All England: Nine Years On, Marin Returns to the Top
And so, Carolina Marin it is on top of the podium at the All England once again, nine years and two knee surgeries after she last stood there.
· DEV SUKUMAR
Her win on Sunday will be remembered as her biggest since her second surgery three years ago. In the years since her comeback, she has been in major finals – including the BWF World Championships and the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals last year – but had finished second-best. She couldn’t be denied this time.
Her opponent in the final, Akane Yamaguchi, had been taken through an 82-minute excruciating semifinal by An Se Young, and the effects of that would result in the Japanese quitting after the first game, with Marin leading 26-24 11-1. Yet, the first game offered sufficient examples of Marin’s famed gutsiness and fighting ability, the qualities that have seen her back among the elite after injuries that would have knocked most others off course.
Yamaguchi had three game points at 20-17, and then two more. Marin never let go of the attack even when under pressure, her shots laser-like in precision and intent. The first game lost, Yamaguchi’s physical struggles became apparent and she quit at the interval. Marin ran to the gallery and enveloped her mother in a hug.