Singapore Open 2023 Build Up: Ingo Kindervater
By RJ Mitchell
Turning our attention to this week’s HSBC BWF World Tour Super 750 Singapore Open, Badminton Scotland’s Head of Performance Ingo Kindervater takes a closer look at the draw.
The encounter between Adam Hall and Alex Dunn and world No.10 ranked Korean pair Choi Sol Gyu and Kim Won Ho is match-up with an extra edge to it, as the Koreans edged our Scots last week in Thailand.
Ingo said: “It’s a new challenge against good opponents. They have played them (Gyu and Ho) twice and it’s one each and for sure last week hurt a bit as we felt we could have won that.
“Ultimately the other two are absolutely world class but we feel we have a good chance against a pair of that level but you still have to perform over three sets at that very high level and Alex and Adam are doing that at the moment.
“So this week is a chance to do that again but when you are playing a pair of that calibre they are learning more about you, as of course you are with them, but we feel like we know what we have to do against them and if Alex and Adam perform well again they will have a good chance.
“But emotionally they should go in there viewing it as fresh game rather thinking of last week’s result.”
In the Mixed Doubles Julie MacPherson and Adam Hall face Hong Kong duo Lee Chun Hei Reginald and Ng Tsz Yau.
It is a match up that Ingo is optimistic about: “It is good that we are able to win great matches (Hall and MacPherson defeated World No. 4 ranked Seo Seung Jae & Chae Yu Jung 21-14, 16-21, 21-18 in last week’s Thailand Open) and it is almost like we don’t go on court against anyone without fancying our chances.
“However at the same time the next step, particularly for our doubles teams, is to win multiple matches in these tournaments and go deep.
“But winning against different styles and different players and being the pairings who have the better shape on the day, that is still something that is a matter of experience and feeling that more and more in the big tournaments.
“Last week in Thailand you just have to tip your hat as the Japanese in the second round played really, really well and they figured out how to win against us on that day. If you want to go deep in these tournaments you have to be the one figuring that out against multiple opponents over consecutive days. That is the next step for us.”
This morning in the women’s singles Kirsty Gilmour was suffered defeat in the round of 32 against old rival Michelle Li (11-21 15-21). Ingo said: “Women’s singles is such a competitive event and it is actually quite similar for Kirsty (to the doubles), she is playing very well in certain sections of each match but she needs to get that winning feeling back which you get when you are getting over the line in these tough, tight matches.
In the women’s doubles Julie MacPherson and Ciara Torrance will face the Japanese duo of Rui Hirokami and Yuna Kato with Ingo hoping Julie and Ciara can take their positive work from the training court onto the match court.
He said: “If the girls manage to perform the way they have been in training they can challenge a lot of pairs now.
“Their first two weeks were impacted by Julie’s ankle injury and in particular their doubles was the first match after that when Julie was really affected.
“Last week they managed to perform well in parts of their match and what they will need to achieve is a constant high level over the full match.
“But as I said the girls have been training really well and if they transfer that onto the match court they will do well.”
European Games 2023
The buzz around the European Games 2023 is building after Team GB announced 5 Scottish badminton players in their squad. The games are set to take place in and around Krakow-Malopolska between 21 June to 2 July.
Reflecting on this, Badminton Scotland’s Head of Performance Ingo Kindervater said: “We are pleased over all that we will have five players at the European games with Alex and Adam for the men’s doubles, Kirsty in the women’s singles and Ciara and Julie in the women’s doubles.
“This is a nice achievement for us but we are also going there not just to take part. So ask me again after the Europeans how it went and then we will see!”
With vital Olympic qualification points up for grabs in Poland, and Team GB having ruled the medal table at Minsk last time around… it’s all to play for!