Wednesday, 13 Nov 2024

News | BWF World Championships: Japan’s Strong Contenders in Women’s Doubles

With an abundance of talent, Japan is in an enviable position in the Women’s Doubles category at the TOTAL BWF World Championships 2017 in Glasgow. All four of their pairs have shown great form this season. The distribution of these pairs across three quarters of the draw means that an all-Japanese final is a possibility. However, with strong contenders from China, Korea, and Denmark, the outcome is still uncertain.

What sets Japan apart is the success of their relatively inexperienced pairs in World Superseries events this year. Shiho Tanaka and Koharu Yonemoto made their first Superseries final at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open, defeating their compatriots Naoko Fukuman and Kurumi Yonao. Another pair, Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota, took home the victory at the Celcom Axiata Malaysia Open after defeating their more experienced compatriots Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi in the semi-finals and their Chinese opponents Huang Yaqiong and Tang Jinhua in the final.

These triumphs have shown that the lack of experience is not a deterrent for the emerging Japanese players. They have displayed impressive solidity and an unerring sense of occasion.

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While Matsutomo and Takahashi were initially overshadowed by their younger compatriots, they have proven themselves by reaching the finals in Singapore and winning the Badminton Asia Championships. They also helped Japan to the semi-finals of the TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup and claimed victory at the Crown Group Australian Open.

The top seeds in the Women’s Doubles draw, Fukuman and Yonao, are set to face China’s Bao Yixin and Yu Xiaohan or Luo Ying and Luo Yu in the third round. Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan, along with Huang Dongping and Li Yinhui, are China’s hopes for the championship. Chen and Jia won the Indonesia Open this season, the only Superseries event China won in Women’s Doubles. They will be eager to reclaim dominance in the sport.

Korea’s Jung Kyung Eun and Shin Seung Chan are likely to meet fourth seeds Chen and Jia in the quarter-finals. In the third quarter of the draw, Huang and Li are expected to face Fukushima and Hirota in the third round. The winners of these matches will face off against Korea’s Yonex All England champions Chang Ye Na and Lee So Hee or Chae Yoo Jung and Kim So Yeong for a place in the semi-finals.

Denmark’s Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl have also had a strong season, reaching five finals and winning three titles. They finished as runners-up in the last World Championships and the Rio Olympics and are eager to claim the crown this year. However, they will face tough competition, including a potential second round clash against India’s Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy.

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While the pairs from Japan, Korea, China, and Denmark are the favorites, there are several other pairs that could cause upsets in the draw, such as Eefje Muskens and Selena Piek from the Netherlands, Gronya Somerville and Setyana Mapasa from Australia, and Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy from India.

For the Women’s Doubles draw, click here