Vietnam's number one badminton player, Nguyen Thuy Linh, impressively defeated a young Japanese badminton talent in the first round of the women's singles at the 2026 China Open badminton tournament held today.
After nearly two months of training, including a training camp in Thailand , Vietnam's number one badminton player Nguyen Thuy Linh returned with impressive form at the China Open badminton tournament, which boasts a total prize money of $2 million (approximately 52 billion VND).
Nguyen Thuy Linh. PHOTO: INDEPENDENT
Nguyen Thuy Linh (world No. 26) will face Hina Akechi (Japan, world No. 22) in the first round of the women's singles at the China Open badminton tournament. The 21-year-old was once ranked number one in the world junior badminton rankings. In their last encounter, Nguyen Thuy Linh defeated Hina Akechi 2-0, but her opponent is currently in excellent form, having advanced deep into recent international tournaments.
Nguyen Thuy Linh started the match strongly and determinedly against Hina Akechi. After a back-and-forth battle in the early points, the player from Dong Nai exploded with an impressive scoring streak, winning the first set decisively 21/10.
Hina Akechi showcased her youthful energy in the second set, causing many difficulties for Nguyen Thuy Linh and winning 21/10, leveling the score at 1-1. In this set, the Japanese player proactively used a variety of difficult shots, causing Nguyen Thuy Linh to struggle and make errors.
Vietnam's number one tennis player showed commendable effort in the decisive third set against Hina Akechi. She was persistent and decisive in her shots, taking the lead with scores of 9/5 and then 13/8. The 29-year-old Vietnamese player then demonstrated her composure and experience, ultimately winning 21/14 and securing a 2-1 victory.
An impressive victory over Hina Akechi propelled Nguyen Thuy Linh into the second round of the women's singles at the 2026 China Open badminton tournament. Vietnam's number one player will face the winner of the match between Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand, world No. 7) and Michelle Li (Canada, world No. 13).
According to thanhnien.vn