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On May 4, 2024, Beijing time, the semifinals of the Uber Cup were staged in Bangkok, Thailand. The Chinese team swept the Japanese team with a perfect score of 3-0 and took the lead in advancing to the final. In the other semi-final that followed, the Indonesian women's team staged a dark horse legend, they eliminated the defending champion South Korea with a score of 3-2, and continued their dark horse journey to meet the Chinese team in the final!
Surprisingly, the South Korean team did not send the number one main player Ahn Se Ying in this crucial battle. The absence of the world No. 1 player was undoubtedly a big mistake for South Korea. If Ahn Se Young can play, maybe South Korea can easily end the fight with a score of 3-0. But that's the case with competitive sports, there aren't so many ifs, everything is based on the results of the game.
In the first women's singles matchup of the tournament, Indonesia's Mariska defeated South Korea's Shen Youzhen in straight games 21-15 and 21-13 to take the lead for the Indonesian team. Mariska was significantly superior to her opponents, and the scores in both games were very different, and it was effortless to win.
However, the South Korean team quickly regained their senses. In Women's Doubles, Korea's Baek Ha Na/Lee So-hee put in a brilliant performance as they swept past Indonesia's Rahayu/Ramadanti 21-6, 21-18 to pull a point back for Korea. This is their second straight win against the Indonesians. In the first game, Baek Ha Na/Lee Zhao Hee only lost 6 points to win the game point, which shows its strong dominance. Although the Indonesian pair improved in the second game, the Korean pair still played steadily, especially in the key points, and finally successfully sealed the victory.
The storm suddenly changed, and the suspense reappeared. In the third women's singles match, Indonesian teenager Este and South Korean star Kim Jialan met in a narrow way. In the end, Esther defeated Jin Jialan with a score of 20-22, 21-16 and 21-12 to add another goal for the Indonesian team. Judging by yesterday's performance, this result makes sense. As a rising star, Esther performed eye-catching in this year's You Cup, although he lost the first game, he was not discouraged, and showed great potential in terms of physical fitness and hard work. With such a wonderful performance, Esther will surely shine in the future high-level competitions.
The situation is leveling again. In the fourth Women's Doubles match, Korea's Jung Na Eun/Kong Hee Yong didn't give their opponents a chance, beating Indonesia's Lenny/Rebecca in straight games, 21-15, 21-14. It was the first meeting between the two pairs, with the Koreans winning comfortably with their prowess and the Indonesians struggling to fry.
At the critical moment, the burden fell on the final women's singles match. Sure enough, the tiebreaker staged a thrilling showdown. Indonesia's Koman Ayew takes on South Korea's rising star Kim Min Hyun, and the characteristics of the two players were already evident in yesterday's match - Kim Min Hyun is sharp in attack, while Koman Ayew is good at protracted battles. In the first game, Jin Minxuan attacked fiercely, firmly took the initiative, and took the lead 21-17. In the second game, Coman Ayew played steadily and pulled back the game 21-16 with a solid defense. The tiebreaker was tied at 11-9, with Coman Ayew taking a temporary lead heading into the exchange court. She then scored back-to-back points to stretch the score to 19-13. Although they wasted 3 match points, they still won 21-19 in the end, and the Indonesian team defeated South Korea with a total score of 3-2 and met the Chinese team to enter the final!
At this point, the Uber Cup final matchup has been formed. Although the Indonesian team reached the final as a dark horse, the Chinese team was even better. The Chinese women's singles lineup, led by the world's top players such as Chen Yufei and He Bingjiao, is unique in the world, and the women's doubles combination of Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan and Li Wenmei/Liu Xuanxuan is full of tacit understanding and is also difficult to meet opponents. Overall, the Chinese team is in a good situation to win the championship in this year's You Cup, and the championship trophy is close at hand.
Looking at the development of badminton in Indonesia, it is not difficult to find that there has always been no shortage of talented players in this country. From Tawfik and Shalima a few years ago, to Ginting, Polly and others today, Indonesian players have frequently appeared in the World Championships. In this Cup, the Indonesian women's team has shown great potential and room for growth.
Esther, who is only 20 years old, is one of them. The youngster was not afraid of strong opponents in this tournament, defeated the masters one after another, and became a major contributor to the Indonesian team's victory on the way. She's fast, responsive, and has a sharp style of play that makes her opponents unguardable. At the same time, she also showed maturity and composure beyond her years. In the match against Jin Jialan, Esther lost the first game, but she was not discouraged by this, but quickly adjusted her form and finally completed the reversal. This kind of psychological quality is rare among players of the same age.
In addition to Este, the rest of the Indonesian team is also commendable. As a veteran of the team, Komanayew stepped up at crucial moments and controlled the situation on the pitch with his own unique rhythm. Mariska, on the other hand, is known for her consistency, her agility and her ability to control the ball and often win matches with the fewest turnovers. Although the overall strength of the women's doubles pair is not as good as that of South Korea, Rahayu/Ramadanti, Ranny/Rebecca and others also have their own characteristics, which has won valuable points for the Indonesian team.
Of course, the rise of the Indonesian women's team did not happen overnight. This is inseparable from the strong support of the Indonesian Badminton Association and the careful guidance of the coaching team. In recent years, many badminton schools have been opened in Indonesia, which have sent a large number of excellent seedlings to the national team. At the same time, the Indonesian Badminton Association also attaches great importance to youth training, cultivating players from an early age, and providing them with a good training environment and conditions. Today, those efforts are slowly bearing fruit.
For the Indonesian women's team, although the journey of this year's You Cup is nearing the end, their journey has just begun. In the upcoming final, they will face a strong Chinese team. Although the chances of winning the championship are not large, it is a valuable learning opportunity against Haoqiang.
The road ahead is long, and the future is promising. The Indonesian women's team proved with their performance that they are ready to challenge to the highest levels of world badminton. In the coming days, let's witness the growth of this young team and look forward to more surprises from them on the international stage!
The Uber Cup is not only an event, but also a witness to the hard work and dreams of countless badminton people. On this stage, there are the curtain calls of veterans, the rise of rookies, the difficulty of the strong, and the stubbornness of the weak. All efforts are only for the coveted gold medal, just for the belief in my heart that will never stop.