He came with top billing, he came with superstar status, Lin Dan did not fail to deliver – on any count at the Barfoot & Thompson New Zealand Badminton Open during a week of record breaking crowds, a best ever field of players (40 players or combinations ranked in the…
The top seed lived up to expectation with an easy win in the women’s singles final at the Barfoot & Thompson New Zealand Badminton Open, with Sayaka Takahashi (JPN) taking out the match 21-13, 21-14 over unseeded Zhang Yiman (CHN). Zhang gave her all but in truth was never a…
Ayako Sakuramoto and Yukiko Takahata enjoyed one of their greatest moments as a doubles pairing, taking out the Barfoot & Thompson New Zealand Open women’s doubles title, defeating Cao and Yu (CHN) in straight games. Runners up in 2017 in New Zealand, the pair went one better this time around…
The opening match of the day on finals day at the Barfoot & Thompson New Zealand Badminton Open set a high standard for others to follow, with Wang Chi-Lin and Lee Chia Hsin (TPE) taking out the mixed doubles title in thrilling fashion over Seo Seung Jae and Chae Yujung…
Lin Dan (CHN) put on his best showing of the week in a total dismantling of qualifier Heo Kwang Hee (KOR) in today’s semifinals of the Barfoot & Thompson New Zealand Badminton Open. A capacity crowd loved every minute of the 21-16, 21-16 match, although perhaps no moment more so…
The number one seed Sayaka Takahashi (JPN) took a while to kick into gear in her semifinal at the Barfoot & Thompson NZ Open, but when the 25 year old found her groove, her game was too strong for number four seed and compatriot Minatsu Mitani. The underdog took the…
Jonatan Christie was a hugely impressive winner over Sai Praneeth in the first men’s semifinal at the Barfoot & Thompson NZ Open, the number two seed lifting himself up off the canvass to eventually win with ease over a tiring third seed. Praneeth took the first game 21-14 and led…
Womens Doubles Cao Tong Wei and Yu Zheng won their way through to the women’s doubles final, in a marathon three game encounter with Kim and Kong (KOR) that took 83 minutes to decide. The Koreans took the first game 21-15, but a change in approach from the Chinese pair…
Top seeds in the men’s and women’s singles Lin Dan (CHN) and Sayaka Takahashi (JPN) led the way on quarterfinals night at the Barfoot & Thompson New Zealand Badminton Open. Two-time Olympic Games gold medalist Lin appeared to toy with his opponent at times as he used all his 18…
One of the most impressive performances early on quarterfinals night came from Sai Praneeth (IND), the third seed was a class above Sri Lanka’s Niluka Karunaratne in a one sided 21-7, 21-9 romp in the men’s singles, booking a semifinal against second seed Jonatan Christie (INA). “I think today everything…
