Thuy Linh makes an early exit at the Korea Masters Super 300

Vietnam’s top female badminton player, Nguyen Thuy Linh, faced an unexpected defeat in the opening round of the Korea Masters Super 300, falling to 18-year-old Kim Min Sun of South Korea with a score of 1-2 on November 6. Linh, struggling with a back injury and pain in both heels, had initially considered withdrawing to rest but ultimately chose to compete. However, her physical condition and fatigue affected her performance, leading to unforced errors and a reversal of her early lead.

Facing Linh was Kim Min Sun, a young, up-and-coming South Korean player ranked 400th in the world. Despite her limited experience, Kim demonstrated potential by reaching the quarterfinals of the Indonesia Masters 100 in August 2024. Playing on home turf, Kim capitalized on Linh’s mistakes to turn the match around and advance to the second round.

Seeded fourth, Thuy Linh initially led in the first set but found herself trailing 10-11 at the mid-game interval. She rallied to tie at 17-17, then edged out a 22-20 victory. However, the energy expended in the first set seemed to take its toll, as Linh’s movements became slower and her shots lost power in the second set. Kim seized the opportunity, remaining aggressive and mobile to secure a 21-17 win in the second set.

In the third and deciding set, Linh’s errors increased, and she appeared unable to keep up with the demands of the match. Kim’s physical endurance and tactical play left Linh on the back foot, ultimately defeating her 21-12 after 1 hour and 7 minutes.

The Korea Masters Super 300, held in Iksan, South Korea, from November 5 to 10, features high-profile players, including Olympic silver medalist Kunlavut Vitidsarn and other stars like Tomoka Miyazaki, Lee Chia Hao, Putri Wardani, and Pitchamon Opatniputh.

Following Thuy Linh’s exit, other Vietnamese players also faced elimination. Nguyen Hai Dang, Vietnam’s second-ranked male player, lost to India’s Kitan George in three sets (21-15, 12-21, 15-21). Additionally, Pham Van Hai and Than Van Anh were defeated by South Korea’s Park Seul and Shin Tae-yang in mixed doubles (10-21, 22-24). In men’s doubles, Nguyen Dinh Hoang and Tran Dinh Manh fell to Taiwan’s Wang and Chiu with a close scoreline (19-21, 20-22).