Vietnam’s top badminton player, Nguyen Thuy Linh, secured an easy win against India’s Malvika Bansod with scores of 21-13 and 21-12 in the first round of the Denmark Open on the afternoon of October 15.
Thuy Linh returned to the BWF World Tour nearly a month after the China Open. Her opponent, Malvika Bansod, is ranked 35th in the world and is a promising young player from India. At just 23, Bansod had been in good form, having recently defeated 2024 Paris Olympic bronze medalist Gregoria Tunjung at the China Open. Bansod later overcame Kirsty Gilmour before being eliminated in the quarterfinals by Akane Yamaguchi.
Thuy Linh was accompanied by her close friend, Chinese-American badminton player Lauren Lam, who provided support as her coach during the match. Linh had skipped the Finland Open to focus on preparing for the Denmark Open, and her preparation paid off. She displayed dominance in the first set, showcasing sharp shots and strategic plays. Linh quickly took the lead at 3-1, 8-5, and 11-8, eventually widening the gap to win the set 21-13.
In the second set, Linh continued to showcase her skills with more precise and aggressive shots, giving her opponent little chance to keep up. Linh led the set comfortably at 3-0, 6-3, and 11-7, finally closing the match with a 21-12 victory.
Linh’s next opponent in the second round will be the winner of the match between Supanida Katethong of Thailand and Aakarshi Kashyap of India.
The 2024 Denmark Open runs from October 15 to 20 and is part of the World Tour Super 750, attracting some of the top players in the world. Last year, Linh participated in the event but was knocked out in the round of 16 by Han Yue of China in straight sets.
Following her victory at the Vietnam Open and her participation in the China Open, Linh had not competed in any other tournaments, leading to a deduction of 2,290 points from her world ranking, causing her to drop three places to 32nd.
After finishing at the Denmark Open, Thuy Linh will head to Germany for the BWF World Tour Super 300 tournament from October 29. After her European tour, the 27-year-old will compete in Asian tournaments to accumulate ranking points and improve her standings in hopes of breaking back into the top 20 in the world.
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