Akane’s Dream Spell Continues with No.1 Ranking
Akane Yamaguchi was rewarded for her dream spell in Indonesia and Japan as she climbed to the top of the BWF women’s singles rankings.
· DEV SUKUMAR
The Japanese, who won the Indonesia Open and the Japan Open on successive weeks, will claim the No.1 ranking from Tai Tzu Ying. Yamaguchi was briefly No.1 for two weeks in April 2018, before Tai reclaimed the top spot that she has held for a fairly long period.
The last two weeks have seen Yamaguchi enjoy some of the best form of her career, as she won the World Tour Super 1000 event in Indonesia, followed by the Super 750 title in Japan – giving her a total of 23,000 points from just the two weeks.
Yamaguchi was assured of becoming No.1 after she made the semifinals in Japan. Reacting to the news, she said: “Earlier, I used to focus on playing well and not on winning. I’m more conscious today. I’ve grown as a player, I’m mentally more focussed and stable and able to control pressure. I’m happy but I feel a lot of fatigue!”