Heat On Home Players – Japan Open Preview
The badminton caravan rolls into Tokyo after Sunday’s fireworks in Jakarta, and with home players facing the prospect of intense scrutiny with Tokyo 2020 on the horizon.
· DEV SUKUMAR
The DAIHATSU YONEX Japan Open 2019 is a test event for the badminton competition at Tokyo 2020, and that infuses the event with special significance. Players will expect an extra buzz around the event, and they will know that a strong performance this week will put them in a good frame of mind – besides giving them vital ranking points in the Race to Tokyo. The Olympics are just a year away, and with the countdown beginning, the pressure will start to get more intense.
A more immediate mission for the players is finding their form ahead of the TOTAL BWF World Championships 2019 next month. The Japan Open and next week’s Thailand Open are the last tune-up events for the top contenders in Basel, and they will be eager to find form and iron out deficiencies.
The attention will be highest on the home players. Japan came away with two titles at the Indonesia Open, and that will fortify them for a challenging week on home soil. Akane Yamaguchi’s relief at clinching the women’s singles title was apparent, for she had, rather uncharacteristically, fallen apart in the Sudirman Cup final in May. She is drawn to meet her victim from the Indonesia Open final, Pusarla V Sindhu, in the quarterfinals.