KM is outstandingly consistent and mentally very strong. Other players can beat him but they have to believe they can... VA was close to win G1 but after he got faulted for game 1 winner at 23 - 22 he lost it. I agree with @vozer here , VA should have carry on and not let himself be affected by that "stolen" game 1. "Stolen" because I believe VA was sure it was not a fault. In fact it was and he should have let go and re-focus because the umpire was spot on... good job from the umpire btw!
After a narrow G1 loss and a net fault to boot (justified), VA played like a beaten man in G2 instead of telling himself he has nothing to lose and throw caution to the winds and go all out in a display of gung-ho attitude, on the contrary, he lost pathetically. I'm afraid, KM's psychological advantage is so entrenched against VA, it's going to be difficult for VA to break out of it for quite a while, it'll remain a sort of Achilles' heel of VA that KM can exploit at will whenever they meet, except that it's something specific between the two that nobody else can take advantage of as VA doesn't have this problem with anybody else.
Frankly Momota looked tired going into this match. The fact that he can beat Viktor even when he’s not at his best will boost his already strong confidence, and vice versa for Viktor. Viktor has the game to make it close, whether he can close matches out against Momota remains to be seen
Kento Momota is simply unstoppable at the moment (even when he's not in best condition), none of his regular rivals can maintain consistency like the Japanese ace, such as Chou Tien Chen, Anthony Ginting, Anders Antonsen who crashed out in early round here. Men's singles final only offers entertaining duel in opening game, Axelsen had blazing start, 7-1 then Momota slowly ctaching up until 18-13 then Axelsen did good comeback and made this tie more interesting to follow, forcing deuce but too bad he couldn't convert two match points instead of Momota took it, 24-22. A predictable plot in second game, the dispirited Axelsen was totally out of touch, Momota looks tired in long rallies at end of match as Axelsen added some points from 17-3 to 21-11. If the Dane sealed opening game, perhaps the story would be different. Chen Yufei has raised standard of play to prove her new status as world number one, displaying impressive performance in last two rounds, she outclasses Tai Tzu Ying in final, 21-17 / 21-10 with well improved technical skill and superb defense, nice counter attacking shots and pushed her rival twist and turn then forcing unforced errors, so efficient to score the point. A sigh of relief for China to find reliable WS star after experienced struggling period in regeneration process post Rio 2016. The unseeded pairs, Kim GJ/Lee YD top Super 500 podium for the first time, outwit Li/Liu in quite comfortable way. Also Li WM/Zheng Y create breakthrough in this tournament, eliminating higher ranked pairs to snatch maiden title. Zheng/Huang extend their domination against teammates Wang/Huang.
Playing against Momota, too much emotion from Axelsen.. I know its single , its harder to change strategy and 10-1 or10-2 H2H isnt as big as double because there s always something you can do in double (strategy tactics timewasting wasteserving and whatever) But in singles 14/15-1 H2H that is quite far now...
Just finished watching MD final match. That celebration by Kim/Lee after the final point meant so much to them and fans. Gill and Steen were also happy . Malaysian crowd was so supportive of them. LD Malaysia Open 2019 final win and LYD/KGJ final win , these two are definitely one of the cherishing moments for all badminton fans regardless of their allegiance to any player. If only BKA had supported three Korean pairs after Rio 2016 , MD would have been more competitive and exciting today. Loved the crowd involvement too like ohhh, yeaahhh chant during smash and defence. Happy to see LYD win but I don't see them win more unless they return to a proper training setup and hit the gym to get back to their old form and consistency. Easier said than done. Better to be realistic than over optimistic.
I thought ha tae kwon is their coach ? usually he's with them, don't see him in the malaysia masters though.
MS Final (post match interview), taken from the Star Online : https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/ba...oute-to-beating-axelsen-in-mens-singles-final -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Momota was absolutely delighted to make up for last year’s first round disappointment when the top seed was booted out by compatriot Kenta Nishimoto. “I wanted to win it badly after what happened last year, I’m glad that I won it this time, ” said Momota. Asked how he could still stand head and shoulders above the rest of his competitors, Momota said: “I may not be in my perfect condition, but I’m still sharp and brought in the confidence from my World Tour Finals victory. “All I was focusing on was on my attack and defence. I don’t dwell on the points I lose to my opponents. That’s what I did.” Axelsen was lost for words on his latest defeat to Momota. “It’s pretty frustrating, ” said Axelsen. “He played so well. I tried my best but it still wasn’t enough. “You have to be stable all round, otherwise it’s going to be tough to beat him.” ================================================================== WS Final (post match interview) : https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/ba...owns-tzu-ying-to-lift-malaysian-masters-title ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “I played without pressure today as she was the favourite considering our record, ” said the 21-year-old. “I just wanted to go out there and enjoy the match and this helped me win. Besides, Yufei also feels that she has gained maturity and is more consistent in her play. “I’ve learnt from all my previous defeats to Tzu-ying, ” added Yufei, whose main focus this year is to win a medal at the Tokyo Games. =========================================================================
Momota involved in car accident and driver got killed? ohmg.. life is so futile and you wont know when god will take it from you..
Looks like the prediction that he would withdraw from next week tournament materialised, abit of unfortunate incident
the last thing you will need in badminton, is for the face of badminton to be missing.. Hope he is alrighty.. Indonesia Masters already missing Momota and TTY still pretty much the face of WS.. 2 out of 3 most important sectors
Quoted from CNA: They were Hirayama Yu, Morimoto Arkifuki and William Thomas, a badminton player from England. The driver's body and those injured were taken to Putrajaya Hospital. Momota suffered a broken nose, facial injuries and needed stitches for cuts on his lips, Serdang Police Chief ACP Ismadi Borhan told reporters. Hirayama sustained facial injuries and injured her right leg, while Arkifumi's hand was broken, he said. Thomas suffered leg injuries and also had to be given seven stitches on his head, he added. The incident comes a day after Momota won the Malaysia Masters men's singles title, his first at the prestigious tournament after chasing it for many years.
Wow, what aweful news for Momota and the Japan National team. The news said the driver was killed. Were the other passengers all right?