1 week ago
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Vietnam's top female badminton player Nguyen Thuy Linh has defeated Japan's Riko Gunji in two games to reach the German Open final for the second consecutive time.
The Vietnamese player, who ranks 29th globally, began the semifinal with confidence Saturday as her opponent is considered a less-challenging player with a 46th ranking.
Gunji, however, proved to be a resilient competitor with her agile movement and flexible reach. The Japanese player capitalized on Linh's mistakes and managed to take an 8-4 lead.
Linh quickly bounced back and leveled the score at 9-9 by utilizing her skillful net shots and deep smashes.
Both players then raced to maintain their performance and take the lead. But the 27-year-old Vietnamese player got the upper hand and closed the 20-minute game at 21-17 in the cheer of her Vietnamese fans.
Linh, who spent her break alone as she often does due to the lack of an accompanying coach, returned to the second game with errors, which allowed Gunji to take a 11-6 lead.
The Japanese player's cross-court shots and powerful smashes, along with her stunning saves, helped her extend the lead to 16-8 and drove her confidently toward the third and deciding game.
Linh, however, staged an unexpected comeback. By saving the shuttle in the most challenging situations, the Vietnamese player scored five consecutive points and narrowed the gap to 13-16.
She managed to pull off another seven-point winning streak to take the 20-17 lead, which earned her the respect of the crowd who stood up and applauded in admiration.
Gunji's failure to maintain precision at the crucial moment made her last shot went out of bound, allowing the Vietnamese player to finish the match with a 21-19 victory.
Linh celebrated by dropping her racket and raised both arms in a victory gesture, while Gunji bowed her head in disbelief as she shot down her opportunity for a win even with an eight-point lead.
The win leads Linh toward the final on Monday when she will play Jia Min Yeo, the top-seeded player from Singapore.
The German Open is part of the Badminton World Federation World Tour Super 300 series, with a total prize pool of $240,000. Last year, Linh reached the final but lost to a Danish player Mia Blichfeldt.
This year, by reaching the semifinals, Linh has secured $3,480 in prize money and 4,900 ranking points.
Reaching the final would earn her $9,120 and 5,950 points, while winning the title would bring $18,000 and 7,000 points.
Born in northern Vietnam, Linh began her professional career at age 14. Four years later, she won the 2015 National Outstanding Players Championship.
Since 2018, she has been Vietnam’s top female badminton player, winning the national individual championship seven consecutive times. She also claimed three straight Vietnam Open titles from 2022.
Linh has competed at major global badminton events, including the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics.
