Iris Wang’s stay in Indonesia didn’t last long but she did get a really good competitive match against an opponent who’s at a very similar level to her. Wang lost two sets that had to go to extra points, 22-20, 23-21, to Xiaoyu Liang of Singapore. Wang made a furious comeback in a first set she never lead to draw even at 20-20 after being down 20-15. Liang won the next two points to still grab the set. Set two was much more back and forth with both players trading the lead. Wang seemingly had control of the set at 18-14 but Liang won six of the next seven points to take the lead and finally closed the match on her third match point.
The next Super Series event begins next Tuesday in Sydney, Australia. In the meantime some of the US best will be competing in the National Championships in West Palm Beach, Florida starting Friday.
There’s only one American competing this week in the Indonesia Open and that is Iris Wang. Wang, who sits around 30th in the world rankings, might have the upper hand in her first round match against up-and-coming 20-year-old Xiaoyu Liang of Singapore on Tuesday. Wang has yet to advance at any of the Super Series events so far in 2016.
The US women’s badminton team ended the 2016 Uber Cup on a high note by sweeping Mauritius to finish third in their group Iris Wang got the US on the board with a 21-10, 21-6 win before the first three set match of the Uber Cup for the US saw Crystal Pan get a 14-21, 21-14, 15-5 (retired) win. The US clinched the win with Annie Xu‘s 21-9, 21-7 win in the third singles match. Pan and Wang got a walkover in their doubles match before Xu and twin sister Kerry Xu won 21-9, 21-11 to clinch the sweep for the US. It was the first Uber Cup win for the US since 1978, though the format in the past has not provided them this easy of opposition.
The Badminton world gets back to the BWF Super Series with the Indonesia Open starting on May 30th.
The US women’s badminton team was swept for the second straight day at the 2016 Uber Cup, ending any hopes of advancement from the group stage. The US was more competitive than against Korea as Iris Wang lost her match 21-13, 21-12 and Annie Xu and Kerry Xu lost their doubles match 21-15, 21-14. Jennie Gai had a singles match and lost 21-8, 21-10, not bad for a 15-year-old.
The US will wrap up their 2016 Uber Cup with a matchup against 0-2 Mauritius on Wednesday. Neither team has won a match in Kunshan, but Mauritius did win a set against Chinese Taipei.
The US women’s badminton team opened up the Uber Cup with a sweep at the hands of Korea on Sunday. This was no surprise with Korea one of the best countries in the world and the US a big underdog. The US did not win a set and got no closer than 21-14 in any set. That was the first set Iris Wang played as she lost 21-14, 21-11. Crystal Pan also got a set to 21-11 after losing the first 21-9 and Annie Xu and Kerry Xu got one of their doubles sets to 21-11 as well before losing 21-7. Jennie Gai and Pan had the toughest lost of the day in doubles play 21-6, 21-4.
Tomorrow the US takes on Chinese Taipei. Chinese Taipei also went 5-0 on Sunday in a win over Mauritius but did drop a single set. The US surely needs a win to keep any hopes of advancing alive.
The 2016 Uber Cup takes place in Kunshan, China starting on Sunday. No, the event is not named after the ride-share service, this Uber has been around since the 1950s and is a bi-annual women’s team competition. The US team is seeded 13th for the group stage placing them into a group with #3 Korea, #7 Chinese Taipei, and #16 Mauritius.
The US is taking a young team to the event, four of their five team members are teenagers. 21-year-old Iris Wang is the veteran of the group while 15-year-old Jennie Gai is the youngest member. Annie Xu and Kerry Xu are twin 16-year-olds while Crystal Pan is 17. Wang is the highest ranked player at #34 while Pan is #226. The other three are ranked outside the top 1200 and none are ranked in the top 800 of doubles play. This team has little chance of advancing to the knockout round this year but hopefully as they grow in experience they may bring the US closer to their one time strength in badminton (three Uber Cup titles between 1957 and 1963).
The US starts the competition with Korea on Sunday and then Chinese Taipei on Monday. Whether they still have a chance to advance when they face Mauritius on Wednesday remains to be seen but seems unlikely.
Beinwen Zhang put up a strong fight at the OUE Singapore Open in the quarterfinals but was still swept by higher ranked, He Bingjiao of China. Zhang held an early 7-2 lead before He showed her class with an 8-0 run to take back control of the game. Zhang would briefly tie it again at 11 before He pulled away for the 21-16 win. Zhang held a 13-9 lead in game two before a closing 12-2 run from He ended the match with a 21-15 second game win.
The strong tournament should boost Zhang’s confidence and she has now advanced in two of the three Super Series events she has taken part in this year. The next Super Series event is the Indonesia Open Super Series Premier in Jakarta starting on May 30th.
Before that the US women will participate in the 2016 Uber Cup in Kunshan, China starting on May 15th. The US didn’t qualify for this team competition in 2014 and the men missed out on the corresponding Thomas Cup this year and in 2014. The US women were seeded 13th but have been placed into a group with #3 Korea, #7 Chinese Taipei and #16 Mauritius so advancing to the knockout round is not out of the question.
Beinwen Zhang was tested at the OUE Singapore Open on Thursday being forced to fight back after dropping an extended first game to Yip Pui Yin of Hong Kong 25-23. Zhang briefly led late in the game 23-22 before Yip won the final three points to take the game. Zhang never trailed in the second game winning 21-16 and used an 8-0 run after things were tied at nine in the third game as she went on to win the decisive game 21-14. The win moves her into the quarterfinals of a Super Series event for the first time since reaching back-to-back quarterfinals in October 2014.
Her opponent is surprisingly another unseeded player, He Bingjiao of China. He is a higher ranked player than Zhang so she will face an uphill challenge to make a semifinal run. Still regardless of what happens on Friday for her to be playing in one of the 20 matches on Friday is a big success.
Beinwen Zhang caught a bit of a break this week when #4 seed Saina Nehwal of India withdrew from the OUE Singapore Open. Instead of facing one of the top players she got to face someone below her in the world rankings, Aya Ohori of Japan. Zhang took advantage of the matchup and in a competitive match won in straight sets 21-18, 21-17.
She will now face Yip Pui Yin of Hong Kong in the second round. The two are very evenly matched and have split their two previous meetings including a Zhang sweep in the Singapore Open last year. Zhang is attempting to reach her first quarterfinal in a Super Series event since reaching back-to-back quarterfinals in October 2014.
While there were six Americans competing in Malaysia last week only one of those players is still around competing the Singapore Open. Beinwen Zhang, who had to play the #6 seed last week and lost 21-8, 21-14, will be taking part in the women’s singles competition. She has a much better chance to advance for the second time this year as her opponent, Aya Ohori of Japan, is below her in the world rankings. The two have never met.
Zhang was to meet #4 seed Saina Nehwal of India but she withdrew from the tournament to rest. Zhang has the potential now to reach the quarterfinals without facing a seeded opponent. Zhang’s match is decently late in the day in Singapore and is set for 7:40 AM ET Wednesday morning in the US.