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Yonex Open Japan Participants Decided! Big Talents from Around the World Come Together!
Yonex Open Japan Participants Decided! Big Talents from Around the World Come Together!Upon closing entry on May 6th, several prodigious top-class athletes from around the world have been decided, and will be making their way toward Japan for this year's Yonex Open Japan.
In men's singles, thirteen of the world's top fifteen are set to participate, and women's singles sees one more at fourteen. It's an amazing lineup, with nearly all of the world's top talents competing. This year's Yonex Open Japan will most definitely be one to remember.
Excitement from Day One: Lin Dan (China) To Appear in the Preliminaries
Winning in both Beijing and the London Olympics, and thought of as one of the strongest players in Chinese history, Lin Dan will be on the court right from day one in men's singles. "He's become stronger. His footwork in particular has improved, and it looks like everything is easy for him." said Sho Sasaki (Japan) after playing against Dan in the Asian Badminton Championship in late April.
After hiding from the public eye following last year's World Championships until this April, this legendary player returns with strong promise, and will definitely deliver an exciting game.
Of course, Dan's rival Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) who faced off against Dan in both Beijing and London has also been confirmed. If matched-up, this will be the first time these two star players have competed against each other since last year's World Championships.
In addition, several other aces are set to compete, such as Jan O Jorgensen (Denmark), Tommy Sugiarto (Indonesia), Boonsak Ponsana (Thailand), Marc Zwiebler (Germany), and many more!
London Olympics Gold Medalist Li Xuerui Makes Her First Japanese Appearance
After excelling in the London Olympics, China's Li Xuerui will play in Japan for the first time in women's singles. Contrary to expectations, she rose to the world stage for the first time in 2012, commanding the court in the All England Open in March of that same year, and gained top points in the London Olympics. This will be a great chance to witness her expert plays in Japan for the first time.
The lineup of players who could take on the formidable Xuerui reads like a checklist of young global champions. They include last year's defending champion Akane Yamaguchi (Japan/16 years old), 2013 World Champion Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand/19 years old), Olympic bronze medalist Saina Nehwal (India), and 2012 Yonex Open Japan champion Tai Tzu Ying (Chinese, Taipei/19 years old).
Akane especially has her eyes on Xuerui. If these two forces come together, it will be an extraordinary match, one which could pave the way towards a gold medal for Yamaguchi in 2020's Tokyo Olympics.
Among other young talents, coming off of her history-making victory as the first European Champion to hail from Spain, global top-ten player Carolina Marin (Spain/20 years old) promises an exciting performance.
Incredible Pairs in Men's Doubles
In men's doubles, pairs of particular interest include Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan (Indonesia), Mathias Boe/Carsten Mogensen (Denmark), and Hiroyuki Endo/Kenichi Hayakawa (Japan), who make up the world's top three Badminton pairs. Mohammad/Hendra and Mathias/Carsten have won titles in the All England Championships and in the Korean Open respectively, with Hiroyuki/Kenichi coming in at second in the All England Championships two years in a row. These men will certainly deliver amazing matches, so keep your eyes on them!
*Ranking date:5.8
*Players may have changes.
