s going to be a fantastic tournament.
Can Indonesia rekindle the spirit that delivered gold last October or will another squad challenge their possession of the coveted trophy? History tells us that this tournament tends to be dominated by Asia’s players so although 16 teams are travelling to Bangkok it will be a shock if badminton’s status quo is upset.
Image courtesy BWF
This is the 32nd time that the event has taken place and it starts with the sixteen teams split into four groups for the Round Robin portion of the competition. The top two in each group will advance into the draw for the quarter finals and this is where the battles become brutal. Some players thrive under pressure but these knockout stages and subsequent pathway to the podium will expose weaknesses. The athletes and coaches with a mental edge are the ones who will triumph.
Group A: Indonesia, Korea, Thailand, Singapore.
As defending champions Indonesia can step back onto court optimistic that they have the players who can repeat last October’s victory. Marcus Gideon is still rehabbing from ankle surgery but Kevin Sukamuljo has travelled to Bangkok so he will partner someone else if needed. The strength in depth of the MD cadre should give opponents nightmares. It is stuffed with winners. In singles, the red-hot form of Jonatan Christie was kick-started by his Thomas Cup heroics last time and he must be solid in his results now because Anthony Ginting has no winning momentum since his bronze at the Olympics.
Thailand are the home team but I think they will struggle to escape the group because Korea’s men have performed well lately. The fight for the second spot will be between these two although Singapore can expect LOH Kean Yew to make life difficult for everyone he faces.
Group B: Denmark, China, France, Algeria.
This is such an intriguing group; I’m excited to see who emerges from it. For Denmark, Viktor Axelsen is virtually unstoppable these days whilst Antonsen, Vittinghus and Gemke can all create winning opportunities in matches. The MD pairs can usually mix it with the best so it was a surprise that they won no medal at the recent European Championships. They must step up a level if they want to mount a realistic challenge for the cup. Behind Denmark, France is probably the second best team in Europe right now and they have sent six European Junior champions to Bangkok. They will need a hard miracle to get to the knockouts but they are building a formidable side.
Only a fool would describe any Chinese team as ‘weak’ so lets flip that and say they don’t look invincible. No SHI Yu Qi and an evolving MD landscape means that it’s hard to predict how far they can go, nevertheless it’s China and that means badminton success. This is a wait and see situation.
Group C: India, Taiwan, Germany, Canada
I’d love this Indian team to realise their potential and get to a Semi-Final. Sen is the man of the moment – his fearless competitiveness at the All England was scintillating – add in Kidambi and Prannoy and MS looks strong. In MD Rankireddy/Shetty will trouble everyone they meet so barring injuries this group of athletes could win their group.
After a long absence from the international stage LEE Yang/ WANG Chi-Lin are back for Team Taiwan. The Tokyo MD Gold medalists plus CHOU Tien Chen should have enough to escape Group C along with India but Germany might run them close. Mark Lamsfuss was outstanding at the recent European Championships so along with his partner Marvin Seidel may fancy his chances of an upset or two.
Group D: Japan, Malaysia, England, USA
Both Japan or Malaysia could get to the semi-finals of this competition. Japan’s strength in MD will probably decide who tops the group although Momota’s alarming dip in form compared to the rise of LEE Zii Jia could keep things very close. The English team will want to scrap for some results and they could see some encouraging development but it’s not likely that they or the USA will progress.
Conclusions
Indonesia’s quality is going to be hard to beat; the squad is stuffed full of proven top 10 players. However retaining a title is notoriously tricky. China and Denmark are probable medalists but they both will want their ‘fringe’ players to be ready to force results when the pressure is high. Other than these three then Japan, Malaysia or India could push through but they will need intelligent strategy blended with stamina and no injuries. There will be a few surprises along the way and the team who can cope with this will be the one with their hands on the Thomas Cup.
A sparkling line-up in all the women’s sectors promises some brilliant battles ahead. The stars are back! The German Open has been full of upsets with some seeds struggling to impose themselves on the tournament. Let’s see if this unpredictable picture lingers into England.
Image courtesy of BWF
Women’s Singles
Three-time winner TAI Tzu Ying usually has a scintillating presence on court & brings stardust to any tournament; exceptional racket skills and unconventional genius means that she will be challenging for the title. However there are some big challenges ahead. In 2021 Akane Yamaguchi hit a dazzling run of form. Liberation from Olympic expectations unleashed a new focus, her fitness has returned, and she must be eyeing the trophy with confidence. These two are seeded to meet in the final in a repeat of 2018. On that occasion TTY triumphed so Akane will want revenge. Neither of them were on good form in Germany; both crashing out in their R2 matches so they both must step up their play if they want the trophy.
China is consistently producing exceptional women players. It’s astonishing to realise that CHEN Yufei – the current Olympic champion – is only seeded #3. Of course she has not been able to participate fully in the tour owing to China’s Covid restrictions. She is a deadly opponent who can drain the fight from a rival before putting them to the sword. The bottom half of the draw is arguably able to offer her a smooth journey to the SF and a potential game versus Akane or Sindhu. Realistically her consistency and fitness make her favourite for this title. HE Bing Jiao is always a bit of an enigma. During the pandemic she has become leaner, but has she become meaner? I think we will probably find out if she makes it to a QF with her compatriot CHEN Yu Fei. After beating Akane in Germany her confidence should be sky high. The other notable Chinese player bringing form to the UK is ZHANG Yi Man who dispatched Sindhu in three sets in Mulheim. She meets CYF in R1 so it’s a tough ask to expect progress.
As the defending champion Nozomi Okuhara has little to prove but has a harsh draw to negotiate. She has remained quite low profile since Tokyo but in December – for the third year running – was crowned winner at the All Japan Badminton Championships. In the first couple of rounds she’ll have to overcome a double Danish challenge; in R1 round she is meeting Denmark’s Line Christophersen then R2 could offer Mia Blichfeldt. Further in, TAI Tzu Ying, May or AN Se Young await. She will need to be on her game from the moment she steps onto court on day 1.
Is this going to be AN Se Young’s tournament? The top half of this draw offers a lot of banana skins & she would probably have to overcome May, TTY or Nozomi to get to the final. This is my worry. I’m a little unconvinced that her stamina will hold up through a bruising tournament – the cumulative effect of game after game after game does have a cost, so she must be tactically clever and try to conserve energy wherever possible.
Ratchanok Intanon was in good form at the Olympics; the battle with TTY in Tokyo was outstanding and there is a possible repeat of that epic match in prospect in the semi-final. First May has to negotiate early rounds that include ASY. Under pressure she often she executes extraordinary shots, disdains percentage play and can unravel a rival with her extravagant skill. I love to watch her compete like this but I think sometimes it’s the consequence of a desire to speedily finish off a rival; if they manage to hang in the game there can be Trouble.
The renowned Big Game Player – Pursala V Sindhu – is hard to analyse. She has an Olympic bronze from 2021 but often over the past 2 or 3 years she has struggled to build a winning momentum that takes her all the way to the top of the podium. She wasn’t able to progress beyond R1 at the German Open in the run-up to this tournament so I’m not sure what we can expect. She is one of the best of her generation but Akane awaits in the QF.
I see CHEN Yufei as favourite for this title. However Akane enjoyed impressive form at the end of 2021; if anyone can beat her they are serious contenders.
Women’s Doubles
All the badminton community is anticipating the international return of FukuHiro with warmth in their hearts. They are such a likeable pair: their spirit against the odds at the Tokyo Olympics was admired the world over. We have watched Yuki Fukushima joining forces with other players whilst Sayaka Hirota recuperated from knee surgery but now is an opportunity to see them attempt to recapture the title they won together in 2020. It’s hard to estimate where they are in terms of form and fitness. They will have to take one match at a time and see what happens. Nothing is impossible for two of the best players on the circuit.
The #1 seeds (and winners in 2019) can be a real handful for any opponent. CHEN Qing Chen is a valiant, tireless player who screws down the pressure whilst left-handed JIA Yi Fan loves to smash or get a hard flat rally going. They both have plenty of power and use it with venom. If it boils down to a brawl at the end of a game for the last few winning points then probably the Chinese pair will edge through. If they bring their A game to Birmingham, they will be unstoppable.
It’s been a while since Korea won the WD title in Birmingham. In fact, it was 2017 when LEE So-hee won it with CHANG Ye-na. What a record LEE has of competing and winning at the highest levels in badminton over nearly a decade. She is seeded 2 with SHIN Seung-chan and they kick off their campaign with a tricky tie against the Stoevas. KIM So-yeong and KONG Hee-yong are seeded 3 in the top half of the draw – both pairs have all the skills to get to finals weekend and once they are there anything can happen.
2021 was a break-out year for Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida who upped their competitive levels and enjoyed plenty of success at the Indonesian Festival of Badminton. Their creative aggression marks out the evolution of the Japanese house style. I’m excited to see if they continue their development into the last stages of this competition.
I’m not neutral, I’ve followed and admired Greysia Polii for years. That gold medal win at the Olympics was one of my happiest badminton days so I want to watch the 6th seeds go deep into this competition. Although the GreyAp partnership remains in place for Birmingham it’s noteworthy that Apriyani Rahayu planned to be with a different partner at the German Open but unfortunately a minor injury scuppered that idea. PBSI have to plan for the future but I hope the Olympic Champions play well in Birmingham, no injuries and do themselves justice.
The current champions Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara who habitually win big events have been forced to withdraw because of a knee injury sustained during training.
This doubles competition does have the potential for a few upsets from unseeded pairs. PearlyTAN and Thinaah Muralitheran never know when they are beaten and their opponents are always in for a difficult hour or so on court. Likewise Maiken Fruergaard and Sara Thygesen can mix it with the best – in round one they face GreyAp and that’s a tricky challenge for the sixth seeds.
Mixed Doubles
I want to include XD in my women’s preview because I believe that it’s the performance of the woman in the duo that leads to victory . The role of the woman partner has shifted over the last 15 years to a more proactive aggressive stance – I think mainly because of the influence of Liliyana Natsir, one of the true greats of the game. This benefits mobile players who are comfortable in attack and defence.
It’s quite hard to see beyond the first four seeds for the title. Deservedly at the top of the draw are the Thai pair Bass/Popor. They are physically strong, worked hard through 2021 and got plenty of success. They didn’t participate last year because of their focus on Olympic prep but 2022 will see them travelling to the UK with a strong chance of grabbing the trophy for Thailand. I think it’s significant that Sapsiree Taerattanachai is not competing in WD too. Her sole focus at this tournament will be XD. The two shutters who can stop them are the Tokyo Olympic Champions: WANG Yi Lyu & HUANG Dong Ping. I’m a big admirer of HUANG who is a wonderful doubles player with power, touch and plenty of smarts. The destiny of the title is probably in her hands.
Who could challenge the favourites for the title? Japan’s Yuta and Arisa are a formidable pair. I love to watch them switch roles and see Yuta marauding at the net; this is a huge competitive advantage and very difficult to neutralise. The #2 seeds ZHENGSi Wei and HUANG Ya Qiong must also be eyeing the trophy but they have a very unconventional preparation for the tournament as they will be competing with different partners the week before in Germany.
Conclusions
So, a wonderful tournament hosting the best women players in the world lies ahead. The athletes who can stay fit and focused on their goals will be the ones who carry away the trophy on Finals Day. Every shot counts.
This edition of the SC was lit up by the brilliance of the women players. Their spirit and strength were at the heart of the most successful teams.
Misaki Matsutomo
The return by Misaki to Women’s Doubles for this tournament was a bittersweet gift to her admirers. The scratch pairing with Mayu Matsumoto had a few rough edges yet it was a treat to watch. Misaki is a genius at the net – her touch and vision are sensational – but the skill that lifts her to Goddess status is her will to win. At critical moments she can find a new level and seize victory. In the semi-final against Malaysia, especially in the second set, her drive and aggression were unplayable and they beat TAN/THINAAH to seal the win for Japan. I wish her all the best in her Mixed Double’s journey but I wish she was still playing WD.
Akane Yamaguchi – Most Valuable Player
At a pivotal time in the final Akane gave a stellar performance: she had the self-belief and resources to challenge the best and gave BirdJapan hope. She is an outstanding defender; in the final there were patches against CHEN Yufei when she was under intense pressure from the Olympic Champion. Her strategy of keeping her tempo and defending everything however hopeless meant that CYF could never really settle into the sort of rhythm that lets her win 5 or 6 points in a row. Often functioning on instinct, she was simply brilliant and won the match in two games 21-19, 21-16.
CHEN Yufei
In the run-up to the final, CYF was always the nucleus of Chinese victory. In the quarter-final against Denmark her match against Mia Blichfeldt was a ‘must win’ because China – already trailing – risked elimination 0-3 if she could not level before the Men’s Singles. The tie was pulsating with the competitive advantage ebbing and flowing between the two athletes. She held her nerve under intense scrutiny and clung on in the decider to win. In the semi-final against Korea, she lost the first set to AN Seyoung but was resolute and sucked ASY into her patient, error-free style which suffocated resistance. It was only in the final against Yamaguchi’s faster pace that she lost a match.
Pearly TAN & THINAAH Muralitheran
The young Malaysian pair have been catching my eye for the last year or so and they have really started to challenge some of the more established doubles teams. They stood out in this competition because of their fighting spirit and unwillingness to concede defeat. Against GreyAp in the quarter final they battled the Olympic Champions for 90 minutes and saved six match points. There’s no doubt they are the rising stars of this sector and I can’t wait to watch them again.
Honourable Mentions Also To:
CHEN Qing Chen and JIA Yi Fan for closing out the final and refusing to be intimidated by MatsuMatsu. Gregoria for making a fight of it in Indonesia’s quarter final and ending the competition with a 100% record. Mia Blichfeldt for her epic encounter with CHEN Yufei, and Greysia Polii for ‘surviving’.
Congratulations to China for their twelfth win in the Sudirman Cup – even without some of their best-know stars they arrived as favourites. There were some nail-biting matches and Denmark came close to eliminating them but in the end they deserved their victory.
Who has the edge to get Gold? The contest for the WD title in Tokyo will suit athletes with deep reserves of stamina and resistance – however to win the battle for supremacy one of these players must be willing to turn defence into attack quickly and seize points at crucial moments.
Pic Credit Sutterstock
The competition has 16 pairs but only four are seeded. Each seeded pair heads a group (A,B,C, or D) and the tournament starts with a round robin to determine the top two pairs in each group who will then progress to the knockout stages.
Japan
Recently Japan’s women have built a good record of success at the Olympics. Silver at London 2012 (Fujii/Kakiiwa) followed by a thrilling Gold from Misaki and Ayaka in Rio: unfortunately their partnership is over but the quality of the Japanese squad means that the two pairs competing in this sector have every chance of winning it. Yuki Fukushima / Sayaka Hirota are top seeds and should expect to top Group A. The key to notable results will be Yuki who can drive the team forward with her precision and strength. At the Denmark Open their victory over compatriots Mayu Matsumoto / Wakana Nagahara stemmed from her power to control the theatre of battle. She was comfortable varying the tempo and sometimes ignored the percentage shot to go for the line.
The third seeds – Matsumoto and Nagahara – have every chance of making the final. Prior to the Denmark Open result I would have characterised them as the more aggressive of the two Japanese pairs so I’m intrigued how they will approach this competition. Group B rivals shouldn’t be able to prevent them getting into the next round and so as long as they snap up chances they can eye the podium with confidence. It’s important both pairs win their groups so they avoid potentially knocking each other out before the final.
Indonesia
Greysia Polii/ Apri Rahayu are in Group A so they will have to negotiate an early match with the tournament favourites but more worryingly their recent H2H with Malaysians CHOW/LEE makes me nervous. That is their first game in the round robin so we will have a clearer picture of what the future may hold following that. It’s Greysia’s third Olympics and I’m confident she has the experience and resilience to get through a close tie. Both players performed well in the Thailand bubble so they can approach the days ahead with courage. They are my favourite WD pair and I would be thrilled to see them with a medal. Go Girls!
South Korea
Korea is sending two pairs to this competition and this is probably the discipline where they have the best chance of a medal. LEE So-hee and SHIN Seung-chan were winners of the World Tour Finals and performed consistently in the Thai bubble. They head Group C as 4th seeds. They both have Olympic experience from Rio although with different partners then. Their height and aggressive style can unbalance opponents so I expect them to approach matches with boldness and noise. KIM Soyeong and KONG Heeyong are starting out unseeded in Group D but I think it’s important to note their victory in the 2019 Japanese Open against top Japanese players in the Olympic venue. KONG’s attacking strength is nicely supported by KIM and so if they get into the knockout phase they are going to be tricky to beat.
China
CHEN Qing Chen / JIA Yi Fan are seeded 2 and in Group D. When I watched them win the YAE2019 final I was shocked by their power, aggression and intensity. Many fans mark them as favourites for this event but the group they are in has the potential to sap their energy: they will meet Korea’s KIM/KONG and the Stoeva sisters. This could weaken them somewhat for the following rounds which have the potential to become wars of attrition. Despite that, they are an intimidating couple and it would not be a shock to see them medal. The second Chinese Pair DU Yue/LI Yin Hui are unseeded in Group C and may struggle to emerge from it. The main danger to their ambitions are the Danes Fruergaard/Thygesen who have good reserves of stubbornness to draw on in tough games. I would never write off any Chinese pair in this competition though. Up until 2016 they had a stranglehold on Gold and I’m certain they want ‘their’ medal back!
Conclusions
If any of these pairs can defend against the overwhelming firepower of the Chinese duo CHEN/JIA they will probably be the ones at the top of the podium. We haven’t watched any of the players from China in ages but we know that the second seeds are formidable. It’s a competition where gritty self-belief fused with physical resilience will create the gap between medal success and failure. South Korea and Indonesia are providing the dark horses but as far as the Gold goes it’s hard to look further than China or Japan. I expect FukuHiro to be more strategically nimble than the others so if the seeding unfolds predictably they could be the ones celebrating on finals day.
If you enjoyed this then take a look at my other Olympic previews here:
We have to wait a little longer than expected to see if CHEN Yu Fei will follow in the footsteps of LI Xuerui, ZHANG Ning and GONG Zhichao to win Olympic Gold. It’s indisputable that she would have expected to be on the podium if the tournament had gone ahead in July.
CHEN Yu Fei’s victory at the 2019 Yonex All England kickstarted a year which climaxed in December when she was crowned world #1. She is the first Chinese Women’s Singles player since LI Xuerui to achieve this distinction. Still only 21, CHEN Yu Fei has enjoyed an extraordinary run of success since her triumph over TAI Tzu Ying in Birmingham last March. In the return encounter in March 2020 TTY reversed the previous year’s result but there is no doubt that she ill be a key competitor in the Olympics in 2021.
The talent and quality in this generation of Women’s Singles players is magnificent. Part of the appeal of this sector is that there is no particular style that dominates every tournament. The fitness of the athletes, their technical skills and tactical sense all mean that results can be erratic. Some key players have lacked consistency – for instance Sindhu and Akane have had a tendency to crash out in the early rounds of competition. Others, like Saina and Marin have had their seasons disrupted by injuries. However, CHEN Yu Fei has been a reliable presence most of the time with the stand-out ability to win in a final once she gets to it.
As a 21-year-old, with the backing of the Chinese coaching establishment to support her she can continue to develop and extend herself; the improvement since 2018 has been stellar which reveals her commitment and focus. CHEN has been identified as perhaps the spearhead of a renaissance in Chinese women’s singles. For instance, not so long ago they dominated the All England. Between 2000 and 2014 there were 11 winners and 12 runners-up in this sector but then the talent seemed to dry up. Since then only one podium spot (WANG Shixian in 2016) until CHEN’s title win in 2019.
The foundation of CHEN Yu Fei’s badminton is quite simple. She is a fine player with excellent all- round mastery of the game. Her physical durability is such a positive feature; consistent fitness allows her training to build up to tournaments in a controlled way. She is an extremely intelligent strategist, always alert to opportunities to gain points. Her tendency to rebalance her game as the match progresses is a major asset; this responsiveness to threats means that if she can stay in a game when she is under pressure, she can often grind out a win. Her default strategy is patience. Frequently, against someone who relies more on flair and deception, she will sit back and let them play. She has got endless stamina. She can wait for a storm to blow itself out and then pounce. I love the way she will cleverly conserve energy: she can keep the shuttle in play and then towards the last few points in a set she can accelerate away and inflict defeat. Against players with suspect resilience this is a brutally efficient approach. It’s a method of increasing pressure because her rival will feel the desire to win the game briskly or else risk running out of energy. This is the trap that is set. The need to win provokes mistakes and often the match spirals away. The temptation is to risk more, to aim for the lines, to score a quick point. This makes compelling theatre for spectators but is ineffective most of the time.
Patience is at the core of her strategy and if I had to single out a weakness, I would say that this can stray into an avoidance of risk. In a very close match, the ability to be unpredictable can make the difference between Silver and Gold.
She returned to the Yonex All England a tougher player than ever: as well as her tour triumphs she had a central role in China’s Sudirman Cup victory. She was seeded #1 and got to the final but was out-thought by TAI Tzu Ying. Her main rival had arrived at the party with a new strategy; this time TTY played with patience and picked her moments to attack. CYF just could not get a foothold in the game and lost it in straight sets.
When the BWF tour resumes it will be fascinating to see what she has learned from this loss because acheiving the correct balance between risk and safety, attack and defence is going to be crucial in her progress to the podium in Tokyo.
Doubles is intense, it is the supreme embodiment of badminton. Fierce battles rage across the court; pace, power and guile form the contours of the match. The finest tournament in the world has an extra pressure this time around because it is Olympic year: many still strive to win enough ranking points to compete in Tokyo. This is great news for fans who love drama and stress but if you need a quiet life…look away now!
“Two people until the end, do not regret” Matsutomo
Indonesia
The magnificent MD athletes from Indonesia simply shine on every stage. Intensity, resilience and desire add up to some wonderful players.
The 2019 title holders – Mohammad Ahsan & Hendra Setiawan – famously won on 3 legs last year after an all-consuming final. I love them. They are outstanding players and incredible ambassadors for the sport. They have every chance of playing in the final so long as they carefully manage their old legs.
Gideon & Sukamuljo are top seeds and have a heavy weight of expectation loaded on their shoulders. At their best, with Marcus as reliable foundation and Kevin riffing around him they are simply unbeatable. Gorgeous shots, dazzling reactions and relentless athleticism raise the sport to heights few others can aspire to.
Fajar Alfian & Muhammad Rian Ardianto are seeded 5 and got to the Semi Final last year. Their high energy explosive game puts them firmly in the ‘fast ‘n’ furious’ camp; they should still be in the competiton by finals weekend.
If we consider WD then Greysia Polii & Apri Rahayu have had a great start to 2020 and if they play in the same way that took them to victory at the Indonesia Masters they will get to the semi-finals. I think they are more successful when Apri is decisive at the forecourt. I’ve mentioned before that their game and competitive strategy is evolving. Her power and confidence means they can really dominate rallies – they shouldn’t resort to defensive clears as a default tactic. I think they were fortunate to win the Spanish Masters because there were times when their gameplan slipped back to the 2019 version of themselves. The other Indonesian pair, Ramadhanti &Sugiarto, are in the same part of the draw as Greyap.
Japan
Park Joo-Bong – the legendary head coach – has overseen Japanese players challenge the traditional Chinese dominance in all sectors. This often means that their biggest rivals are each other.
As far as WD is concerned we are in the heart-rending position of knowing that only 2 out of the 3 top pairs from Japan are going to qualify to play in their home Olympics. The quest for points overshadows tournaments and I think the risk is that the four players who make the cut will be mentally exhausted by the time July arrives. That said, a win at the All England could virtually cement some players positions. Matsumoto & Nagahara are seeded 2 and were runners-up in 2019. Fukushima & Hirota are third seeds and are desperate to progress. And so we come to Matsutomo & Takahashi who are seeded 7 in Birmingham. Can the defending Olympic Champions get a podium finish? They need to focus every atom of experience and desire because they have a hard road to the final which includes a possible CHEN/JIA QF followed by compatriots who need success too. This is another pair who need to look after old legs.
The two main MD pairs Sonoda/Kamura and Endo/Watanabe are consistently excellent players who have to compete in a sector stuffed with Indonesian brilliance. I particularly like the fast and furious style of Sonoda/Kamura but that’s not enough to beat Marcus and Kevin. It’s possible either pair could get to a SF and then anything could happen, particularly if they can be more unpredictable with the pace they attack at.
China
Some say that China is not the dominant force it’s been in the past yet Chinese athletes are defending 3 titles at the All England this year. The strength is in the women’s sector; for now, the men are being eclipsed by the depth of other nation’s squads.
#1 Seeds and WD defending Champions CHEN Qingchen & JIA Yifan are aggressive, tough players. They are great at ratcheting up the pressure on their opponents: they can zero in on a victim with pitiless ferocity by using hard flat drives and fast smashes. Who can stop them winning? DU Yue & LI YinHui are seeded 6th but it’s hard to see them getting as far as the weekend.
There’s only one seeded pair in the MD: LI Junhui & LIU Yuchen – China used to be such a powerhouse but now the talented players in Indonesia and Japan dominate the rankings. Li & Liu are clever athletes; they can play a power game but they are also capable of varying the tempo and this can cause frustration for players like Sukamuljo. It can be a very smart tactic to break up the flow of the game against the Minions. It’s been pointed out that if Li/Liu run out of ideas they resort to a monotonous smashing game; that isn’t going to work in the big arena. Realistically I think they are going to struggle to get beyond QF.
Korea?
Korea’s WD players are experiencing a similar headache to their Japanese counterparts. As things stand there are still 4 pairs who could qualify for Tokyo. In Birmingham Lee So-Hee/Shin Seung-chang and Kim So-yeong/Kong Hee-yong are seeded 5 and 6 and look to be most likely to challenge. The drama over the past few weeks has been around the MD/XD player Seo Seung-jae who was suspended then not suspended by his national association (BKA) following confusion around sponsorship deals he had signed. It seemed disproportionate to punish his partners and destroy their hopes for this year so I’m glad he’s back in the mix.
Realistically I think we can only say that the WD teams have an outside chance of medals owing to the strength of the opposition. However, it’s interesting to observe that Korean badminton coaches enjoy plenty of success working away from home. I’ve already mentioned Park Joo-Bong and Japan, there is also Kang Kyung-jin who works with the Chinese squad plus Coach Kim who worked in India with PV Sindhu in the period she became World Champion.
Conclusions
China, Japan and Indonesia look set to see off opposition from the other nations for the doubles crowns. I adore following doubles; the tactics, tempo and talent mean that for fans the spectacle is second-to-none. The spine-tingling experience of watching the spotlit pairs as they play for glory at the All England is a joy. Ahsan & Setiawan had a fantastic 2019 and it would be wonderful to see them defend their title. As the tournament progresses, the tension will rise, legs will tire and towards the end it’s mental strength and an athletes appetite for the fight that gets them to the podium. May the best team win!
Chinese players were the dominant force of the 2019 All England Championships: of the five titles up for grabs they won three. The current holders of the Women’s Doubles trophy, CHEN Qing Chen and JIA Yi Fan will be in an upbeat mood as they analyse the year they had – altogether six tournament victories – and optimistic about meeting the challenges ahead.
Women’s Doubles is contested by lots of talented twosomes from all over the badminton playing world but it’s interesting to note that there is no Momota-like presence who rules supreme. Consider the five Super750 tournaments from last year, remarkably they were each won by different pairs. However, CHEN & JIA have the competitive edge when we look at the most coveted trophies on the tour, the Super1000. They are able to inject a bit of extra sparkle under pressure and this enabled them to win two of the 3 – the YAE & the China Open – and bronze in the third. This trio of elite competitions are the ones that all players want to win, so to bag two in a year is a mark of superiority and it illustrates their enjoyment of performing on the big stage in front of a large crowd.
What is it about this partnership that makes them thrive at the highest level? They have been playing together for years and so the crucial foundation of rotation and mutual support has become effortless. The flow of movement is very smooth, this underpins their attacks and lets them pummel opponents into defeat. Crucially they both have reliable serves (the most important shot in the game in my opinion) so unlike some of their rivals they can expect to gain control of the rally right from the start. And, of course, they have the expertise of the Chinese coaches to support them at every match.
CHEN is a pressure player, always busy with energy and focus. Good technique means she can generate a lot of power despite her lack of height (164cm). Her superb cross-court smashes are unleashed with ferocity and accuracy to gain a lot of points for the team. At the start of her senior career she competed in Mixed and Women’s Doubles and has enjoyed success in both. Nowadays she concentrates more on WD but playing against men has informed her style. She’s brave, resolute and will face down aggression easily. She provoked headlines at the YAE last year when she cut short her celebrations, trimmed her lap of honour and avoided the spotlights. She explained later that she wanted a low profile so as not to distract her friend CHEN Yufei, who was about to enter the arena to play her Women’s Singles final. This shows a good mark of respect for her teammates and a lack of ego.
It’s often said – most notably by the great Morten Frost – that JIA Yi Fan is the key to this partnership’s success. If she is playing to her potential then they tend to win. She is left-handed and like CHEN can produce a lot of power. She is a decisive player who will smash, follow-up and then bury the shuttle to clinch a point. Her flat drives build pressure to force mistakes especially when she puts them together in her attacking sequences. She has a delicate touch at the net too, and can take the sting out of a speeding shuttle to wrongfoot opponents.
As a pair they play at a high tempo and with venom. I watched their semi-final and final in Birmingham last year and was stunned by their hostile bombardment of their opponents. The experience of seeing them play live was memorable because the speed and accuracy they can produce is overwhelming. They can be unceasingly intense and often opponents get pinned down midcourt as flat vicious drives and smashes zero in on them. I always think that the attacking combination of a lefty with a conventional right-hander is a mix guaranteed to unsettle rivals. They have to unpick their muscle memory to modify the standard defence routines so a proportion of their automatic responses to pressure are obsolete.
Can they retain their title in Birmingham? They’ve begun the year in anticlimactic fashion at the Malaysian Masters but I don’t think we should read anything major into that result. As we know, 2020 is Olympic year which is significant to the focus of athletes’ training cycles. The danger from the Japanese WD pairs is huge. There are lots of players who are going to be pushing to the limit because qualification for Tokyo is restricted to two WD pairs per country. Fukushima and Hirota, Matsumoto and Nagahara, not to mention the current Olympic Champions Matsutomo and Takahashi all need success in England.
So, there are threats to CHEN & JIA’s desire to make it two in a row in Birmingham but not many players who have the firepower that they can bring to a match. The pace and power they unleash is breath-taking. Momentum in sport is so important and any athlete with ambitions to win in March will need to bring their best game to the All England. On the big stage, in the important competitions is where this Chinese pair shine and there is no better tournament for them to cement their legend.
This first appeared on the Yonex All England website
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Women's Badminton 