Okuhara confirmed PJB's announcement of her withdrawal from the dubai finals: She also wrote a post on her blog, saying that having to miss Dubai again this year was very regrettable and left her frustrated.. And that she felt very sorry that her withdrawals had hurt the feelings of many people.
Fantastic video, I agree with solstice though. Just a face would probably have been enough imo as that’s way too restrictive movement wise.
Badminton Unlimited Episode 208 (Dec 26, 2017) Match of the Year : TOTAL BWF World Championships 2017 Women’s Singles Final
Not sure but I think Nozomi confirmed participation in Indonesia via her blog. Hooray!! https://ameblo.jp/okuharanozomi/entry-12346357511.html?timestamp=1516539735
Nozomi Okuhara by SGroneschild posted Feb 25, 2018 at 10:02 PM Finished this a few weeks ago for drawing practice
She won HK Open title yesterday. That's her third title this year. I don't think she earns this much titles years ago. I'm not sure if this year is her best year or not. With this win, she will be in the 5th rank. It has been a long time since 2016. Looks like she is ready to regain the JPN WS1 spot.
Nozomi Okuhara makes it third time lucky as she finally grabs Hong Kong Open title Japanese ace beats her friend and rival Ratchanok in a thrilling one-hour contest in the final 2017 world champion from Omachi had lost her two previous Hong Kong Open finals Diminutive Nozomi Okuhara stood tall by becoming the first Japanese to claim the women’s singles title at the Sunrise-Yonex Hong Kong Open on Sunday. She defeated friend and rival Ratchanok Intanon, of Thailand, in a thrilling one-hour contest at the Coliseum in Hung Hom. The two finalists, who are both 23 and grew up together on tour, hugged each other after the more determined Japanese prevailed 21-19, 24-22. It was a good day for Okuhara’s teammates as Japan won two more titles from the five finals in the HK$3.2 million tournament, giving a glimpse what the Japanese would be capable of as 2020 Olympic Games hosts. Standing 1.56 metres tall, Okuhara, the seventh seed and 2017 world champion, fully utilised her speed and agility on court to score a morale-boosting victory, one week after she lost in the Fuzhou China Open final to mainlander Chen Yufei. It was also her first win in three attempts at the Hong Kong Open title after losing to Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-Ying in 2014 and Spain’s Carolina Marin in 2015 in both finals. No other Japanese has won the title in the 30-year plus history of the Hong Kong Open. “This is my last tournament of 2018 and I am so happy to wrap up the year on a high note, especially since Olympic qualification kicks off next year,” said Okuhara, who’s career was derailed after a serious meniscus injury in 2013. “Four years ago, I was competing at the Hong Kong Open final and two years later I won bronze at the Rio Olympics. I have won gold in Hong Kong in 2018 and two years later, it will be the Tokyo Games." “The Olympic Games remains the most important target for me, especially it will be held in Japan this time. It will be difficult but I want to win gold medal for the fans.” Both players were playing with similar defensive style using long rallies to force the opponents to make mistakes. Okuhara took the first game against the sixth seed with more consistent play in front of about 6,500 fans. Intanon played more aggressively in the second game and led for most of the game, but mistakes crept into her game as Okuhara killed off her challenge. “The Japanese players are always difficult to beat as they have a strong mind,” said Intanon, the 2013 world champion. “It was very close. Win or lose is sometimes all down to destiny.” Source: https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sp...es-it-third-time-lucky-she-finally-grabs-hong
