GERMANY - After coming from behind to defeat second seed Kim Ga Eun with a score of 20-22, 21-8 and 21-18, Vietnam's number one female badminton player Nguyen Thuy Linh advanced to the final of the 2024 German Open.
Kim is South Korea's number two ranked player, and the world's 13th. She is also the defending champion in the women's team event at the 2023 Asian Games. Kim also easily defeated Thuy Linh 2-0 in the quarterfinals of the China Masters last year.
But in this rematch, Thuy Linh was not at a disadvantage. On her way to the semi-finals, the Vietnamese player did not lose a single set. Similar to her quarter-final victory against former world number one Ratchanok Intanon, she continued to have the support of her "makeshift coach" Lauren Lam. Lam, an American player of Chinese descent, was Linh's opponent in the round of 16 and was asked by her colleague to take on the coaching role to provide technical support.
In the stands today were several Vietnamese fans living in Germany, who frequently chanted "Go Thuy Linh!" to cheer on their fellow countrywoman.
Nguyen Thuy Linh is in top form for her first major international tournament in Europe in 2024. Photo: Duc Dong
At the start of the first set, Thuy Linh misjudged the shot and hit it out, giving Kim a 4-2 lead. But then, by proactively hitting small shots at the net, she scored four consecutive points to take the lead 6-4.
Kim, with her height of 1.72 m, long reach, and good acceleration, quickly responded with powerful spikes. She scored six consecutive points to take an 11-7 lead before halftime.
After consulting with Lam, Thuy Linh returned and scored a point. But Kim still showed her strength, maintaining her lead at 15-9.
Just when it seemed she was going to lose by a large margin, Thùy Linh suddenly fought back. She changed her playing style, opting for drop shots, set pieces, and net play, making it difficult for her opponent to move around. Thanks to two consecutive four-point shots, she took the lead again at 17-16 and came close to victory at 20-19. But at the crucial moment, Kim accurately predicted the return to equalize at 20-20 and then win 22-20.
In the second set, Thuy Linh played more dynamically. She used drop shots, cross-court shots, and powerful smashes, forcing Kim to constantly move and giving her no chance to counterattack. Thanks to this, the player from Phu Tho province led 5-2, 10-5, and then 11-6. Maintaining constant pressure, she scored incredible points, often causing the audience to gasp in surprise. Thuy Linh won convincingly 21-8.
At the start of the third set, Thuy Linh seemed shaky. She hit the shuttle out of bounds and misjudged her shots, allowing Kim to take a 4-0 and then 5-2 lead. But after that, the Vietnamese player made good use of her shots, scoring seven consecutive points to lead 9-5 and then 11-8, before the break and changing sides.
After that, the two players took turns scoring points. When Thuy Linh was in high spirits and leading 13-11, Kim requested a timeout so the doctor could spray her calf. However, when the match resumed, Thuy Linh didn't lose her momentum, maintaining a two-point lead before scoring three consecutive points to extend her lead to 18-13.
After Kim narrowed the gap to 16-18, Thuy Linh remained calm, scoring three consecutive points to win 21-18. After the decisive point, the 27-year-old ran to hug Lam, while the audience rose to their feet and applauded the Vietnamese player's performance.
The final match will take place tomorrow evening, March 3rd.
The German Open badminton tournament is part of the World Tour Super 300 system of the Badminton World Federation (BWF). After this tournament, Thuy Linh continued to participate in tournaments in France, England, Switzerland, and Spain to accumulate points in order to qualify for the Olympics.
Born in 1997, Thuy Linh started playing badminton at the age of 10 and is currently Vietnam's number one badminton player. She won a bronze medal in the women's singles at the 31st SEA Games and has won 10 major titles in her career, including notable ones such as the Bangladesh International 2018 and 2019, Belgium International 2022, and Vietnam Open 2022 and 2023.
Duc Dong - Vnexpress.net
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