Denmark Open: ‘Arctic Outing’ Sparks Iwanaga/Nakanishi
A semifinal finish at last week’s Arctic Open, their first in two years, meant Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi arrived in Odense for the VICTOR Denmark Open 2023 in buoyant mood.
· PREM KUMAR
And the world No.16 pair have so far managed to translate those good vibes into top performances on the courts of Jyske Bank Arena, qualifying for the first back-to-back semifinals of their partnership on Friday by knocking out sixth seeds Zhang Shu Xian/Zheng Yu in an absorbing 83-minute battle.
“We had found it hard to beat the top-ranked players. It was good to win a tight match this time,” said Nakanishi after the 17-21 21-18 23-21 result.
“This was triggered by being among the best four in Vantaa (Finland), we were confident we could do it here. In the past, we conceded points when under pressure from attacks. This time, we were able to successfully transition from defence to offence.”