Markers Down! – Day 1: HSBC BWF World Tour Finals
Some of badminton’s biggest stars began the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals with a bang this morning, making loud statements of intent.
· GAYLE ALLEYNE
From Men’s Singles high flyer, Kento Momota, to Women’s Singles quartet – Tai Tzu Ying, Nozomi Okuhara, Ratchanok Intanon and Pusarla V Sindhu – and Women’s Doubles titans, Misaki Matsutomo/Ayaka Takahashi – all signalled that they mean business at the year-end championships and are gunning for a large share of the US$1.5 million. Except for Pusarla and Intanon, who beat defending Women’s Singles champion Akane Yamaguchi and world No.3 Chen Yufei respectively, the performances of the top guns underlined the subtle differences in class between the best of the elite and those chasing their coat-tails.
Both Beiwen Zhang and Michelle Li – with reputations for upsetting the form books – fleetingly threatened the two top seeds in Women’s Singles, only for Tai and Okuhara to buckle down and show their finest skills, exiting the courts with straight-games victories. World No.1 Tai prevailed 21-15 21-17 while Okuhara emerged victorious 21-18 23-21. Despite a brave smile and stating “I am happy with my performance”, 27-year-old Li would have rued not forcing a decider versus Okuhara, having worked hard for a game point.
Meanwhile, the pitched battle for the women’s individual crown assumed greater intrigue with Yamaguchi’s loss. In a repeat of last year’s Finals title-decider, the Japanese No.3 seed fell to a determined Pusarla. The lanky Indian needed the full extension of her stride to save two game points in the opener which proved decisive in her 24-22 21-15 success.