International
Badminton Desk

Japanese Contingent Falls A Game Short of a Clean Sweep

By: Venus
Date: 04 Mar, 2019
Image Courtesy: Badminton Desk

The Japanese team, led by, men’s top seed KentoMomota took four out of the five titles available at the Yonex German Open 2019 in Mülheim, Germany. Men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles – the Japanese team took all of these titles and just fell short in the women’s doubles category. It was the Chinese pair of Due Yue & Li Yinhui who upset the second seeds Misaki Matsutomo& Ayaka Takashahi, to avert the clean sweep.


KentoMotoma led the charge, beating compatriot Kenta Nishimoto with relative ease. He began positively and kept up the momentum throughout the match with comprehensively against the third-seeded opponent 21-10 21-16.


In the women’s singles title clash, it was number-two seed Akane Yamaguchi against number-three seed RatchanokIntanon. And what a match the two served up. As the action ebbed and flowed, neither was willing to give an inch and the match went right down to the wire. The third seed won the first game, and then the second seed came roaring back in the second.


This set up the third and deciding game rather nicely, and both players went toe-to-toe right to the end. Akane Yamaguchi just held her nerve at the crucial juncture to win 25-23 – deep into the third game.


The men’s doubles final also went the distance, as second seeded part of Hiroyuki Endo & Yuta Watanabe lost the first game, but then came back to win the next two relatively easily and seal the championship 15-21 21 -11 21-12.


The women’s double match pitted the Japanese pair of Misaki Matsutomo& Ayaka Takashahi against eight-seeded Due Yue & Li Yinhui. And the Chinese pair opened positively to take the first game, while the Japanese came back to square it all in the second. With the championship on the line, Due Yue & Li Yinhui notched up a couple of gears and put the clean sweep beyond the Japanese as they prevailed 21-16 19-21 21-14.


Seo Seung Jae &ChaeYuJungbeat Hafiz Faizal & Gloria EmanuelleWidajajain the final event of the day 21-17 21-11 as they closed out a rich haul of medals for the Japanese contingent in this edition of the Yonex German Open.



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