Sabasports Match Preview
YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships
2024
2024-03-12 to 2024-03-17
Source: REUTERS/Henry Romero
The 2024 All England Badminton Open (Super1000)
is scheduled to take place from March 12th to 17th. It is considered one of the
most prestigious badminton tournaments in the world and holds significant
importance, particularly in Olympic years. The total prize money for the
tournament is set at an impressive US$1.3 million. Players participating in the
All England Badminton Open place great emphasis on this event, as it often
serves as an indicator of their form and potential success in the upcoming Olympic
Games. Winners of the All England Open are often considered favorites in the
Olympics. After this tournament, there is only one
Intercontinental Championship left, which is
also a high-level event. Other tournaments that follow are less significant.
It is noteworthy that the last two All England
champions, except for Misaki Matsutomo/Ayaka Takahashi in 2016, did not achieve
their desired results in the Olympics. For instance, in the 2021 Tokyo
Olympics, Lee Zijia, who defeated Kento Momota and Viktor Axelsen in
succession, and Yuta Watanabe, who won the men’s doubles and mixed doubles
championships, both experienced disappointment. This indicates that early
success in a tournament may not always translate into success in subsequent
events like the Olympics.
It appears that Viktor Axelsen, the top seed in
the men’s singles tournament, has been experiencing mediocre form lately, as
evidenced by his upset loss to Wang Tzu Wei in the 1/8 finals of the French
Open. However, if Axelsen can regain his usual level of play, he should have a
good chance of reaching the semi-finals. Shi Yu Qi and Li Shi Feng have been
performing well recently, and if they can maintain their form, advancing to the
top 8 should not be a significant challenge for them. However, it’s worth
considering that their performance and physical exertion in the previous week’s
French Open may affect their condition in the second week of the All England
Open. Draw 3/4 of the tournament is anticipated to have fierce competition.
Malaysian player Lee Zii Jia, who is the top-ranked player from Malaysia, will
face the sixth seed Kodai Naraoka in the first round. The winner of that match
will potentially face the winner between LOH Kean Yew and Angus Ng Ka Long. As
the 4th seed in the tournament, Anders Antonsen is recognized for his strength
and also has a strong chance of advancing to the top 8.
Based on the analysis of the men’s singles draw,
it is anticipated that the final four contenders will likely be Viktor Axelsen,
Li Shifeng, Anders Antonsen, and Shi Yuqi. However, it is worth noting that Li
Shifeng has been experiencing poor form recently. Even if he reaches the
semi-finals as expected, a potential match against Axelsen could pose a
significant challenge to his title defense. Considering the players’ overall
strength, current status, and recent performances, Shi Yuqi appears to be the
most outstanding. If Shi Yuqi can maintain his exceptional performance, it is
not impossible for him to defeat Axelsen once again.