World Badminton Championships 2018: 5 players to watch out for
The Badminton World Championships are here and once again we can expect some high-octane action to enthrall us. Last year, PV Sindhu and Nozomi Okuhara produced one of the greatest ever matches in the women’s final while Viktor Axelsen sealed the title in men’s division.
So, what can we expect this year? Who are the players to watch out for? With the fluid nature of the both men’s and the women’s badminton at the moment, it’s hard to predict anything. However, there are some players that are likely to make a big impression.
Let’s take a look at five players who are most likely to make a mark in this tournament.
#1 Tai Tzu Ying
The Taiwanese player is simply the best in the women’s division at the moment, but somehow hasn’t been able to produce exquisite performances in big tournaments. This is her golden opportunity.
The 24-year-old has been in great form lately and registered victories at the Malaysian Open and the Indonesian Open. She defeated ace Chinese player He Bingjiao 22-20, 21-11 in the final to clinch the trophy of the Super 750 tournament, and came back from a game down to beat Chen Yufei in Indonesia.
What distinguishes Tai Tzu Ying is her majestic style of playing. She is possibly the most skilled player, producing the most dazzling shots that can take the women’s game to another level, and has proven her class in various major events.
The stage is set for her. Will the lady from Chinese Taipei set it on fire?
#2 PV Sindhu
The Hyderabad-born shuttler has the uncanny ability to come up with her best performances in big tournaments. The 23-year-old has won bronze twice in this event and came tantalizingly close to winning the title in that epic final against Okuhara last year.
She recently lost to Tai Tzu Ying in the semi-finals of the Malaysian Open and to Okuhara in the final of the Thailand Open respectively. Therefore, Sindhu is not coming into the event with a great deal of momentum.
However, as stated above, it is the major tournaments that bring out the best in her and the big stage seems to egg her on. After having lost in the finals of the Olympics, the World Championships, and the Super Series Finals, she would like to break the jinx this time around.