Vietnamese badminton player Nguyen Thuy Linh. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Dong
The best Vietnamese badminton player, Nguyen Thuy Linh, beat South Korean Kim Ga Eun on Saturday to reach the final of the German Open.
Linh started the first game with deep smashes in the first half and precise shots in the second half, which made South Korea’s second-best player struggle to reach the shuttle.
Kim, however, fought back relentlessly and reached 20-20 points. She continued with high quality shots and won the match 22-20.
The Vietnamese player chose a flexible playing style in the second half, mixing net shots and half-shots and forcing her opponent to move quickly to defend, eventually accepting an 8-21 defeat.
Linh entered the third game struggling as her shots were out of range and predictable, allowing Kim to lead 5-2.
Linh, however, bounced back confidently to win seven points in a row and was able to extend their victory to 21-16.
After scoring match point, Linh hugged and celebrated consultant Lauren Lam, an American player of Chinese descent who lost to Linh in the round of 16.
Most badminton players go to competitions with a coach. But due to a limited budget, Linh often travels alone. Most of the time, another coach or player in the competition will volunteer to consult and assist Linh.
Linh, who ranks 14th in the world in women’s singles, will play the final on Sunday evening against Dane Mia Blichfeldt, ranked 18th.
This is the first time she has qualified for the final of a Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 World Tour event.
