Friday, 17 May 2024

Japan Shines at Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open

Japan had a strong showing at the Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open, with several upsets and impressive performances. In the Women’s Singles, top players like Wang Shixian, Wang Yihan, Ratchanok Intanon, and PV Sindhu were eliminated from the tournament. Men’s Doubles favorites Lee Yong Dae/Yoo Yeon Seong and World champions Shin Baek Choel/Ko Sung Hyun also fell short.

One standout match was Kenta Kazuno and Kazushi Yamada’s upset victory over recent China Open runners-up Chai Biao/Hong Wei. Takeshi Kamura/Keigo Sonoda, another Japanese duo, defeated World champions Shin and Ko. In Women’s Singles, Nozomi Okuhara displayed great determination to defeat PV Sindhu. Another highlight was Akane Yamaguchi’s thrilling win over Ratchanok Intanon in an intense showdown.

There were surprising losses for Wang Yihan, who was defeated by Malaysia’s Tee Jing Yi, and Wang Shixian, who fell to compatriot Liu Xin. Sindhu’s match against Okuhara was marked by line call disputes that affected her concentration, leading to her defeat.

The article also mentions the exceptional performances of other players throughout the tournament. Kazuno and Yamada’s intelligent and sustained attack propelled them to victory against Chai/Hong. Kamura and Sonoda had a tough three-game battle against Ko Sung Hyun and Shin Baek Choel but emerged victorious. Lee Yong Dae and Yoo Yeon Seong suffered an unexpected loss to Michael Fuchs/Johannes Schoettler of Germany.

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In Women’s Doubles, all the seeded pairs advanced to the quarterfinals, including Bao Yixin/Wang Xiaoli, who were pushed to three games by Lee Meng Yean/Lim Yin Loo of Malaysia. Bao Yixin also progressed to the quarterfinals in Mixed Doubles with Liu Cheng.

Defending champions Chris and Gabrielle Adcock secured their spot in the quarterfinals with a convincing win over Praveen Jordan/Liliyana Natsir of Indonesia. Srikanth Kidambi, the China Open champion, fought off two game points to win in straight games. Other notable players who advanced to the quarterfinals include Chen Long, Jan O Jorgensen, Son Wan Ho, Viktor Axelsen, and Wang Zhengming.

The Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open showcased Japan’s dominance and the excitement of competitive badminton. With unexpected upsets and thrilling matches, the tournament delivered high-quality performances from both established and emerging players.