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The Star
20-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Redraw draws no cheers for Jin Wei as Ratchanok looms
PETALING JAYA: A last-minute change of opponent in the women's singles event at the Malaysian Masters did little to boost Goh Jin Wei's chances. The initial draw had pitted Jin Wei against 2020 champion Chen Yufei of China in the first round today at Axiata Arena. However, the world No. 8 had pulled out of the tournament, and a redraw saw the Malaysian set to face Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon instead. Ratchanok is a two-time winner of the tournament, having lifted the title back-to-back in 2018 and 2019. Ratchanok, the sixth seed, was originally drawn to face Vietnam's Nguyen Thuy Linh in the first round. Jin Wei has struggled against the Thai ace in the past, losing all four of their previous encounters. Their last meeting came two years ago at the Uber Cup Finals in Bangkok. Her coach Nova Armada admitted that the redraw offered no real advantage, saying it remained an equally tough challenge for Jin Wei as she aimed to go further in the tournament. 'To be honest, the challenge is equally tough even though she's now facing Ratchanok. ''But I think it is slightly better than going up against Yufei,' said Nova. 'In terms of preparation, Jin Wei has done everything right. But when you are drawn to meet a top opponent in the opening round, it will always be difficult. We have no choice but to try and put up a strong fight. 'Whether it is Yufei, Ratchanok or any other opponent, it makes little difference. All we can do is go all out and give our very best,' said Nova. Apart from Yufei, Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan and India's Tasnim Mir have also withdrawn from the tournament. Their absence paved the way for players like Asuka Takahashi, Huang Yu-hsun and Wen Yu Zhang to be promoted to the main draw.
Indian Express
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Sudirman Cup 2025: India's squad led by PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen, schedule, opponents and where to watch
The BWF Sudirman Cup Finals is the name given to the World Mixed Team Championships. The event takes place once every two years, alternating with the Thomas and Uber Cup Finals – which are the World Men's and Women's Team Championships respectively. The Sudirman Cup is often considered the pinnacle of a country's badminton depth, as it tests the depth across all five categories. Each tie in the Sudirman Cup Finals (named so because only the best teams in the world can qualify for the event) will consist of men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. Where's the 2025 Sudirman Cup being held? As has been the case recently, it is China hosting another major BWF event. This time it is Xiamen starting from 27 April to 4 May. Hosts China are the defending champions as well, and by some distance the most successful team in the history of the tournament, having won it a whopping 13 times, South Korea have won it four times, while Indonesia won the inaugural edition. What's the format? The 16 teams are divided into four groups, with top seeds China placed in Group A and second seeds Indonesia in Group D. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the knockout rounds, for which a draw will be conducted once more. Semifinalists will be assured a place on the podium. How's India's group? Tricky. India were drawn into Group D alongside second seeds Indonesia, European powerhouse Denmark and a tricky England unit. The squad has been significantly weakened too, by the injury-enforced absences of top doubles pairs Satwik-Chirag and Treesa-Gayatri. But, on the flip side, Indonesia and Denmark too are hit by withdrawals, so it could be still be a close shootout for the top two. What's India's squad? Men: Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, Hariharan Amsakarunan, Ruban Kumar R., Dhruv Kapila, Sathish Kumar Karunakaran Women: PV Sindhu, Anupama Upadhyaya, Tanisha Crasto, Priya Konjengbam, Shruti Mishra, Aadya Variyat What's India's schedule and where to watch? India vs Denmark, April 27: 2.30 pm IST India vs Indonesia, April 29: 2.30 pm IST India vs England, May 1: 2.30 pm IST Where to watch Sudirman Cup 2025? Although BWF events are telecast / streamed on the Star Sports network and JioHotstar it is not clear yet where the Sudirman Cup finals will be available in India. If there isn't an official broadcaster, matches will be available on BWF TV YouTube.
