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.
Nothing stirs my badminton soul like the thought of a showdown between TAI Tzu Ying and Ratchanok Intanon. When two of the most technically brilliant players in the modern era meet, we know to expect gold-standard excellence. It’s the El Classico of the badminton world.
Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei (L) and Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand shake hands after the women’s singles quarterfinal match at the Malaysia Masters 2019 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Jan. 18, 2019. Credit: Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua/Alamy Live News
On court they inspire each other to reach new levels of genius. I often feel that TAI Tzu Ying can step into a different dimension away from her opponent, but against Ratchanok it is as though they hold hands and journey together. That is not to underplay their intense desire to defeat the other. During a match their creative vision, tempo and accuracy is dazzling.
At the time of writing (April 2023) there have been thirty-five fixtures between them with the current head-to-head standing at 20-15 in Tzu Ying’s favour. The first was as far back as 2010 at the Indonesia Grand Prix Gold quarter final; it was over in 32 minutes; a straight sets win for May.
Over the last 13 years there has been over 29 hours of play between them so it is tough to pick a favourite match, but I often rewatch the All-England final from 2017. There are not enough superlatives to do it justice. To the accompaniment of spectators’ delighted gasps and spontaneous applause there were so many beautiful shots played with verve and daring. It ended with a victory for the kid from Kaohsiung: TAI Tzu Ying’s first All England title.
Fast forward to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, over a decade has passed since that quarterfinal in Indonesia, and the stage was set for another highly anticipated showdown between two badminton superstars. They took to the court with a spot in the semifinals at stake.
What ensued was a pulsating match of skill, strength and grit as the two athletes battled over three exhausting sets. May unleashed some breathtaking shots and secured an early advantage winning the first set 21-14. Tzu Ying – facing intense pressure – had to dig deep. She mounted a fierce comeback, and the tie became a true test of finesse, athleticism and mental toughness. In the end it was TTY who clinched the match and a place in the semifinals winning 14-21, 21-18, 21-18. It was world class; a true test of willpower with both players leaving everything on the court. Owing to May’s distraught reaction at the end I find it too heartrending to rewatch. I wish it had been the final.
TAI Tzu Ying has observed that playing against May can be like looking in a mirror. They have trained together when young, and now have a warm relationship despite their rivalry. Their mutual respect is evident in their comments on each other’s social media and reportedly TTY included references to May’s play in her doctoral thesis.
Tzu Ying has mentioned that she plans to retire sometime in 2024 and I cannot help but wonder if Ratchanok and the rest of that golden generation of women’s singles players will be considering hanging up their rackets soon. The MayTAI is a highly anticipated event in the badminton calendar. The matches have become the stuff of legend. It is a testament to their talent and dedication that they continue to captivate fans year after year, cementing their status as some of the greatest players of all time.
Thanks to KH (@WKueihua) on Twitter for sharing this interesting news article with me about the friendship between the two players https://www.nownews.com/news/5639580
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.
Follow Aakash on Twitter for more Badminton analysis @Badminton1993
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.
Is TAI Tzu Ying the greatest ever Women’s Singles champion at the All England? I think so. In 2020 a landmark third trophy was won, and this triumph proves her consistent dominance of the elite in an era of great players. Five years on from her first title in Birmingham she is still world #1 and seeded #1 for this year’s championship.
The Winning Moment 2020. Screenshot courtesy BWF TV
It’s enjoyable to curate happy memories so I want to revisit some of her best games in Birmingham. There is no doubt that when an outstanding opponent inspires her, she reaches levels of artistry that confound expectations. When TTY is in the arena all eyes turn to her.
I have chosen three of my must-see matches. It is fascinating to reflect that these games feature exceptional opponents who all favour unique styles & TTY outplayed them all.
Final 2017 v Ratchanok Intanon
El Classico! Two incredible talents who spurred each other on to heights of excellence – a pattern we would see repeated in many other clashes between them down the years. The creative vision of both players, the pace of the game, the precision, and the desire to win were incredible. After losing the first set May played all out to level the match and was consistently in front . At 19-18 Ratchanok executed an outstanding combination of shots to outplay TTY and get to set point 20-18. Regardless of the peril she was in TTY replied with verve and focus; winning four points in a row to seal the Championship 21-16, 22-20. Brilliant badminton.
Final 2018 v Akane Yamaguchi
Epic Battle! The defending champion stepped onto court to face the #2 seed and what followed was one of the best Championship ties ever. Akane was aggressive and pacey, working hard to keep TAI Tzu Ying away from the net and was in position to close out the first set at 20-19. The shuttler from Taiwan answered with supreme racket skills, using wonderful touch to get variations in velocity and power. Again, she competed with no fear despite intense pressure from her Japanese rival. Of course, she used a reverse slice straight drop to gain the initiative and lead 21-20 then secured set one 22-20. The second set was more of the same. Absolute commitment and focus from the pair of players. Akane covered every millimeter of the court as TTY’s cross- court drives, sudden injections of pace and use of deception displayed her genius. Yamaguchi gave everything but could not neutralize Tzu Ying and she collected the All England title for the second year in a row. 22-20, 21-13. Breathtaking badminton.
Final 2020 v CHEN Yufei
Previous meetings with CYF had exposed TAI Tzu Ying’s tendency for self-sabotage. This time she was resilient. This was an encounter that revealed a great deal about her inner strength and ability to evolve. TTY turned one of CYF’s great assets – Patience – against her. It was a trump card. TTY was majestic: she stayed calm and focused her attacks with precision never allowing the Chinese player to escape the relentless pressure. 21-19, 21-15. There was an inevitability to this win; it was a career-defining victory.
Simply the Best!
No one flukes three titles at the All England. TAI Tzu Ying’s record in Birmingham reveals an authentic legend. I can’t wait to see her competing again soon.
Inevitably this competition will be an emotional roller coaster. Nothing is decided except that there will be a new Olympic champion.
Pic from Fifg/Shutterstock.com
There will be 43 competitors on day 1; in this sector there are 14 seeds and so the preliminary stages will break down into 13 groups of 3 and one group of 4. The group of four includes the #2 seed (TTY) who then gets a bye in the R16; although CHEN Yufei is in a group of three, as #1 seed she also has a bye at that stage.
Nozomi Okuhara (3)
The winner of a Bronze medal in Rio will be one of the standout players in Tokyo. She knows what it takes to get on the podium and has every chance of upgrading to Gold in her home Olympics. Her progress as a competitor since those 6 defeats in finals in 2019 has been outstanding and her victory over Marin at the 2020 Denmark Open was important with a strong redemptive quality. The only other tournament she has played in this year – Yonex All England 2021 – also ended with a win so it would seem that Nozomi has spent lockdown learning how to turn silver into Gold.
TAI Tzu Ying (2)
The exhilaration of watching TTY in full flow belongs on the world stage of the Olympics yet she has never shone in this tournament. The opportunity to win a medal here is something her many fans (myself included) crave for her. Chances like this are fleeting and she has been frank about her intention to retire ‘soon’. I would love to see this sublime player become part of Olympic badminton legend. Prediction: Gold.
CHEN Yu Fei (1)
The top seed has not competed internationally since YAE20 so I’m intrigued to discover whether she has altered much about her game. She is resilient and is adept at staying in a match. Her composure and stubborn persistence against players who have more flair means she often waits for them to run out of ideas and then attacks. Her strength may also be a weakness: I have wondered in the past how risk-averse she is because sometimes she just seems too patient. This was part of the reason for her defeat against TTY in the final in Birmingham in 2020. If she makes the final – her route may involve beating AN Se Young and Nozomi – it could prove to be the difference between silver and Gold.
Pursala V Sindhu (6)
At her best Sindhu is uncontainable and although she seems to suffer inconsistent form there’s no doubt she can raise her game at the top tournaments. Nozomi must still get nightmares about her annihilation by PVS at the 2019 World Championship final. Her part of the draw is tough, but at her best she has the beating of Blichfeldt and Akane. Indian women’s singles has a great tradition of success at the Olympics – including Sindhu’s Silver in Rio – so she has the experience to force her way into the reckoning.
Ratchanok Intanon (5)
May’s sparkling skills on court could mean a medal chance in her third Olympics but her route to the podium is scary. Probably she will meet Gregoria in the R16 and assuming she progresses past the Indonesian it’s likely that her QF will be against TAI Tzu Ying. This is a neutral’s nightmare. These two breathtaking players light up every tournament so I’m sorry that one of them will lose their chance of glory. The head-to-head stats are pretty even (15-14 in TTY’s favour) so it will be a fascinating and excruciating game to spectate.
Akane Yamaguchi (4)
Akane has been under the radar more than her compatriot during lockdown so we’ll have to wait to see what sort of form she’s in. Her counter-punching style could work effectively at the Musashino Forest Sports Plaza so although she doesn’t have a particulary convincing record against some of the others in her part of the draw I see her as a firm contender.
AN Se Young (7)
ASY has been regarded as a dark horse chance for the Gold here since she flew up the rankings in 2019. Earlier this year she did OK in Thailand – getting to semi-finals – but she wasn’t able to push on to a final. She is at the stage in her career now where fine tuning and incremental gains are important if she is to dominate consistently. She’s a wonderful all-rounder but sometime I consider that she puts too much emphasis on defence. I’d like to see her take the initiative more. In a recent interview with BWF she highlighted her victory over TTY in the Sudirman Cup as a turning point but I think the frustration of being ‘nearly there’ will be perfect fuel for her ambition. Prediction: Paris 2024 Gold
HBJ seems to have been replaced by her super-slim twin sister during lockdown and I’m excited to see what has changed about her approach in the course of the pandemic. It’s unlikely that the lack of international competition will have disadvantaged either of the Chinese competitors because they enjoy such a high standard domestically so it’s feasible that she will have added a new dimension to her play. If the seeding works as expected then her first big test is going to be in a QF against Nozomi – she doesn’t have a good H2H against the Japanese so if she can pull off a win then she may have to face her compatriot for a spot in the final. Prediction QF Exit.
Verdict
Women’s Singles is crowded with fine athletes so it’s tricky to highlight one player who already has a foot on the podium. Olympic Gold is someone’s destiny and it looks to me as though it will boil down to Nozomi V Tzu Ying. The person who can stay fit, focused and adapt quickly to the conditions in the arena will have an advantage, but it’s always a hard tournament to call. TTY knows she must stay patient and cut out mistakes, Nozomi has to be confident in her ability to keep asking the tough questions. I’m impatient for it to start so we can enjoy the path to victory and watch dreams come true.
Inspired by the recent BWF series I started thinking…
Vision: TAI Tzu Ying
Pic from Shutterstock/ Abdul Razak Latif
TTY’s creative genius is Box Office Gold. Everyone wants to see that backhand reverse slice straight drop, especially when they least expect it. Her bedrock is superb technical skills blended with fitness. The cocktail of flair, bravery and total self-belief is irresistable. Because her shots are so unpredictable she stops rivals from anticipating her moves and this give her a tremendous competitive edge. Any player who nurtures aspirations to get to the very top has to be inspired by TAI’s style.
Explosive Power: Carolina Marin
Marin’s superb athleticism blended with her attacking style makes her a formidable opponent. She smashes, lunges and kills with venomous force. She blazes on court; once she seizes the momentum of the game 6 or 7 points are in her pocket in the blink of an eye. She is a rowdy, disruptive, noisy adversary who has harnassed her passion to carry her to the top of the sport.
Win-Ability: Misaki Matsutomo
There’s just something about Misaki Matsutomo – she seems able to force a victory, to break opponent’s will to win even when they are in a commanding position. Of course the best example of this was the WD Rio Olympic final in 2016. On the surface she looks mild but underneath she has an iron will. Her instinctive response to danger is defiance; at 19-16 behind in the Gold medal match something was unleashed from deep inside her. Her clever movement, trust in her partner and dominance at the net saw her at the top of the podium. I’d love her to reach these heights in her XD career.
Accuracy: Ratchanok Intanon
May has a lot in common with TTY in terms of the technical quality of her strokes and she can execute some of the most breathtaking shots one would see on a court. However, sometimes having the ability to land a shuttle on the line is a blessing and a curse. Under pressure, and losing patience Ratchanok will often adopt a ‘death or glory’ approach. Instead of playing percentage badminton and simply keeping the rally going she will push up a level and try for the point. When it works it is majestic and a joy to watch.
Stamina: Nozomi Okuhara
Her style of play has long rallies at its core so her endurance is second-to-none. However, this is a too simplistic view of this brilliant player. She is fleet-footed and agile around the court with excellent flexibility. She is clever and has superb technical skills although sometimes I think she delays finishing off a rally for too long – the opposite of Ratchanok. I really respect her strength of focus in her pursuit of Tokyo Gold at a very tough time for the sport. On a personal level, she is adorable. When BirdJapan play team competitions she can be spotted on the sidelines leading the cheering for compatriots, and her all-round grace under pressure make her a very special person.
Potential: AN Se Young
In a couple of years time ASY could dominate the world scene. For now, shes a tournament random variable: often able to vanquish more illustrious opponents but not yet able to consistently reach finals weekend. I’d like her to work on the ability to shock. For now she has great anticipation and good all-round skill but she is quite reactive – to get to the next level I want to see effective shots that I don’t expect and better stamina over the duration of a competition.
It’s been amusing to try and build my Women’s Gold medal player, but there’s no doubt that some skills will outweigh others in tournament conditions in a drifty stadium. I didn’t include some of my favourite players: Saina’s intelligence and will to win, Sindhu’s power, Yuki’s consistency and Greysia’s defence but in the end this was just for fun. I’m sure you can suggest people I should have included – feel free to use the comments option.
The whole tournament is dominated by the most eagerly awaited comeback in modern badminton history. The return of Momota. The spotlight will be on him from the second he steps back on court.
Artwork by Nekokite
Men’s Singles
Kento Momota is like a ravenous lion circling a water hole and preparing to pounce on unsuspecting antelope; here is a lion who hasn’t tasted red meat in a looong time.
It’s impossible to guess his level of fitness after such a lengthy absence but his superior mental strength will have driven him on to train and stay focused. He has all the weapons to regain his title after missing the AE last year and he can often expose highly seeded opponents as one-dimensional. He has an aura of a returning king although he must feel some nerves about the standards he can reach at the beginning of his campaign. Viktor Axelsen has set a high benchmark over the past three months so Momota must be on guard. Prediction: Final
Viktor Axelsen – the defending champion – had a brilliant January in Thailand so he will be arriving in Birmingham with high hopes of keeping his title. He has been awesome at grabbing opportunities to win over the past 3 months: a living embodiment of Carpe Diem. However, that loss at the WTF keeps niggling away at me. His power, fitness and will to win are second to none but he was unsettled by Antonsen’s cunning tactics. Falling prey to a version of the rope-a-dope trick must have been incredibly frustrating and I wonder what the effect of that will be long-term. Axelsen has introduced us to his ‘mental coach’ recently, who is an ex special forces soldier so he clearly wishes to explore how his psychology can give him an edge. In the final of the Swiss Open he was unstoppable as he bulldozed his way to the trophy. It’s worth noting that his opponent – Vitidsarn – did start the encounter well and his tactics reminded me of Momota’s ‘waiting game’ approach, but he made too many errors and ran out of steam. Momota has plenty of stamina and he knows not to give VA power to feed off, so if they meet in the final Viktor should be pushed harder. Prediction Runner up
Anders Antonsen – the WTF Champion – is never a person to fade into the background and the past six months have been full on drama. Starting in October, his epic battle against Gemke in the final of the Denmark Open left both unable to walk unaided from the arena, in November he contracted Covid, January saw patchy performances in the first two tournaments in Bangkok then he roared back to form in the WTF to snatch victory away from Axelsen; this all adds layers of experience to an intelligent player who needs to be on court. Viktor has better fitness and stamina but Antonsen has better strategies. Last year’s YAE saw him retire hurt from his semi-Final against CHOU Tien Chen which was a huge disappointment as he had every chance of making the final at that point. He is seeded 3 so it may be that we see an all-Danish semi final with the liklihood of a fired-up Viktor looking for revenge.
Anthony Ginting spearheads the Indonesia challenge in this sector. When he is consistently at his best, he is unstoppable and we saw flashes of this brilliance in Thailand but he didn’t have enough for a podium finish. On the whole, after such a long break, his performance gave some cause for optimism, or at least no cause for alarm. In the SF of the Yonex Thailand Open he came up against a resolute VA in the third set but overall, he lost that tie 53-55 which puts a revealing slant on his defeat. His levels dropped off in the next two tournaments and this is exasperating as he is such a glorious player. I saw lockdown as a useful opportunity for some players to improve areas of their game and instinctively I would point to his ‘third set’ strategies. There are not really gaps in his technique but something is missing in this area that his coaches need to address. I would love to see him come to Birmingham and gift us fans a MomoGI in the semi final. And then I want a final.
Kunlavut Vitidsarn was the World Junior Champion for three years running (2017/18/19) and is one of badminton’s rising stars. Axelsen demolished him in the second set of the final of the Swiss Open but his fluency around the court and technical skill is exciting. As he builds on his experience and puts more hours in at the gym we will see an improvement in stamina and pace. The fact that he stayed with Viktor in the first set whilst playing patiently should worry Jonatan Christie who plays him in the first round.
Jonatan Christie is seeded 5 and has a brutal draw: possibly meeting Axelsen at the QF stage. If so then he could struggle to progress as their h2h coupled with the Danes form doesn’t indicate any easy points. It would be wonderful to see him get to the weekend but it would be a bit of a jaw-dropper if he can subdue the Dane. Last year LEE Zii Jia who is seeded 6, had a thrilling run to the SF before losing in a closely fought match with VA. He is very mobile, with good technical skills, a great player for a neutral to support. He looked a bit lethargic at the Swiss Open so perhaps he is an athlete who needs to compete consistently to maintain his focus and pace. A possible Quarter Final with Momota is on the horizon and to have any dream of progress he must improve on his recent form.
Women’s Singles
Owing to Marin’s late withdrawal from the tournament the top half of the draw is suddenly looking less intimidating for the other players. Akane, Pornpawee, and Pursala would have had to beat her to get to the final; now there is one less obstacle on the road.
Akane Yamaguchi is seeded 3 but still, this will be the first time we have seen her in an international tournament for a year and I honestly don’t know what we can expect. She was the beaten finalist (in three sets) against Nozomi at the All-Japan National Championships in December. Before the pandemic her brief period at World #1 was followed by some inconsistency. At her best, she is a contender for the title, so the puzzle is about the level she is at when she hits the courts on the 17th March. She is known as a retriever but there have been occasions when she has used a fiercer style; combining more aggression with her great court coverage will give her more options when she is under pressure. The prospect of a QF against Pornpawee is intriguing. Mew nearly beat Marin in the Semi Final of the Swiss Open; she seemed down and out but hauled herself back into contention. Peppery unpredictability with unlimited stamina could be a good strategy.
Nozomi Okuhara‘s victory in the final of the Denmark Open over Marin came after a dazzling two sets; she would not let the Spaniard get a foothold in the game. The strategy of frustrating and denying her the chance to build a competitive rhythm disrupted her momentum and was a key element in Nozomi’s success. In the context of 2019 where she consistently reached finals only to lose this was a big breakthrough. The court coverage, stamina and sheer stubbornness of Nozomi are hard to break. She last won in 2016 but with the Tokyo Olympics in mind she will be aiming to become a hard player to beat at the end of a tournament so this is the perfect place to set a marker. The hall conditions should suit her but she must get the right balance between attack and defence.
Ratchanok Intanon – the #4 seed – is coming to the All England for another shot at winning the title. She was close in 2017 but was relegated to Silver by TAI Tzu Ying. We often criticise TTY for lack of patience but I think that May suffers with this too – her sublime technical skills sometimes mean that she doesn’t play the percentages. May could potentially be looking at a semi-final against Nozomi which would be a dream for fans. Rather like Anthony in the MS I wish she was more solid in the third set. It’s harder than it looks to behave with restraint in that section of a match but it is within her capabilities; we have all watched epic games where she fights with incredible grit and courage. In her 2020 win at the Indonesia Masters she overcame Marin in three sets so she can be inspired by this.
Pornpawee CHOCHUWONG’s progress since her victory over Carolina Marin at the Spain Masters in 2020 has been dislocated because of the effect of Covid cancellations on the badminton tour. Nevertheless, she had victories over TAI Tzu Ying and Ratchanok in Bangkok which shows that she has the ability to compete with the best. Her recent SF match against Carolina Marin at the Swiss Open was a defeat but she pushed all the way with a gritty and skilful display. Seeded 6 she has every reason to be optimistic if she can cut some of her errors. It would be an upset if she won the title but she has a chance – especially in the absence of Marin – and the mental stamina to push all the way to the end of a third set. Her obstinate outlook is a big advantage and it could be the foundation of tremendous achievements.
I would love to see Pursala V Sindhu rampage through the early rounds of this competition in the sort of form that won her the title at the World Championships in 2019. She’s a great athlete, but it just seems that sometimes she cannot dig herself out of a hole when the game tilts away from her. The final at the Swiss Open showed her difficulties; she struggled on her lunges to the front court to reach wide shots and wasn’t using any creativity to stop Marins anticipatory game. On the positive side she did get to the final and in the first set she seemed to have a bit more speed around the court. I hope that her coaching environment becomes more settled so that she can continue to develop her range.
So we have a men’s competition where we have to measure athletes against Viktor’s tough standards but Momota has returned to complicate things and a women’s competition that is missing TTY and Carolina but still features players with a realistic chance of the Gold medal later on in the year in Tokyo. All England success this year will go to the competitor who can come to the court with intensity and desire after twelve months of disruption and boredom. Can Viktor prove that he is the new King of the courts?
“Sometimes to be a champion, it’s not just about the competition, it’s also about how you live your daily life”
Ratchanok May
Anyone who loves badminton must adore watching Ratchanok’s matches. Her racket skills are magnificent and they have been the foundation of a fantastic career. There are countless highlights – too many to list – but becoming World Champion in 2013 at age 18, being ranked world #1 in 2016, a bronze at the World Championships in 2019 and a consistent spot in the Top 10 confirm her status as one of the most outstanding players of her generation.
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May’s movement around a court is smooth and graceful; this elegance is wonderful to watch but it is also efficient. A core strategy of Women’s Singles is movement – the urgent pressure on a rival to cover distance and direction at pace. As she skims over the court, she exerts time-pressure on her opponent. The nanoseconds she gains all add up to an advantage. She often seems able to hold a shot for a split second before she pulls the trigger; this means she lures the other player to anticipate the shuttle’s destination, often with unfortunate consequences.
My favourite element of her game is her net play. She can go toe-to-toe with anyone and emerge victorious. Her net spin shot is delicate, precise and it often gets her out of trouble. A typical sequence is net spin, answered with a weak lift then a point winning smash/kill from May. There is so much complexity and technical skill to her game. It’s a misconception that players are born with this talent; May can execute these shots because she has practised for thousands of hours and she has the imagination and tactical ability to use them effectively.
I also regard her as a courageous player – although on occasion this is a blessing and a curse. Her precise shots mean that she has the confidence to place the shuttle on the line. Under pressure from an opponent who ‘just’ keeps it in play – for example a strategy used by CHEN Yufei – she can sometimes be tempted to try and cut a rally short and go for a quicker point rather than play percentages and wait for a clear opportunity to score. Some analysts have questioned her resilience as a result of this.
The COVID crisis has been hugely disruptive to most athletes training programmes and different nations have tried to tackle this dislocation in assorted ways. We’ve seen home tournaments in many places including Indonesia and Taiwan, and more coach-supervised training. The people who have exited the lockdowns having added to their game, rested injury niggles and refreshed their outlook are going to enjoy a significant advantage in competitions.
May has been very clear about her goal of winning an Olympic medal. The road to Tokyo2020 had more twists and turns than we could have ever predicted and despite playing well she was knocked out in an epic encounter with TAI Tzu Ying. If we look at her social media posts, they are full of gym work. It looks like she is addressing questions about her endurance. She is always a gritty competitor who knows how to win and so enhancing her stamina is going to be one of those incremental gains that could be significant in the heat of battle.
Ratchanok Intanon is one of badminton’s most loved players. It’s not simply due to her attractive playing style. She works hard and takes nothing for granted; her gracious sporting attitude, bravery under pressure and obvious enjoyment of life means she is a great role model for aspiring athletes. Over the course of the three tournaments in Thailand in January 2021 she consistently was competing at a good level but couldn’t quite get to a final. This year’s All England could be a golden opportunity for her to grab a S1000 title; I would simply be delighted if she was standing on the podium in March and in Paris 2024.
A new year with old rivalries and the added piquancy of the Olympics in July. We are six months away from the biggest athletic event on the planet, the intensity and desire for success is going to build with each tournament and this all adds up to a scintillating few months in prospect for fans. The anticipation of qualification is offset by the dread of failure. 2020 has started with some thrilling matches; finals day at Istora was a cauldron of raw emotion – who didn’t relish those results with utter joy? What have we learned in January, who is up for the fight? Who has that podium in Tokyo in their sights?
Women’s Singles
TAI Tzu Ying has been treading a different path to her rivals this year. She is cherry-picking the best tournaments to support her ambition. This feels like an athlete with a plan and along with her coaches she understands that entering every tournament is not the effective way for her to achieve her goal. Getting the balance right between training, competition and fitness is what coaches are paid to do. I think it’s been a stroke of genius to play in the PBL. It has freshened up the daily grind, there are some excellent training partners for her and she gets to play matches that are important but it’s not a catastrophy to lose. For instance, only 16 years old but Gayatri Gopichand took a set off TTY in the PBL whilst playing for Chennai Superstarz – now here is a girl with ambition!
As ever, this is the most dynamic, exciting sector of badminton with the best athletes. Head-to-head battles between the top 20 players are often gloriously unpredictable. In contrast to the men’s game there is no dominant player except that CHEN Yufei won 7 tournaments in 2019 and significantly she does not lose finals. As current World #1 she started 2020 in good form and won the Malaysia Masters by beating TAI Tzu Ying in two sets. Crucially she hasn’t built upon this opportunity to dominate; she was knocked out of the Indonesian Masters on the second day by the unseeded Line Kjaersfeldt.
Carolina Marin has been cultivating her old aura of unbeatability and has been on the podium at all three competitions this year. Reliable results should be a good indicator of future success so we have to acknowledge that she is the person in January who has delivered. Nevertheless, no titles yet and she has been beaten by three different players: CYF, May & Akane, so this tells me that she still has loads of work to do if she wants to defend her 2016 Gold medal.
Akane & Nozomi: no-one can be under greater pressure to do well in Japan than the two home players. January has been a good month for Akane. Her win over AN Se Young in the Thailand Masters final is perhaps a sign that she is emerging from a hard few months of injury disruption. Nozomi has had a quiet start to the year after a successful and frustrating 2019. Five finals, five runners up medals. There were times last year when she was modifying her game to incorporate more aggression, she has to be less predictable to just get that extra 1% that makes the difference between Silver and Gold.
Indian Badminton
Indian Badminton does seem to be going through a bit of a rough patch at the moment, last year was pretty uneven and not much has improved. Saina Nehwal is a true great of the game but results are not good enough at the moment to ensure her qualification for Tokyo. Only a fool would write off her chances at this point and on a positive note her triumph over AN Se Young in R2 of The Malaysia Masters was a reminder that she can beat anyone. I’m unconvinced that her current coaching setup adds to her competitive edge though; I think that if her fluency improves and strategies to get her qualification points whereever she can are used then we still may see her in Japan. Her withdrawal from the Badminton Asia Team Championships plus her recent political work point to a lack of focus. As an observer I just see chaos.
P V Sindhu has a reputation as a ‘Big Tournament Player’ and is the current world champion. Nevertheless, her tendency to crash out of tournaments too early is frustrating. We often excuse her underperformance because we see her respond well to the biggest challenges. I am sympathetic to this view but surely it’s better to win and get some competitive momentum rather than travel here, there and everywhere only to crash out early? Nevermind, emotions aside, I don’t think her results over the past six months are much worse than Akanes so perhaps it’s better to just enjoy the rollercoaster. Of course she will get to Tokyo, but will she get on the podium? On the strength of January’s performances I am sceptical.
Women’s Doubles
My highlight in January across all sectors has to be Polii & Rahayu’s victory at the Indonesia Masters. Their semi-final and final were emotionally exhausting epics. It’s taken a lot of courage for them to analyse and rebuild their game. Over the next few months I hope we see this revitalised pair win more. No Japanese duo has made a final yet this year and it’s still not decided which of them will be competing in Tokyo. This must be a difficult situation because they need to compete well to get ranking points to increase their chances of qualification however over-training and too much competition could risk injury or burn out. CHEN/JIA are very dangerous players, so strong and such brutal attackers but they are not dominating tournaments yet. It’s a very fluid picture; there is an opportunity in this sector for a pair to really boss the results – who will step up?
Any Conclusions?
Winning an Olympic Gold is never a fluke but rather the result of years and years of dedication. Carolina’s consistency in the routine of competition is the opposite of what we observe from P V Sindhu and yet judging by January’s results both of them risk being denied medals. TTY looks focused and although we know she can be perfectly imperfect, at the moment the logic of her regime seems sound. I’ve barely mentioned May or AN Se Young. Ratchanok had an excellent win over Marin in the final of the Indonesian Masters and no worries about her stamina in that 3 set match. ASY is still work in progress, but she is transtioning from Giant-killer to Giant. I wonder if this will be achieved by July?
There’s still a long way to go, a lot of matches to be played. The first milestone is the end of the qualifying period on the 26th April. Nerves are jangling a little already, once we have the final list of players the anticipation and dread can really begin.
I need to acknowledge the incredibly sad road traffic accident in Malaysia and offer sincere condolences to the family of the deceased driver, Mr N Bavan. I also send sympathy to everyone affected by this. We should appreciate the good things in our lives everyday. As Dato Lee Chong Wei said in his Chinese New Year Message …”time to put down everything, shut down the computer…go back home. There is someone there thinking for you. Always remember to treat it as the last new year you would ever have. Cherish your love one.”
Kadang coretan yang ku buat ada maknanya, kadang hanya asal saja suka-suka. Yang jelas, aku senang membuatnya. Terima kasih telah menyempatkan diri melihat-lihat laman ini.
Women's Badminton 