China's golden mixed doubles is soaring, and it encounters a strong opponent in the semifinals, can it dream of being a champion?
The 2024 Saudi Arabia International Badminton Super Tournament is in full swing. In the mixed doubles event, China's Wang Chuqin/Sun Yingsha went all the way to the semi-finals with a smashing record of three straight wins in the group stage. As the new generation of stars in the Chinese badminton world, Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha's outstanding performance in Saudi Arabia has undoubtedly once again demonstrated their strength and potential.
In the first match of the group stage, Wang Chuqin/Sun Yingsha were challenged by the Malaysian pair Chen Rongxiang/Wu Liuyin. In the opening game, the two were a little rusty, and they were a few points behind their opponents. But soon they found their rhythm and played as well as they should. Sun Yingsha actively disrupted the opponent's attack in the front court, while Wang Chuqin controlled the whole court in the back court, and the wonderful slapping cooperation between the two made the opponent lose and retreat. After three rounds of fierce battles, the Chinese team finally won 21:16 and 21:18 and won the opening goal.
Facing Indonesia's Fernando Gideon/Prativi, Wang Chuqin/Sun Yingsha faced a tougher opponent. Fernando Gideon is the main player of the Indonesian national team and his strength is extraordinary. At the beginning of the game, the two sides launched a fierce tug-of-war, with complicated balls on the field and exciting actions. However, as the game progressed, Wang Chuqin/Sun Yingsha gradually gained the upper hand, and their mobility and flexibility on the court were significantly better. In particular, Sun Yingsha's serve and kill caused great pressure on the opponent. In the end, in the key points, the Chinese pair seized the opportunity and defeated their fierce opponents 21:19 and 22:20.
The final opponent in the group stage is South Korea's Lee Yong Dae/Kim Go-ah. The duo is not very strong, but they play quite tenaciously. At the beginning of the game, Wang Chuqin/Sun Yingsha played their best and were comfortable on the field. Their first-shot attack was powerful, and their defense was watertight. In the face of the strong offensive of the Chinese pair, the South Korean opponent was defeated one after another, and finally Wang Chuqin/Sun Yingsha swept the opponent with a score of 21:14 and 21:16 and advanced to the semi-finals as a group.
In the semi-finals, Wang Chuqin/Sun Yingsha will face Japan's Yuta Watanabe/Nozomi Okuhara. The Japanese pair are also a formidable force to be reckoned with, with a 3-1 record in the group stage.
Yuta Watanabe is the main mixed doubles player of the Japanese national team and is at the top of the world rankings. He is experienced on the field, and his offensive methods are superb and changeable, especially the backhand smash, which causes great pressure on opponents. His partner, Nozomi Okuhara, is a young but talented young athlete who reacts defensively and moves flexibly, making him an excellent frontcourter. The two have a tacit understanding on the court, and the offense and defense echo each other from afar, making them a rather tricky pair of opponents.
Although Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha are also strong, they are still slightly inferior in terms of world ranking and competition experience. They have shown a high level of fighting power and tenacious fighting spirit in their previous matches, and are fully capable of defeating strong opponents.
As soon as the semifinals began, the two sides engaged in a fierce tug-of-war. With his superb offensive means, Yuta Watanabe constantly put pressure on the Chinese pair. Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha relied on tacit cooperation and excellent on-the-spot adaptability to make a strong counterattack against the Japanese pair's attack. The ball on the field is complicated, the action is exciting, and the two sides come and go, and they are equal. When the game reached the key point, Wang Chuqin suddenly broke out, and even a few wonderful kills opened the score. In the end, under Sun Yingsha's serve attack, the Chinese pair took the lead 21:18.
In the game, the Japanese pair increased their attacking intensity, and Okuhara hoped to show great vitality in the front court, disrupting the offensive rhythm of the Chinese pair. However, Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha responded calmly, relying on their excellent defensive counterattack ability to defuse the opponent's attack one by one. The two sides fought to a 17-all draw, and then the Chinese pair played a wave of 7-point climax, and finally won 21:17.
In the deciding game, the two sides fell into a white-hot tug-of-war, and the atmosphere on the court was tense. Yuta Watanabe and Nozomi Okuhara showed great fighting power, and their attacking tactics were endless, leaving the Chinese duo on the back foot. However, just when everyone thought that the game would be dragged into overtime, Wang Chuqin suddenly hit a superb backhand to break the deadlock on the court. Next, Sun Yingsha played her killer trick and pressed her opponent with a few wonderful serves, and finally the Chinese pair locked the victory with 21:18 and advanced to the finals!
This semi-final was a classic battle, and the two sides played it well. Wang Chuqin/Sun Yingsha finally defeated a strong opponent with their excellent on-the-spot performance and tenacious fighting spirit, clearing the last obstacle for their dream of hitting the championship.
In the finals, who will be Wang Chuqin/Sun Yingsha's opponent? It remains to be seen the result of the other semi-final. However, no matter who it is, I believe that this pair of Chinese "Golden Mixed Doubles" will definitely go all out to fight for the championship.
As the leaders of the new generation of Chinese badminton, Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha have always been the focus of attention. The two of them have been involved in badminton since they were young and trained together in the youth stage of the national team. At that time, they had already shown their talent and won many great results in the youth game.
In 2022, Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha joined the main lineup of the national badminton team and started a new career in their careers. As mixed doubles partners, the two have a tacit understanding on the court, and the offense and defense echo each other from afar. Sun Yingsha is agile and quick to react, and is an excellent frontcourter; And Wang Chuqin controlled the whole court, with superb offensive means, and was a rare backcourt player.
With their outstanding talent and tenacious fighting spirit, Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha soon smelled victory on the international stage. In 2023, they won two consecutive championships in the Thomas Cup and the Asian Championships, and they were in the limelight for a while. Since then, they have won many championships on the World Tour, and the world ranking once climbed to the top three.
Now it is 2024, and Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha are in the golden period of their careers. Their outstanding performance in Saudi Arabia once again showed the world the strength of this "golden mixed doubles". If they can finally win the finals, it will be another peak of their careers, and it is also a great news for the Chinese badminton world.
The opponent in the finals will never be an easy team to play against. Whether it is the old rival Indonesian combination or other strong teams, it will bring great challenges to Wang Chuqin/Sun Yingsha. They will have to give it their all and play their best to overcome strong opponents and win the title.
For Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha, this will undoubtedly be a difficult test. But I believe that with their excellent strength and tenacious fighting spirit, they will be able to overcome many difficulties and dream of being a champion. At that time, they will add new luster to the Chinese badminton arena and will surely write a strong stroke for their careers. Let's wait and see how the "Golden Mixed Doubles" pair shines in the finals!