In the women's singles final of the 2024 Badminton World Tour Singapore Open, which ended last week, China's Sun Yingsha, ranked by the world rankings, suffered a heavy setback. The "Queen of the Court" who has dominated the women's singles scene for many years lost 0-3 to her old rival Chen Yufei in the final, and her dream of winning the championship may also be disappointed. The fiasco sparked widespread attention and heated discussions among fans and experts.
1. The number one nemesis swept out of the game Sun Yingsha
In the final of the Singapore Open, Chen Yufei showed impressive form. In the game, she disrupted Sun Yingsha's rhythm with her accurate serve and backhand kill, and finally won the opening 21-16. In the game, Chen Yufei continued to play at a high level, while Sun Yingsha began to be at a loss, passive defense, and lost another game 21-12. In the third game of the decisive game, Chen Yufei withstood Sun Yingsha's counterattack, and with her accurate control of the position and excellent physical fitness, she finally won 21-18 and swept Sun Yingsha to win the championship.
This is not Chen Yufei's victory over Sun Yingsha. According to the tournament data, Chen Yufei has won 12 of the past 16 meetings between the two, and she is regarded as Sun Yingsha's "number one nemesis". Chen Yufei's offensive strength is strong, and her defensive reflexes are quite agile, which is exactly what Sun Yingsha lacks. In this battle, Sun Yingsha was once again defeated and retreated under Chen Yufei, which shows that there is indeed a certain gap in the strength of the two.
Second, the championship dream may be disappointed
For Sun Yingsha, this final defeat is undoubtedly a big setback. Even before the start of the Singapore Open, she was considered the favourite to win the tournament. As a world ranker, Sun Yingsha won 5 Super Series titles and 2 World Tour titles last year, and her form is at its peak. But after a round of swimming, her championship dream may be disappointed.
The tournament is still ongoing, and other players will be expected to break through and win the championship. Veterans such as Chen Yufei and Wang Shixian are still strong, and young stars such as Chen Yixiu and Shi Yuqi are also gradually growing, and they are all likely to win this heavyweight event in the future. For Sun, she needs to learn from this defeat and make a comeback in the next event.
3. Reasons and expectations for failure
As for the reasons for Sun Yingsha's fiasco, experts and commentators also have different opinions. Some people believe that Chen Yufei's tactics were properly arranged and hit Sun Yingsha's weakness; Some people also said that Sun Yingsha was in a really bad state that day, and she played her mediocre level. Most people still prefer the latter statement.
Judging from the specific process of the game, the quality of Sun Yingsha's passes and cuts was uneven, and many balls were seized by the opponent to counterattack; When attacking in the front court, her killing power and angle control are also not precise enough; Defensively, they are too passive and are often pinned down by their opponents. These are all areas that Sun Yingsha needs to seriously improve in the future.
Despite this, fans have not lost faith in Sun Yingsha. After all, she has dominated the arena for many years and has created many brilliant records, and a defeat is inevitable. I believe that the experienced will be able to draw from this lesson and refocus on the next tournament to recreate the style that the fans deserve.
This 0-3 defeat made Sun Yingsha suffer a heavy setback at her peak. Chen Yufei, who is regarded as her "number one nemesis", did find the perfect time to defeat her this time. But for a veteran who has been through countless life-and-death battles, a loss is not the end of the world. I believe that Sun Yingsha will learn from this and make a comeback in the next games, so let's wait and see her wonderful performances in the future.