Chinese Badminton

Tan Ning is playing both WS and WD. If I remember correctly, Tan Ning was the one who gave the 2019 WJC, Gunji, a really tough time, unlike her compatriot Zhou Meng who was too passive against the same Japanese opponent in the that title bout.

Wow, hadn't expected Tan Ning to take out Zhou Meng in three straight sets. What's wrong with ZM, she lost to Zhang Yiman yesterday and today she's beaten by Tan Ning. Well, I heard the commentator is guessing that she's probably a bit jaded playing so many rounds and might have some knee problem (not too sure about that).

Still, the 17-year-old Tan Ning is good, she's a big smasher, an aggressive player. I think she should concentrate on WS in future when she transitioned to the international circuit.

 

For Tan Ning it's difficult to do well in two very different disciplines, singles and doubles, she will have to specialise in either one, it's unlike playing two doubles disciplines which is a possibility to shine in both as there are precedents to prove it. I just think Tan Ning may do better in singles and, besides, CHN WS could use a couple more world-beaters.

As for Zhou Meng, it's too early to say she is stagnating; on the contrary,I think she is showing signs of progress as evident in the more proactive game she's playing so far in the CBSL, her last two defeats notwithstanding as it seems she's affected by something as the commentator intimated. Furthermore, ZM is only 19 years old, and she had once captured the CHN National Championship at the age of 16 beating Sun Yu en route to the final (forgot who she defeated) though the elite CHN WS werre absent in the event. I believe ZM has the potential to become a world-class player one day, ample room for improvement and time is on her side. Let's wait and see.

 

Just finished watching the replay of Huang Yuxiang vs Li Shifeng , the 8th round tie on 5th Sep, Saturday afternoon - what an intriguing battle, intensely fought, a very entertaining,quality match, overall. It was only in the 4th set that the old hand HYX managed to break down the young gun LSF's resistance.

My take is that LSF lost more to experience and partly HYX's better anticipation, even catching LSF off guard with his trick cross-court net shots a couple of times.

To me, it's the best MS match played so far after 9 rounds. I'm looking forward to seeing how both the veteran and the young up-and-comer will fare in the international scene in future.

 

Zhang Yiman is a workhorse, playing 10 consecutive rounds day after day, equivalent to two full international tournaments without any breaks in between, and the accumulated fatigue is beginning to take a toll on her , the more so when facing one of the promising juniors, Han Qianxi.

For me, among the CHN junior WS under 20 , Han Qianxi, Tan Ning, and Zhou Meng are the ones who have the potential to rise through the ranks one day within CBA and in the international circuit in future, and I'd include the child prodigy in the making, 13-year-old Xu Wenjin.

For Xu Wenjin, I'm afraid, judging from CBA's usual practice and normal policy, I doubt this very young talented junior would be given sufficient opportunities to play at the senior level and be mostly confined to competing in the junior circuit. Perhaps, if she shows immense potential and produces phenomenal results in the occasional senior circuit events, CBA might, I hope, make the exception for her and fast track her career in the international circuit, if not, her progress would be unnecessarily, even unfortunately, stymied, much to her detriment and certainly a loss to CBA. For that she will have to perform as good as any of her elite seniors, such as Chen Yufei, He Bingjiao, if not, at least comparable to Han Yue, Cai Yanyan, or Chen Xiaoxin by doing remarkably well in the Super 100/300 events. Just a thought.

 

According to this article https://sports.sina.com.cn/others/badmin/2020-09-05/doc-iivhuipp2710182.shtml,

Shi Yuqi explained that he wasn't feeling well in the early rounds of the CBSL 2020, that's why he wasn't fielded then until the 8th round last Saturday when he felt better and decided to give it a try.

Note that he didn't mention anything about injury though no details were given as to his "illness". Whether he will play the remaining rounds is yet to be decided, supposedly by him in consultation with his coach.

 

I watched that match, Zhang Yiman really impressed me, beating Han Yue in style in the 11th round is no mean feat as she's almost playing every round, correcting what I said earlier about ZYM not missing a single match, according to the commentators today, she rested one round where her teammate, Han Luxuan, substituted her, still doing duty in 10 of 11 rounds with only a day's break is physically demanding and she acquitted herself very well.

I daresay Zhang Yiman has raised her game another level and I hope to see her achieving better results than before in the international circuit going forward.

 

Aiya, I missed the He Bingjiao - Chen Yufei matchup, hope to catch it later on replay.