Top 5 Takeaways from DANISA Denmark Open 2020
After a seven-month hiatus, competitive badminton returned with the DANISA Denmark Open 2020. Successfully conducted in the face of several challenges, here are some of its main talking points:
· DEV SUKUMAR
Several lesser-known players had the opportunity to play on the biggest stage of their careers. Players like Yvonne Li, the French mixed doubles pair Julien Maio/Lea Palermo, and Danish teenagers Christine Busch/Amalie Schulz fought hard to reach the semifinals. A young Danish men’s doubles pair, Joel Eipe/Rasmus KjÆr, even beat their higher-ranked compatriots Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, and went on to make the semifinals. With exciting junior talent such as Christo Popov, Lakshya Sen, Line Christophersen and others on display, the event gave a glimpse of what to expect from the next generation.
There were upsets, close shaves, and hard physical contests. Among the memorable moments were Hans-Kristian Vittinghus fighting off cramps through his quarterfinal against Lakshya Sen to emerge victorious; Chris Langridge/Marcus Ellis’s gallant resurgence in the final, and Fabienne Deprez’s comeback from a personal crisis to win a pulsating first round contest. Four of the five finals were tight affairs, with the last match – featuring local stars Anders Antonsen and Rasmus Gemke – the closest of them. Both men were unable to walk at the end of it. It was a fitting end to a memorable event.
Badminton at a time of social distancing was new territory for everyone – so there were elephant trunk-looking shuttle dispensers, service judges with masks, interviews conducted across plastic screens and at virtual stations. Those in the Green Zone were temperature checked on arrival, QR-coded during entry and exit, and Covid-tested through the week. Such meticulous preparation lent itself to a successful week.