Category: Women’s Singles

Yonex All England 2023: Women’s Preview

Olympic champions, world champions and future champions will all be travelling thousands of miles to take part in the All England – one of the most prestigious and coveted titles in the badminton world.

2J0NY61 Badminton – All England Open 2022 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham, Britain – March 20, 2022 Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi celebrates with trophy on the podium after winning the women’s final Action Images via Reuters/Ed Sykes

Women’s Singles

Seeded to win the trophy and returning as defending champion Akane Yamaguchi knows what it takes to be successful in this tournament. Endless resilience and faultless court coverage is baked into her game. Her speed and tactical nous give her a significant edge, so who can push her to her limits?

Akane’s top half of the draw is peppered with formidable adversaries.  CHEN Yu Fei is seeded 4 and is slated to clash with her in a SF.  She was outclassed in straight sets in their SF at the recent German Open so she will be reevaluating her strategies over the next couple of days. Sometimes her weakness can be caution and I think she will have to offer far more than her standard patient game if she wants to get on the podium.  Nevertheless she must be travelling to Birmingham knowing that she can win it again.  There are five Chinese women in the draw with WANG Zhi Yi and HAN Yue also in the top half.  HE Bing Jiao is seeded 5 and was only stopped by injury at last year’s tournament.  This year her harsh draw means that she could have to face Sindhu then TAI Tzu Ying during the early stages.

I am fascinated to see if Gregoria Mariska Tunjung can impose herself on this year’s competition. Her skills tend towards the flair end of the spectrum and over the past year or so she has worked hard to produce good results against top players.  Unseeded, in the top half of the draw, Ratchanok Intanon or Pornpawee will be early tests of her resolve.

Ratchanok Intanon’s adventurous style of play can result in unfavourable outcomes when she faces a determined opponent who tempts her into taking risky shots.  CYF and AY are those opponents, and they will be waiting for her if she goes deep into the tournament.  Despite that May can unpick rivals’ strategies with her inventive shots so her skills could take her past them if the stars align in her favour.

AN Se Young has had an impressive start to 2023 with two golds and one silver from January’s contests (& is about to contest the final of the German Open). She’s the second seed and so long as she stays injury free, she must be anticipating yet another final. If that turns out to be one more battle with Akane then I think the result will depend on how hard her journey to the last day is.  The Head-to-head stats are strongly in favour of the Japanese but recently it appears that the power dynamics are shifting.

Three-time winner TAI Tzu Ying has eschewed the possible benefits of a warm-up in Germany and decided to plunge straight into the S1000.  Her mind-blowing skills bring a touch of magic to any match but her mental resilience is below the level of some rivals.  If she can get her ‘A’ game flowing early on without escalating injury niggles she can quite legitimately be looking at a fourth title even though she will potentially have to negotiate matches against HE Bing Jiao and AN Se Young to get to the final.

I wonder what Carolina Marin could achieve this year? She has the experience to derail ASY if they meet in a QF and if she passes that test she has to be the contender that everyone is wary of.  Under sustained physical pressure there is the risk that she will be dismantled so her tactics should reflect this. PV Sindhu is a consistent medalist at the highest levels. I can’t reconcile this with the absence of a podium finish at the AE. She is unseeded this year in the bottom half of the draw and I’m not sure what we can expect from her, then again last time she competed in Brum was her successful Gold medal match at the CWG so she is well-known for getting her motivation from the big games.

The progression of WS tactics seems to favour the athletes with the toughness to accelerate in the third set. As the hall in Birmingham is usually slow it’s hard to look beyond the top two seeds for the eventual winner.

Women’s Doubles

We are in the middle of a generational shift in WD with more emphasis on attack rather than the attritional play of a few years ago. The idea of a showdown between the more traditional and the newer pairs is mouthwatering.

CHEN Qing Chen and JIA Yi Fan are consistent winners of tournaments and must be favourites to secure this trophy for a second time. Their strategy of  attacking aggressively and exerting a steady stream of pressure subdues their rivals quite effectively; they are skillful defenders, so the challenge is where to find their weak spot. Their compatriots ZHANG Shu Xian & ZHENG Yu are seeded 3 and they could meet in the QF if results go their way.

Defending champions Nami Matsuyama & Chiharu Shida are part of the new wave of pairs who want to seize control of matches through pacey attacking play.  Their exhilarating speed and Shida’s adventurous shots are so dynamic that they can often overwhelm the opposition; once they are in control they are very difficult to beat.

Pearly TAN & Thinaah Muralitharan are also part of the emerging group of WD players who approach matches with bolder strategies. Pearly is capable of audacious shots from the front court and as a pair they have a lot of grit. One of their big strengths is that they persevere and stay positive when they face setbacks together.

Apriyani Rahayu enjoyed glory as part of GreyAp and was able to defend diligently in that framework but the new partnership with Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti has uncaged two attack-minded players who thrive on a more assertive style.  They are seeded 8 so if they get to the QF and face ShidaMatsu there will be fireworks for the spectators to enjoy.

The quality of the WD competition is superb this year and there are multiple pairs who have the potential to make it to the finals weekend. The Aimsaard sisters had a great 2022 and are now acknowledged as emerging talent. Japan’s past winners, FukuHiro and NagaMatsu understand how to negotiate the early rounds of big competitions. Kitiharakul/Prajongjai (seeded 7) and the three Korea pairs are expected to do well.  Nevertheless owing to the slow hall conditions I think the eventual winners will have to be wily as well as offensive; there will be some long matches leading up to the final so staying injury-free will also be crucial.  Taking all these factors into account it’s hard to look far beyond the first and second seeds but I would love PriFad or PearThin to still be fighting at the weekend.

Mixed Doubles

I always include XD in my ‘women’s’ previews because it is the skill of the female partner that cements the success of the pair.  One of the most talented players in the whole sport at the moment is HUANG Yaqiong and along with her partner – ZHENG Siwei – is seeded 1.  She’s an exceptional competitor who has won this competition twice with different partner each time; most recently in 2019 with Siwei when they beat the 2022 champions Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino.  The Japanese pair are seeded 2 this year and are looking to secure their third title in a row (fourth overall).  So, who can stop the top two seeds facing off for the trophy on March 19th? 

Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue have been knocking on the door of a major trophy for the last year or so.  They are fourth seeds and if things go smoothly they could potentially have a SF against the Chinese number ones.  It’s clear that all the French badminton players are looking to build for their home Olympics in 2024 so they will have a little way yet to peak.  Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taeranttanachai (seeded 3) will be looking to improve on their silver in 2020 when they lost in three sets to Praveen Jordan and Melati Octavianti who have returned after quite a long injury related absence. As they haven’t been on court for a while they are unseeded and they could face Bass/Popor in round 2.  The Chinese fifth seeds – FENG Yan Zhe and HUANG Dong Ping – could be contenders too.  HUANG is the Olympic champion and this new partnership is steadily making progress.

Verdict

A spectacular event awaits. The best players will be testing themselves at the highest level. The winners will have to battle hard and stay focused on the prize. Go Girls!

If you enjoyed this take a look at my article about TAI Tzu Ying at the All England https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2022/03/02/tai-tzu-ying-at-the-all-england/

©2025

Amanda Bloss All Rights Reserved

AN Se Young

An Se Young blazed into January’s tournaments with the eagerness of an athlete who knows that their time to shine has arrived.  Fans enjoyed 3 podiums, 2 Gold medals and a blossoming rivalry with Akane that hints at some colossal clashes in the future.  I’m keen to watch her play at this year’s All England because the momentum around her is gathering pace.  It would not be a surprise to see her step on court on finals day.

2M8G442 South Korea’s An Se-young celebrates after beat China’s Chen Yufei during their women’s singles semi-final match at the Malaysia Open badminton tournament at Bukit Jalil Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Although known as a retriever, this is too simplistic. She possesses a harmonious skill set so her game plans can be liberated from the necessity to compete in a particular way. Her ability to exert unremitting gnawing pressure is the bedrock of her style whilst her talent allows her to gauge when to be patient and when to be aggressive. A couple of years ago I was criticizing her for a lack of consistency.  Back then she was often unseeded: she could conquer a top player in an opening round only to fall in the next match.  Competing at the highest level exposed the challenge for her of winning four or five hard games in a row.

She has been an absolute menace to the WS status quo over the past twelve months. She has figured out how to stay mentally and physically fresh whilst progressing through a tournament.  Resilience is at the core of everything she does.  I adore her stubbornness in the face of challenges; the determination to never give up and the self-confidence that her exceptional balance of skills will get her past tough opponents – Olympic champions and world champions are some of her recent scalps. “Fear” has no home in her mental makeup. Even in the face of setbacks she drives herself onwards and it’s this attitude that has let her reach new levels of success.

She is the symbol of the new generation and will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.  At the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 BANG Soo Hyun won gold for Korea in WS, could Paris 2024 see that title return to Korea?

If you enjoyed this take a look at one of my articles about her rival TAI Tzu Ying https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2022/03/02/tai-tzu-ying-at-the-all-england/

©2025

Amanda Bloss All Rights Reserved

Women’s Singles: From Chinese monopoly to the most competitive discipline in badminton.

By Aakash Joshi

Screenshot courtesy BWF

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

If you enjoyed this take a look at this article about Saina Nehwal https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/10/08/indias-saina-nehwal-trailblazer-legend/

©2025

Amanda Bloss All Rights Reserved

Badminton World Championships Preview: Part 2

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.

If you enjoyed this then take a look at Part 1 of my preview which looks at the men’s sector https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2022/08/18/badminton-world-championships-preview-part-1-the-men/

©2025

Amanda Bloss All Rights Reserved

Brilliant TAI Tzu Ying wins the Indonesia Open

Playing in front of a packed Istora Senayan TAI Tzu Ying won her third Indonesia Open with a display that underlined her sheer class. Using exquisite net play, incredible drops, and outrageous angles this was a performance that highlighted her outstanding talent. Again, she had to come from behind and again her intense sporting instincts pushed her to victory.

Credit: Xu Qin/Xinhua/Alamy Live News

WANG Zhiyi started the first set very strongly. Her sharp smashes from the rear combined with great court coverage were intimidating and effective. She has built a reputation as a giant killer over the past couple of months and it was clear that she had TTY in her sights. As TAI’s creative genius started tipping towards errors WZY was solid and closed out the first set 23-21.

Then TTY entered a different dimension. Suddenly, like a true champion she found another level in the second game. In an astonishing passage of play she annihilated WZY to go to the mid set interval 11-0. She was simply unplayable; her net shots were divine but more importantly she was making fewer errors and had activated a deep desire to win. Uncharacteristic shouts and occasionally a clenched fist betrayed her emotional response to the challenge. WZY was outclassed and although she fought back bravely the second set was wrapped up 21-6.

Set 3 belonged to the Queen. She controlled the game even though the score was close up to 13-13. Her momentum was irresistible towards the end and she wrapped up the match 21-15 with yet another brilliant net shot.

Triple champions are rare: this third Indonesia Open win can be added to her three All England titles. This was an awesome campaign; she is truly one of the greatest, most remarkable players of all time.

If you enjoyed this then take a look at my article about her epic victory over CHEN Yu Fei https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2022/06/18/tai-tzu-ying-the-comeback-queen/

©2025

Amanda Bloss All Rights Reserved

Yonex All England 2022: Women’s Preview

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. Pearly TAN 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 ZHENG Si 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.

If you enjoyed this then take a look at my recent article about TAI Tzu Ying https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2022/03/02/tai-tzu-ying-at-the-all-england/

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Amanda Bloss All Rights Reserved

TAI Tzu Ying: 200 Breathtaking Weeks as World #1

TAI Tzu Ying’s sensational reign as World #1 has hit the 200-week milestone this month. She is the sport’s MVP, the athlete who bewitches neutrals and is the embodiment of badminton at its best.

TAI Tzu Ying by Abdul Razak Latif/Shutterstock

She is unique, spontaneity and deception are deep-rooted in her game’s DNA. Tzu Ying has rewritten the algebra of the shuttle’s flight, and this is core to her resilience at the sport’s heights. Her audacious style has never been squashed by the need to play percentages.

The finest players are always able to find a few beats of extra time when they are under pressure. TTY excels in this part of a game. Her unscripted approach and technical excellence gives her an advantage that most opponents fail to neutralize over the passage of a match – so long as she keeps her patience. An impulsive player’s shots are hard to anticipate, and this gives a crucial edge on court.

Women’s Singles overflows with talented players and it is fascinating to recognize that no single style prevails. But…sometimes I think that some shots have been invented for the use of one particular player. TAI Tzu Ying’s Reverse Slice Straight Drop is a beautiful thing that should live in the Badminton Hall of Fame. It’s a Get out of Jail shot: when she’s in a tight corner with no way out it can offer an escape route.

A reliable measure of greatness in any sport is longevity at #1. The challenge is to keep possession of the top spot once it is secured. It is an extraordinary accomplishment to dominate the top ten since December 2016. This is a similar level to Serena Williams or Roger Federer’s success in tennis. An uptick in pressure on the person at the top always happens because opponents have an extra incentive to triumph. Early rounds of tournaments against unseeded players can suddenly acquire a new tension.

Her kaleidoscopic talent for incredible shots is only part of the story. TTY’s resilience was forged early in her career – perhaps it was something that always existed within her anyway? She is part of an incredibly supportive family unit and she also has a wonderful coaching team around her. An elite athlete’s life is tough so it is impossible to overstate how important these people are to her success.

TAI Tzu Ying is a phenomenon whose imagination and vision have kept her at the peak of Badminton for a long time. I can’t wait to see her on court again soon.

If you enjoyed this then take a look at one of my most popular articles about TTY https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2021/02/25/team-tai-tzu-ying/

©2025

Amanda Bloss All Rights Reserved

Players of the Year 2021

It has been an extraordinary 12 months: alternating between feast and famine as the players enter bubbles for intense periods of competition and then exit to recover. These are my biased, sentimental, affectionate awards for 2021.

Screenshots courtesy BWF and Popor Instagram

Player of the Year: TAI Tzu Ying

In 2021 we have watched this impulsive free spirit confirm her reputation among the greats of the world game. Outstanding technical skills and creative genius often elevate her shots to works of art. A key target this year has been to step up her performance at the Olympics and World Championships so winning Silver at both is a significant improvement. She has stayed fresh and relatively injury free by focusing on only a few tournaments and she has been ever-present in the finals. The good news is that we can expect to see her on court in 2022 as the threat of retirement seems to have been put on hold for the time being.

Runners Up: CHEN Yufei for her error-free capture of Olympic Gold and Akane Yamaguchi who has been indefatigable and a worthy World Champion.

Best Competitor: Greysia Polii

The breathtaking Gold in Tokyo was a sensational, momentous achievement. Of course, Apriyani Rahayu had a significant role in the victory, but I want to highlight Greysia. Although retirement appeared to be on the horizon she was determined not to fade quietly into the background. A last Olympics, a last chance to get on the podium and boy did she grab it. Congratulations Greysia, always one of my favourite players

XD Player of the Year: HUANG Dongping & Sapsiree Taerattanachai

I cannot choose between these two brilliant players. HUANG Dong Ping’s Gold at the Olympics was magnificent; the final was a glorious tie between four gifted athletes. She is brave, has great reflexes and is adept at using the flat game to aggressive advantage. Popor has also enjoyed a stunning 12 months, winning eight titles, and – other than the Olympics – she and Bass have dominated the XD scene. Their physical resilience and mental strength are second to none. Interestingly both stand-out players compete successfully in WD as well.

Best Pair: Nami Matsuyama & Chiharu Shida

It’s been fascinating to watch their improvement recently; the leap from Super 100/300 up to the top levels has been harmonious and their upwards momentum got great rewards at the Indonesian Festival of Badminton. Maybe the Japanese ‘house style’ is evolving because they are more aggressive and more willing to try and seize the initiative than we expect. Both work hard, support each other and obviously enjoy their matches.

Runners Up: Greysia Polii & Apriyani Rahayu – seeing my two favourites get Gold at the Olympics is one of my best badminton moments ever.

Parabadminton player of the Year: Leani Ratri Oktila

Gold, Gold, Silver at the Tokyo Paralympic games – at Parabadminton’s debut the world #1 was totally dominant.

If He Was A Woman I’d Give Him An Award Too: Viktor Axelsen

A year packed full of achievements – bravo Viktor!

Conclusions

These are just some of the people I have loved to watch in 2021: it’s just my subjective opinion, I can’t pretend that I have spent any time evaluating the stats. The Olympics and the tournament bubbles have made this year unique. Some have thrived but injuries and withdrawals from tournaments have been common; let’s hope for less of a treadmill in 2022. There have been so many highlights (which I’ll cover in my Review of the Year) so I would like to thank all the players and everyone from the badminton community for making this such a memorable twelve months.

©2025

Amanda Bloss All Rights Reserved

TAI Tzu Ying: Player of the Day

This was a bravura performance from the world #1 that finally advanced her beyond QF at the World Championships for the first time in six attempts.

Credit Shutterstock/ Abdul Razak Latif

TTY’s touch and strategy today were dazzling. From the outset she took control of the tie. Her shots – especially her drops – punished Sindhu all over the court. Deploying pinpoint accuracy, TTY was mean with her margins and screwed down the pressure on her opponent.  The rallies were driven on at a brutal pace; in-between the rallies TTY barely took a breather, she kept focused and kept the momentum of the game rolling. Sindhu could not get any foothold in the match however hard she fought. A virtuoso victory over two sets: a wonderful time to love TAI Tzu Ying.

What colour medal will it be?

If you enjoyed this take a look at my article from the archives about TTY https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2021/02/02/tai-tzu-ying-genius/

©2025

Amanda Bloss All Rights Reserved

Akane Yamaguchi

“I’m just going to purely enjoy badminton”

Akane in a recent article by Dev Sukumar. Courtesy BWF

Watching a revitalized Akane win back-to-back tournaments in Denmark and France has been one of the highlights of the last few weeks.

Akane on the podium at the French Open. Screengrab courtesy BWF

She has been the standout player on the circuit recently. Whilst some have struggled with the relentless pressure of multiple competitions since Tokyo 2020, she has flourished.

Sudirman & Uber Cup

Akane was at the heart of Japan’s success in the team competitions in Vantaa and Aarhus. Two silver medals do not do justice to her immense contribution. Both times Japan lost in the final to China, but both times she chalked up victories against CHEN Yu Fei in straight sets. There was an all-consuming intensity to these games. She seldom made mistakes and as she upped the tempo of the match CYF struggled to find scoring opportunities because her rival’s court coverage was formidable. Contrast this to their previous meeting in the same competition (Sudirman Cup 2019) and her improvement is clear. The next time these two face each other over a net is going to be awesome.

Victor Denmark Open: October 2021

In the Uber Cup AN Se Young was the only player to unpick Akane’s defence (in two sets) and so this final was an opportunity to see what effect the loss had had upon her Japanese foe. The first set was controlled by ASY; despite a heavily strapped thigh her movement was fluid and dominant. The second set began in much the same way with Yamaguchi struggling to summon up the energy to put any fizz on the shuttle; she was making mistakes too and there seemed to be an inevitability to the Korean’s advance to the top of the podium. By 16-16 Akane was fighting desperately to stay in the match: diving, scrambling, scrapping and just giving everything to stay in contention. 18-18. 19-19. A match point to ASY came and went amidst exhausting rallies. The score reached 23-23 before Akane was able to get the points needed to close it out 25-23. Ominously, in the interval, ASY ripped off her strapping and called for the doctor for the second time.

The third set was a story of triumph and tragedy. As it began, it was obvious that the Korean was less smooth in her movements. With the score against her at 3-7 she was red carded for ‘delay’ but effectively she was trying to work out whether she could continue and at 16-5 down she admitted defeat.

No-one ever wants to win a title in these circumstances, but Akane’s triumph was based on perseverance and her emphatic refusal to concede the game in the second set. AN Se Young missed her opportunity to win when she failed to convert her match point. Akane was very courageous in Set 2 since she committed everything to those long rallies; her grit paid off as ASY wilted under the grueling examination of her stamina. This was a fascinating duel.

Yonex French Open 2021

Yamaguchi’s European success continued with her title win against compatriot Sayaka Takahashi in Paris. A straight sets victory, this was a little more straightforward but there are no easy games at this level. Akane’s top-quality defence and stamina effectively neutralized her opponent’s threat; Takahashi stayed with the momentum at first, but she was forced to cut her margins and go for the line so, as she tired, mistakes crept into her game. The final score was 21-18, 21-12.

Conclusions

Back in July 2019 Akane Yamaguchi was world #1 – albeit briefly – but later suffered training disruption and some shock defeats owing to niggly injuries. In common with many in the Japanese team there were substantial expectations on her shoulders when the Olympics began but she was unable to make a significant impact. Now I think she has revisited her motivation to compete and it has given her a fresh outlook. Her epic battle with AN Se Young for the Denmark title showcased her unending resilience and phenomenal court coverage; I hope we get the chance to see plenty more clashes between these two. As one of the most lovable athletes on the tour plenty of fans will be cheering her on to more podium finishes. The Bali bubble beckons and she can travel to Indonesia with plenty of confidence that she will be making a big impression.

You may like to take a look at my earlier piece about her https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/08/09/japans-akane-yamaguchi-hotter-than-july/

©2025

Amanda Bloss All Rights Reserved