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?
The year’s end means I can assemble some of my favourite memories of 2022 and reflect on the dramas that have unfolded on court. The passion and commitment of the players has given us plenty of highs and lows to enjoy and/or endure.
Men’s Doubles
This sector has yielded a lot of the big stories this year; one of the most joyous has been AaronChia & SOH Wooi Yik clinching the World Championship in August. There had been occasions in 2022 when they seemed powerless to force the big wins but this time, they grabbed their chance with intelligence and desire. In the preliminary stages of the match, it seemed certain they were heading for silver as they could not equal Ahsan & Setiawan’s tempo. Their change of tactics and success at prolonging the rallies whilst probing their opponent’s defences was decisive and they triumphed in straight sets. Astonishingly the first players from Malaysia to win Gold at the World Championships. A standout achievement.
2JT4YAT Tokyo, Japan. 28th Aug, 2022. Aaron Chia & Soh Wooi Yik (MAS) Badminton : TotalEnergies BWF World Championships 2022 Men’s Doubles Final at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan . Credit: Naoki Morita/AFLO SPORT/Alamy Live News
The winners of the BWF Most Improved Players of the Year are also the new World #1 pair: Fajar Alfian & Muhammad Rian Ardianto. Their partnership this year has been getting better and better and yielded 4 titles (SO, IM, MM, DO). Gideon and Sukamuljo will be focusing on regaining their competitive edge after a tricky year disrupted by injury. One of the shocks of the year was Fikri and Maulana’s victory at the All-England. Out of nowhere, they were unstoppable. I watched most of their games at the arena in Birmingham and I loved the way they rode their momentum to the final.
The new pairing of LIU Yu Chen with OU Xuan Yi looks full of potential. I think that the Chinese coaches can mould these two into an extremely dangerous unit on the road to the Paris Olympics. Their World Tour Finals success was a little unexpected; there were times when OU was nervy, however we can expect to see them on the podium more in 2023.
Rankireddy & Shetty can look back on 2022 with satisfaction at their achievements. They played a significant part in the Thomas Cup win against Indonesia. Their defeat of Kevin and Ahsan was an immense psychological boost to their teammates and a grave blow to their opponent’s ambitions. Commonwealth Gold, plus the French and India Open titles all add to an impressive year.
Women’s Singles
This year has all been about Akane Yamaguchi and her bounce back from a disappointing Olympics. Her play has been outstanding. She is indefatigable on court with a speed of movement and thought that is hard to equal. Her award of BWF Player of the Year is a well-deserved accolade for an athlete who makes no secret of the fact that she plays because she enjoys the game. Korea’s AN Se Young enjoyed an 80%-win rate in 2022 (Stats courtesy of twitter account @Statminton). Although she won three individual trophies, I think the magnificent Korean triumph over China in the Uber cup will be a memory she will cherish over the years. I frequently debate her style of play and whether she is resilient enough to be a ‘pure’ retriever because she often seems to suffer from cramp towards the end of a tournament. Eventually, she may consider a more blended approach; as a young player she was more attack-minded and this may be the solution to the physical demands of tournament success. Her 90-minute marathon against CHEN YuFei in the final of the Uber Cup was astonishing but did end in defeat.
Women’s singles continue to be the most competitive sector. CHEN YuFei did not dominate 2022 (1 title) and in fact her compatriot – HE Bing Jiao – has had a more notable year ending a long trophy drought and cultivating a winning habit. TAI Tzu Ying ended the year second in the world rankings and a consistent presence on the podium with the best win rate amongst her peers (82%). Her musings about retirement have gone to the back burner for a while although chronic injuries do seem to resurface once she goes deep into a tournament. All her fans have their fingers crossed that she can continue to compete at this level for the near future.
Women’s Doubles
Indisputably the world #1 pair CHEN Qing Chen and JIA Yi Fan are still the players to beat in any tournament. Once they get into their rhythm, they are hard to keep at bay; I love their merciless drive for victory, and they will surely dominate podiums again over the next twelve months.
However, this is the sector experiencing the biggest generational shift. 2023 will be a crucial year for the up-and-coming pairs to hone their skills. Apriyani Rahayu’s new partnership with Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti is already looking menacing; there is still work to do to develop that intuitive understanding that is at the heart of all successful pairs, but they could be serious contenders in Paris 2024 if they stay fit and keep working. Pearly Tan & Thinaah Muralitharan – current world ranking 9 – are another couple whose aggressive style is helping to ring the changes in WD. Their victory at the French Open plus Commonwealth Gold only hints at what they could achieve over the next couple of years. The other pair who have caught my eye recently are the Aimsaard sisters representing Thailand. They performed well at their first WTF and should be looking forward to the challenges ahead with confidence.
After the end of the Olympic cycle the Japanese – except for Shida/Matsuyama who are good at winning S1000 titles – are not so dominant in the rankings. Korea has three pairs in the top ten and so we’ll watch with interest to see who can really challenge the Chinese #1.
Men’s Singles
Viktor Axelsen has been incredible in 2022 and deserves all his success. His invincible aura has only been pricked three times this year: the defeats to LOH Kean Yew, Lakshya Sen and H S Prannoy were rare blips in his dominance of his sector. It seemed to me that the only disappointment that hurt him was Denmark’s loss in the Thomas Cup; I am sure he longs for a Gold team medal.
The million-dollar question is “Can he sustain these levels of success?” because the focus for the rest of the athletes in Men’s Singles must be to discover the chinks in his armour and to find ways to stifle Axelsen’s natural game. LOH Kean Yew is quicksilver fast so if the shuttles are flying fast, he gives Viktor serious problems. Prannoy’s strategy was to reduce Viktor’s chances to use his height advantage, try to control the net and just a refusal to concede however dire his situation.
LEE Zii Jia has had a year full of upheaval not to mention some minor injuries. A more tranquil, settled team around him must be the aspiration for 2023. He has all the talent to challenge the best but he must find that extra 5% from somewhere that will strengthen his resilience and help to seize wins in tight games. He lost in the final of the Denmark Open to SHI Yuqi and that win for the returning Chinese maestro gladdened many hearts. Not because anyone wanted LZJ to lose but because SYQ is a brilliant talent who will enrich the sector. Anthony Ginting’s year ended better than it started although it is time he unveiled a Plan B for those games against Axelsen. Lastly Kento Momota has fallen out of the ranking top ten; his long painful slump after the car accident in Malaysia is proving tough to break out of. His recent All Japan triumph is a glint of light, but it remains to be seen if he can use this as a springboard into the new year.
Mixed Doubles
After the dream team of ZHENG Si Wei and HUANG Ya Qiong were split up to a background shriek of disbelief and horror from their fans there was a strange limbo period. Happily, they reassembled in time for the Badminton Asia Championships and have gone on to exert total dominance of mixed doubles. It is arguable that HYQ should have won the BWF Female Player of the Year because that was the first of ten titles in 2022. HYQ’s brief liaison with OU Xian Yi was not bad and I am glad he seems to have found his forever home with LIU in MD, but it is painful to consider what the world of badminton nearly lost.
Conclusions
There have been some epic games, plenty of shocks and lots of talking points. Raking over the ashes of the old year is always interesting, but now we can anticipate 2023. I can’t wait to see who will win the titles on finals day at the Malaysia Open. Lets hope for brilliant play, some surprises and maybe a home winner.
Thanks to all my friends on Twitter who have swapped ideas and opinions with me the last year. A special mention to @Statminton for letting me use their figures in this article.
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.
Today was a day that will long be savoured by Indian badminton fans as their team overcame their status as underdogs to lift the trophy. Today was the day that legends were made.
India on top of the Podium. Image courtesy BWF
This was a brilliant win engineered by a group of athletes and coaches who all performed with distinction. Sen looked in danger of being overwhelmed by Ginting but after yielding the first set he coolly played his way to the win. Rankireddy/Shetty were up against Ahsan/Sukamuljo and lost set 1 but fought back with fast and furious tactics to force a second victory. Kidambi wrapped it all up in a brisk two sets. Indonesia just couldn’t disrupt the winning momentum of this squad.
The campaign has been bruising right from the start, but the resolve of these athletes proved impossible to break. This success, built on dedication, grit, and an obstinate refusal to let any match go is a testament to their self-belief and desire. When pivotal points had to be won every athlete in the Indian team had the mental strength to grasp the advantage. They relished the challenge.
They started as slight favourites at the Round Robin stage in Group C and began with 5-0 demolitions of Germany and Canada. However, the final tie – against Taiwan – to decide the group winners was a difficult contest. CHOU Tien Chen and LEE/WANG won the first two matches and although Kidambi pulled a game back, they lost 3-2. Taiwan topped the group. This meant that their route to the final in the next phase of the tournament suddenly was full of badminton’s big beasts
The knockouts require total focus and a quarter final against Malaysia was the first barrier at the sudden death stage of the tournament. This badminton superpower arrived in Bangkok with LEE Zii Jia as MS1. He crushed Sen (reportedly suffering with food poisoning) in two sets but as the tie advanced the impetus of the teams ebbed and flowed. It was Prannoy in the last match with the scores equal at 2-2 who grasped victory for India and a chance for a pop at Denmark.
The semi-final with Denmark gave us a repeat of the All-England final in the first match. Viktor continued his recent imperious form and dismissed a below par Sen in two. However, once again in a team contest Antonsen – at MS2 – struggled to keep his focus and Kidambi’s victory gave his teammates hope. With the scores level at 2-2 Prannoy stepped onto court; Gemke took the first game but couldn’t maintain his advantage and after 73 minutes history beckoned. India were in the Final!
This team matured and became battle-hardened as the week progressed This was a collective effort that overcame benchmark teams like Denmark, Malaysia and Indonesia. History has been made; its a proud moment for the players and all their supporters.
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.
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.
Hot on the heels of Odense the action moved to Paris. It quickly became obvious that some athletes were running on empty; the challenges of a schedule that includes an Olympics, a Sudirman Cup, a Thomas, or Uber Cup and the Denmark Open over the space of 12 weeks following lockdowns, quarantines and illness was a lot to embrace, physically and mentally. Which brings me to Akane, Momota and The Unseeded.
Screengrab courtesy BWF
Akane – Winner Women’s Singles
Whilst some have struggled with the relentless pressure of tournaments since the Tokyo Olympics, Akane has thrived. She arrived in Paris as the Denmark Open champion and continued her hot streak right through to victory in the final again. These back-to-back wins suggest she has rediscovered the form that made her world#1 back in July 2019. It was her defensive excellence, swift court coverage and faultless anticipation which neutralised Takahashi’s challenge today. Akane is the standout Women’s Singles player in the world at the moment.
The Unseeded win Men’s Singles and Doubles: Tsuneyama, and KO/SHIN
It’s always magical to watch an unseeded player battle through to a final and win. Both of the men’s titles in this tournament went to players who were expected to lose earlier on. Kanta Tsuneyama triumphed over the more experienced CHOU Tien Chen in three tough sets; his perseverance and precision shots were the foundation of success and his delight in victory was irresistible.
In Men’s Doubles KO Sung Hyun and SHIN Baek Cheol faced Gideon and Sukamuljo. The Koreans are the former world champions who have been enduring a very lean period over the past couple of years. The Minions are working their way though their own existential crisis at the moment so it was hard to know what to expect from this contest. The Korean’s victory was quite brisk, no long rallies but a relentless drive for the title that stopped the Indonesian pair from getting any sort of toehold in the match. It was a long way from a classic, but KO and SHIN deserved the win. I hope Kevin and Marcus can take some encouragement from getting to the final.
Momota
“….the body is worn out but the heart is fine so it’s OK”
Kento Momota IG story (rough translation)
Sometimes sport is more than victory. Over the past few weeks Momota has consistently refused easy options. His resilience and character has driven him on to compete. When it seems as though his body is aching for a rest he has stepped back on court to play again. As the beaten finalist in Denmark he could have – maybe should have – withdrawn from this tournament; instead his desire for badminton carried him on to the Semi-Final where he eventually had to concede the match because of injury. It’s clear that he is still getting back to his best form but every time he plays he progresses. I’m looking forward to Bali and I reckon it’s not going to be long to wait before his next title. (WTF?)
Yuta and Arisa
Yuta Watanabe continues to impress on the XD stage. I love his spatial awareness: his ability to find gaps on his opponents side of the court is second to none. His support for Arisa – on and off court – is exemplary and so this is the basis of a partnership that will keep developing and keep winning. After today’s win they can go to Bali feeling confident about their ability to be in the mix at the end of a tournament.
Conclusions
Apart from top seeds LEE/SHIN winning the WD competition, the story of this Yonex Paris Open is of athletes triumphing over low expectations, injuries and fatigue. Kanta Tsuneyama’s, road to the MS title as an unseeded player was tough but it’s always extra special to watch ‘upset’ wins like these. SayakaTakahashi reached the WS final despite a career threatening back injury last year. Kevin and Marcus got to their first final since AE2020 and although they lost out to unseeded KO/SHIN they must find some positives in that to fuel recovery from their slump.
Nineteen years of waiting is over – today Indonesia have won back the Thomas Cup.
They did it. Pic courtesy BWF
This team just got better and better as the competition progressed and to beat China 3-0 in the final was a measure of how far they improved together. This band of brothers will always be renowned as the athletes who won the trophy for Indonesia’s 14th time with the legendary Hendra Setiawan as their captain.
Who could have predicted what this team was capable of? It was packed with talent but some of the athletes had been misfiring in recent games and others were looking lackluster. The first tie was a 5-0 leg-stretcher against Algeria but next came Thailand. This match was equal at 2-2 with both senior MS losing, so it required Rhustavito to step up at the end to keep his team winning. The contest with Taiwan was also finely balanced: this time Ginting and Christie won, only for the MD to lose. Again they had to look to Rhustavito to rescue the result. This victory was crucial to confirm seeding into the knockout stages.
The ‘El Classico’ against Malaysia in the quarter final was a tie I was regarding with a mixture of dread and excitement. It was lose-able. But this is when the team really started to look like they were contenders. LEE Zii Jia is in the form of his life but he was dispatched by Anthony in straight sets; the Minions overcame CHIA/SOH over three and the tie was wrapped up by Christie. No need for any five match dramas.
A semi-final against Denmark on their home turf is always going to be a daunting prospect; especially when the first encounter is against Olympic Champion Viktor Axelsen. It was playing out true to form until the third match when Jonatan Christie walked on court to battle Anders Antonsen. What followed was a truly great performance from a man who has struggled with his form for a while. Over 100 minutes he stayed cool, kept to his plan and exposed Antonsen’s bland attack and his lack of stamina. This blow to Danish ambitions was mortal, and Alfian/Ardianto executed the coup de grace for a 3-1 win.
One of the exceptional features of this team is that there was always a win around the corner from a loss. Their self-belief escalated as the days passed. They knew that history was waiting to be made and when the chances came against China they grabbed them. A 3-0 victory is really something. The last words belong to one of my favourite players ever. Hendra Setiawan is an absolute icon and a wonderful ambassador for badminton; I’m thrilled that it was him who raised the trophy on the podium
This edition of the SC was lit up by the brilliance of the women players. Their spirit and strength were at the heart of the most successful teams.
Misaki Matsutomo
The return by Misaki to Women’s Doubles for this tournament was a bittersweet gift to her admirers. The scratch pairing with Mayu Matsumoto had a few rough edges yet it was a treat to watch. Misaki is a genius at the net – her touch and vision are sensational – but the skill that lifts her to Goddess status is her will to win. At critical moments she can find a new level and seize victory. In the semi-final against Malaysia, especially in the second set, her drive and aggression were unplayable and they beat TAN/THINAAH to seal the win for Japan. I wish her all the best in her Mixed Double’s journey but I wish she was still playing WD.
Akane Yamaguchi – Most Valuable Player
At a pivotal time in the final Akane gave a stellar performance: she had the self-belief and resources to challenge the best and gave BirdJapan hope. She is an outstanding defender; in the final there were patches against CHEN Yufei when she was under intense pressure from the Olympic Champion. Her strategy of keeping her tempo and defending everything however hopeless meant that CYF could never really settle into the sort of rhythm that lets her win 5 or 6 points in a row. Often functioning on instinct, she was simply brilliant and won the match in two games 21-19, 21-16.
CHEN Yufei
In the run-up to the final, CYF was always the nucleus of Chinese victory. In the quarter-final against Denmark her match against Mia Blichfeldt was a ‘must win’ because China – already trailing – risked elimination 0-3 if she could not level before the Men’s Singles. The tie was pulsating with the competitive advantage ebbing and flowing between the two athletes. She held her nerve under intense scrutiny and clung on in the decider to win. In the semi-final against Korea, she lost the first set to AN Seyoung but was resolute and sucked ASY into her patient, error-free style which suffocated resistance. It was only in the final against Yamaguchi’s faster pace that she lost a match.
Pearly TAN & THINAAH Muralitheran
The young Malaysian pair have been catching my eye for the last year or so and they have really started to challenge some of the more established doubles teams. They stood out in this competition because of their fighting spirit and unwillingness to concede defeat. Against GreyAp in the quarter final they battled the Olympic Champions for 90 minutes and saved six match points. There’s no doubt they are the rising stars of this sector and I can’t wait to watch them again.
Honourable Mentions Also To:
CHEN Qing Chen and JIA Yi Fan for closing out the final and refusing to be intimidated by MatsuMatsu. Gregoria for making a fight of it in Indonesia’s quarter final and ending the competition with a 100% record. Mia Blichfeldt for her epic encounter with CHEN Yufei, and Greysia Polii for ‘surviving’.
Congratulations to China for their twelfth win in the Sudirman Cup – even without some of their best-know stars they arrived as favourites. There were some nail-biting matches and Denmark came close to eliminating them but in the end they deserved their victory.
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 