Vietnamese badminton player Nguyen Thuy Linh breezed through the first round of the Hylo Open 2024, defeating Azerbaijan’s Keisha Fatimah Azzahra 21-13, 21-15 on October 31. The match highlighted Thuy Linh’s technical superiority as she outmaneuvered her opponent to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.
Entering the match, Thuy Linh held a significant advantage in the rankings, positioned at 31st in the world compared to Azzahra’s 67th. Despite the two players never having faced each other before, the skill gap was evident early on. Thuy Linh showcased a variety of effective and controlled shots, leaving Azzahra primarily on the defensive. The majority of points Azzahra managed to score came from unforced errors by Thuy Linh, the fourth seed.
In the first set, 27-year-old Thuy Linh relied on tactical control rather than powerful smashes. She opted for well-placed clears to the backcourt and short net drops, skillfully accumulating points. Linh took an early lead, moving up 7-5, then extended to 12-7 and 15-11, ultimately clinching the set 21-13.
The second set saw Thuy Linh maintaining her dominance, although brief lapses in concentration led to a few errors. Nonetheless, she continued to command the match, pulling ahead with scores of 11-8 and 15-10. A precise down-the-line smash allowed her to close out the set and the match at 21-15 after just 35 minutes of play.
This victory propels Thuy Linh into the quarterfinals, where she will face sixth-seed Malvika Bansod from India. Thuy Linh previously defeated Bansod in straight sets in the first round of the Denmark Open on October 15, giving her confidence heading into this encounter. Should she advance, Linh may meet second-seed Kristy Gilmour or eighth-seed Julie Jakobsen in the semifinals, promising an exciting continuation to her Hylo Open campaign.
The Hylo Open, part of the Badminton World Federation’s Super 300 series, is being held in Germany from October 29 to November 3. The Super 300 level is a professional category under the prestigious Super 1000, Super 750, and Super 500 tournaments, but above the BWF Tour Super 100. The series includes several lower-tier levels like the BWF World Tour Challengers and the BWF International Challenge, which primarily cater to younger and up-and-coming players.
Nguyen Thuy Linh, born on November 20, 1997, in Phu Tho, Vietnam, began competing professionally at just 14. She won the national championships in 2015 and has maintained her status as Vietnam’s top female player since 2018, claiming the national singles title seven consecutive times. Notably, Thuy Linh has also triumphed in the Vietnam Open for three straight years, starting in 2022, and represented Vietnam in both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics. Currently ranked 31st in the world, she continues to set new milestones for Vietnamese badminton on the international stage.
As the Hylo Open progresses, fans are eagerly watching Thuy Linh’s journey, hopeful that her consistency and skill will lead her to further victories in Germany.
Leave a Reply