Thursday, 19 Sep 2024

BWF News

Saina Nehwal Continues Dominance with Strong Performance in Yonex French Open

Saina Nehwal, currently ranked No. 3 in the world, showcased her exceptional skills once again as she advanced to her third consecutive Superseries final at the Yonex French Open. In the Women’s Singles semi-finals, Nehwal defeated Germany’s Juliane Schenk with a score of 21-19 21-8. This victory puts her in contention for her fifth title of the year, following wins in the Swiss, Thailand, Indonesia, and Denmark Opens. Nehwal will enter tomorrow’s final against Japan’s Minatsu Mitani as the favorite, boasting a 3-0 record against her opponent. Mitani earned her spot in the final by defeating her compatriot Eriko Hirose with a score of 21-19 21-10.

During the semi-final match, Schenk put up a tough fight against Nehwal with her aggressive style of play. Nehwal initially struggled to find her accuracy and found herself trailing 9-13. However, she managed to stage a remarkable comeback, leveling the score at 16-all. Schenk, after demanding a slower shuttle from the tournament referee, quickly gained a 19-16 lead and seemed poised to win the first game.

But at this critical juncture, Nehwal elevated her game to another level. She entered a state of flawless execution, showcasing exceptional skills such as net shots that dropped perfectly and went on to win five consecutive points, ultimately securing the first game.

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Schenk appeared deflated as Nehwal’s relentless performance proved too much to handle. Nehwal continued her dominance, winning point after point and establishing an 8-0 lead, ultimately securing a remarkable 14 consecutive points. Regardless of Schenk’s efforts to sustain long rallies, Nehwal consistently found the winning shots, leaving her opponent disheartened and unable to mount a comeback.

In Men’s Singles, Malaysia witnessed the rise of a promising new talent. Daren Liew, who has achieved moderate international success thus far in his young career, reached his first international final by defeating sixth seed Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark with a score of 18-21 21-17 21-10. Despite losing the first game, Liew staged an impressive recovery in the second and third games. He capitalized on any opportunities by delivering powerful smashes that Jorgensen struggled to return. In the third game, Liew’s dominance was undeniable, as Jorgensen’s clears failed to keep the shuttle deep enough, and his smashes resulted in no response from the Dane.

Liew’s opponent in the final will be Viktor Axelsen of Denmark, who secured a comfortable victory over Kenichi Tago of Japan, seeded 5th, with a score of 21-8 21-17.

The day’s final matches will begin with the Women’s Doubles final, featuring top seeds Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl of Denmark facing the Chinese pair Ma Jin and Tang Jinhua. This will be followed by the Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, and an all-China final in Mixed Doubles, with Qiu Zihan and Bao Yixin taking on top seeds Xu Chen and Ma Jin. The final match of the day will be Men’s Doubles, featuring Lee Yong Dae and Ko Sung Hyun of South Korea against Thailand’s Bodin Issara and Maneepong Jongjit.

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This article was written by Dev Sukumar and includes photographs by BadmintonPhoto.