Badminton: Yamaguchi and Tai avenge earlier losses to reach final of BWF World Tour Finals
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying (above) defeated China’s He Bingjiao 21-18, 21-14.
PHOTO: AFP
BANGKOK – Japan’s world champion Akane Yamaguchi exacted revenge for an earlier group loss to China’s Chen Yufei by beating the Olympic champion 21-19, 21-10 in their Badminton World Federation World Tour Finals semi-final on Saturday.
At the mixed zone, the Japanese, who is also the world No. 1, struck a boxer’s pose for the camera, and she certainly came out fighting for a place in Sunday’s final.
World No. 4 Chen had beaten Yamaguchi 21-19, 21-18 on Thursday, but the tables were turned in the knockout stage at the Nimibutr Arena two days later.
Looking deceptively squat at 1.56m and 55kg, the 25-year-old Japanese is nimble and possesses a high-quality defence and loads of stamina, which she used more effectively this time around to nullify Chen’s threat and extend her winning record against her familiar foe to 16-9.
She said: “Chen Yufei is a good player and I had trouble reading her game at some points, and so she caught up to 19-19 in the first game.
“Thankfully, I managed to take the first game, which gave me more confidence going into the second, in which I was more able to impose my skill and power to win the match.”
Next up for Yamaguchi is world No. 3 Tai Tzu-ying, who also vanquished an opponent who had beaten her in the group stage. The Taiwanese defeated China’s fifth-ranked He Bingjiao 21-18, 21-14.
Tai displayed remarkable resilience as she came back from 5-11 down to win 16 out of the next 19 points in the second game and advance to the final.
Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi is nimble and possesses a high-quality defence and loads of stamina.
The 28-year-old said: “Losing my first match here did affect my confidence, but I just wanted to give it my best shot at the last event of the year and see how far I can go.
“I made some corrections from our earlier match in terms of game control, avoiding playing to her strengths and making fewer errors.
“There’s no clear draught pattern here, so I faced some problems at the start of the second game. I was actually thinking of getting ready for the decider if I lost the second game. I just tried to play each point better and somehow I pulled through.
“As for the final, Akane is a quick player so I have to keep up with her pace first, otherwise I will have no chance.”
Taiwanese Tai Tzu-ying is one of the most creative and likeable badminton players on tour, and has received plenty of cards and gifts at the BWF World Tour Finals.
World Tour Finals champion in 2020, Tai said she was also motivated by the support she has received, with the hotel reception flooded with gifts for one of the most creative and likeable players on tour.
She said: “There are fans from Taiwan and other parts of the world who have come to see me play. I have received so many gifts and they write such beautiful cards and notes to me, which makes me really happy.”
In the men’s draw, defending champion and world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen will meet seventh-ranked Anthony Ginting in the final after coming from behind to beat world No. 5 Kodai Naraoka 21-23, 21-19, 21-18. Ginting had prevailed 21-15, 11-21, 21-18 in his semi-final against fellow Indonesian and world No. 4 Jonatan Christie.
