Five years of waiting, Yeo Jia Min finally brought down bogey opponent Akane Yamaguchi 21-10 10-21 21-17 in the VICTOR Denmark Open 2024 first round.

Post-match, Yeo said: “It was a tough opener but Akane was making a lot of mistakes in the first game. That gave me a gap and I was able to hold that until the end. Every win boosts my confidence.”

It is Yeo’s first win over the two-time world champion since the 2019 World Championships Round of 32.

“Players have ups and downs during their careers. I use every chance I have to keep trying to get better and continue to up my confidence. After the Olympics I took a one-week break, then I got ill. I skipped the Japan Open but I’ve continued playing tournaments after that.”

Yamaguchi was all praise for the Singaporean.

“Yeo played well and I couldn’t keep up with her speed,” said the 27-year-old. “I took time off after the Olympics. I needed to reset mentally. This year was spent building towards Paris 2024 and I needed the time to recuperate. I relaxed by spending time with family and friends.”

Yeo gets 2022 world junior champion Tomoka Miyazaki in the next round. This will be their second meeting, with the Japanese shuttler leading 1-0.

In a later match, Kenta Nishimoto ousted Anthony Sinisuka Ginting 21-12 15-21 22-20.

“It was a mentally challenging match,” said Nishimoto. “It was a matter of who could control the nerves more. When I was 10-3 down in the third game, I was struggling to be positive. I felt the pressure and made some mistakes. Getting a run of five straight points gave me a boost and I was exhausted by the end. I want to play better.”

It is the second opening round loss for Ginting in two weeks following his defeat to Lu Guang Zu at last week’s Arctic Open.

Puzzled by the result, he shared: “I don’t know what happened. The drift from one side to the other was a factor. Nishimoto came prepared and played more attacking in the last game. I’ve learnt a lot about myself these two weeks. I’m now looking forward to planning my wedding.”

→ Results (Day 2)

→ Order of play (Day 3)

WHAT OTHERS SAID

“We were clear on what we wanted and we communicated a lot in every point. I have something on my foot as a prevention measure but I have blister from a previous tournament. It’s nothing serious, I can carry on.” – Pearly Tan

“We gave it our best. Winning the Arctic Open isn’t an excuse for any fatigue we might feel but we will try again at the next event, the Kumamoto Masters.” – Nur Izzuddin after he and Goh Sze Fei fell to scratch pair Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Kittinupong Kedren

“It feels good to be back on court with Kim Won Ho. We haven’t played together for a while. After the Olympics I visited a lot of pretty cafes and the beach. Then it was back to training.” – Jeong Na Eun

“I like playing in this hall, it works for me. The men’s singles field is great to compete in and I’m not scared to play anyone, I embrace the challenge. I’d love to play Viktor Axelsen or Anders Antonsen. It’s playing greats like them that  makes you a better player.” – Defending champion Weng Hong Yang

“I’m surprised because we’ve played so many close matches. It’s kind of crazy I have a 10-0 record over him. I don’t think it represents the level we play at. With my brother being my coach, we keep communication to a minimum. He talks during the intervals and not so much between games. and that’s how we are doing things for now.” – A modest Antonsen on the block Toma Junior Popov has against him and how he’s progressing under brother and new coach Kasper