Naraoka out to play China spoiler again after taming Hongyang
KUALA LUMPUR: Japanese shuttler Kodai Naraoka is out to end China's title quest in the men's singles event in the Malaysian Masters today.
Naraoka is plotting a win against Li Shifeng, who is China's last representative left in the meet.
The 2023 World Championships silver medallist prevented an all-Chinese semi-final after beating world No. 14 Weng Hongyang 21-12, 21-19 at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
World No. 8 Naraoka was pleased after coming out on top over the tricky Hongyang.
'Hongyang is not easy to play against, so I'm happy that I managed to beat him,' said Naraoka.
'Shifeng is also a tough opponent, so I need to prepare well to make the final.'
If Naraoka manages to topple Shifeng, China's wait for a men's singles title in the competition will continue.
Surprisingly, the badminton powerhouse have never had a winner in the event since the tournament's inception in 2009.
Shifeng is under pressure to end the long wait in the absence of world No. 1 teammate Shi Yuqi.
Based on the head-to-head records, Shifeng holds the advantage as he has beaten Naraoka five times in their past eight meetings.
The latter's last win over the former came in the 2022 Korean Masters.
Both Naraoka and Shifeng are eyeing a place in their first final this year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Pearly-Thinaah Reach Indonesia Open Final After Big Win
JAKARTA: National women's doubles pair Pearly Tan-M Thinaah advanced to the final of the Indonesia Open after defeating fifth seeds from China, Li Yi Jing-Luo Xu Min, in their semi-final match on Saturday. The pair, currently ranked 4th in the world, displayed composure in the deciding set, overcoming the 6th-ranked Chinese duo with excellent play and solid communication, before finishing with a 21-12, 17-21, 21-11 victory. They also received strong cheers throughout the 64-minute match from the hostile crowd in the arena at Istora Senayan, Central Jakarta. 'We are very happy because we managed to change the rhythm of the game to our advantage. We supported each other and communicated well, which greatly helped our win today,' said Pearly. The pair also expressed satisfaction but believe there is still much room for improvement heading into their second final appearance in Indonesia. Pearly and Thinaah succumbed to South Korean pair Kong Hee Yong-Kim Hye Jeon in the final of the Indonesia Masters last January during a three-set encounter 12-21, 21-17, 18-21. 'For now, we want to get enough rest, discuss with our coach, and focus on recovery,' she added. Pearly and Thinaah will face either world number 1 pair Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning from China or world number 3 ranked Baek Ha Na-Lee So Hee from South Korea, who will be playing tonight. Earlier, national mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei were stranded in the semi-finals after losing to Thailand's Kittinupong Kedren-Dechapol Puavaranukroh, 21-23, 21-15, 21-11. 'Meanwhile, luck did not favour national mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, who were stranded in the semi-finals after losing to Thai pair Kittinupong Kedren-Dechapol Puavaranukroh, 21-23, 21-15, 21-11 in three exciting sets. The aspiration of national men's doubles pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun to advance to the final also did not materialise after they lost to home favourites Sabar Karyaman Gutama-Muhammad Reza Pahlevi Isfahani. The Indonesia Masters champions earlier this year struggled to match the rhythm of their opponents, ranked eighth in the world, going down 21-18, 12-21, 21-18 in a fierce battle that lasted 22 minutes and 19 seconds.
The Star
10 hours ago
- The Star
China dominates France, Türkiye outlasts Poland in VNL Beijing leg (updated)
BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Host China thrilled the home crowd with a dominant straight-set victory over France, while Türkiye battled past Poland in a five-set showdown on Saturday at the FIVB Volleyball Nations League (VNL) in Beijing, setting the stage for a high-stakes final day. China swept France 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-11) in the evening session, delivering a commanding performance in front of a packed home audience at the National Indoor Stadium. This young Chinese squad, with more than half the players making their international debuts, opened its campaign with a win over Belgium before falling to Poland on Thursday. "We made important adjustments after the last match," said China's head coach Zhao Yong. "This young team continues to improve match by match. Today, our preparation, execution, and team spirit were all at a high level." Outside hitters Wu Mengjie and Zhuang Yushan led China's scoring with 17 and 15 points respectively, while middle blocker Wang Yuanyuan added 10. The team also saw a strong debut from 17-year-old Wang Aoqian, who was added to the roster earlier in the day and contributed six points, including five in the third set. "We needed to improve our middle attack, and Wang Aoqian has good chemistry with our setter Zhang Zixuan. For a 17-year-old playing her first big international match - and entering during a tough moment - she did really well," Zhao said. Reflecting on her first international appearance, Wang Aoqian admitted she was nervous at first. "I was already very tense on the bench. When coach Zhao asked me to warm up, I was shaking a little, but my teammates helped calm me down," she said. "For attacking, I think I can contribute. Since the coach trusted me, I just gave it all." "I've played with our setter Zhang Zixuan before, so I felt confident partnering with her. I think the coach wanted me to help relieve pressure on our wing hitters by keeping the middle attack alive. After I got my first point, I gradually settled in," she added. In the opening set, China pulled away after a 4-all tie with consecutive blocks and strong net play. The hosts surged to a 12-9 lead, forcing a French timeout, and never looked back. Zhuang Yushan led the charge with eight points in the first set alone, and China closed the frame with five straight points from 20-17, capped by Zhuang's well-timed tip. The second set remained close early on, with ties at 8, 10, 12, 14 and 17. China then broke through with two transition attacks and an ace to take a 20-17 lead. Wu Mengjie's powerful spike and a block from Gong Xiangyu extended the advantage, and China sealed the set 25-18. China dominated the third set from the outset. After leading 13-9, the home side pulled away with an overwhelming 11-0 run to reach 24-9. France saved two match points, but a service error handed China the final point at 25-11. "We saw clearly today the gap that still exists between us and the top-tier teams," said French head coach Cesar Hernandez. "Of course I'm disappointed - we always want to win - but this is also about building for the future. We're giving young players a chance and adjusting step by step. Tomorrow's match against Thailand is our final here, and we're ready to give it everything." Earlier in the afternoon, Türkiye outlasted Poland 3-2 (25-21, 18-25, 25-23, 22-25, 15-7) to remain unbeaten in Beijing. "I'm very happy because we made some lineup changes, and everyone stepped up. We may not be the strongest team right now, but we have fighting spirit. Today we proved that when we play well, we can compete with anyone," said Türkiye head coach Daniele Santarelli. The match featured relentless attacks, long rallies, and standout performances on both sides. Türkiye's veteran outside hitter Hande Baladin led the way with 22 points, including two crucial ones in the final set. Opposite Aleksia Karutasu added 19 points, while Yaprak Erkek chipped in 15. "It was a tough match against a very strong opponent," said Baladin. "We showed fighting spirit from the first point until the last. I don't usually comment on my own performance, I just try to help the team in any way I can. As a more experienced player, I also try to support the younger ones and help them grow - we're making progress every day." Türkiye took command of the fifth set from the start, with multiple players contributing: Karutasu scored four points, Erkek three, and Baladin helped finish the job, sealing Türkiye's third consecutive victory in Beijing. Poland's Magdalena Stysiak delivered a game-high 23 points, and middle blocker Dominika Pierzchala contributed 15, as the team narrowly missed out on maintaining its unbeaten run. With the result, Türkiye improved to 3-0 in the Beijing leg. Poland dropped to 2-1 but remains in strong contention. Sunday will mark the final day of the Beijing leg, featuring three matches. Belgium will face Poland, while France takes on Thailand in the afternoon session. Host China will close out the event with a highly anticipated clash against Türkiye in the evening. "It will be a very tough match (against Türkiye). Türkiye just beat Poland in five sets, but I believe our players will give 100 percent. We are ready to take on that responsibility," said Zhao.
New Straits Times
10 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Marc Marquez wins sprint to extend lead in title race
ALCAÑIZ, Spain: Spanish motorcycling great Marc Marquez maintained his dominance of the sprint races this season by winning the Aragon leg on Saturday for his seventh victory out of the eight raced. The 32-year-old Ducati rider extended his lead in the overall standings over his younger brother Alex (Ducati-Gresini), who finished second. Marc leads Alex by 27 points. Marc Marquez, who has won the Aragon MotoGP six times in 10 appearances, was headed by his brother at the first corner but passed him at the halfway stage and eased home. "I had a problem at the start," explained Marc Marquez. "My plan had been to lead from the start and open up a big lead but for the first three laps I really had to push to get back at Alex. "When I did get ahead I had to take care of my rear tyre. "In the end everything went perfectly today." Rookie Fermin Aldeguer of Ducati-Gresini finished third to make it an all-Spanish podium. Both Marquez brothers will start on the front row of the grid in Sunday's MotoGP – the eighth of 22 Grand Prix – Marc having taken pole earlier on Saturday. Italy's Franco Morbidelli (Ducati-VR46), who finished fourth in the sprint, fills the front row places. Morbidelli's compatriot two-time world champion Francesco Bagnaia was the big loser, starting from fourth spot Marc Marquez's team-mate could only finish 12th, and is 84 points adrift of the Spaniard in the standings. Marquez is seeking to end a three-race losing run, having got off to a blistering start with three wins in the first four MotoGPs.
