YONEX Japan Open 2022: Round-up
Hot on the heels of the 2022 BWF World Championships, Japan was once again the setting for the world’s top badminton players as the YONEX Japan Open took place last week.
And some of Scotland’s top shuttlers were part of the party heading over to Osaka straight from Tokyo, returning to court for one of the top Super 750 events on the BWF World Tour.
Kirsty Gilmour was involved in the women’s singles draw at the Maruzen Intec Arena, drawn against Han Yue of China in the first round of the tournament.
The former Asian Junior champion has consistently found herself inside the world’s top 20 this year and showed exactly why, producing a controlled display of hitting.
Despite a brave effort from Gilmour, who won a European silver medal earlier this year, Han proved too strong and secured her place in the next round with a 21-17, 21-14 victory.
In the men’s doubles, former Scottish Open champions Adam Hall and Alex Dunn were back on court for the first time since making the last 16 at the World Championships.
Former world bronze medallists Kim Gi-jung and Kim Sa-rang were the duo’s first round opponents and duly took the first set 21-15.
Hall and Dunn showed steely resolve in the second, levelling the match after converting their third game point.
However, the South Koreans – who went onto reach the semi-finals – showed their class in the decider to wrap-up a 21-15, 19-21, 21-14 victory.
Ciara Torrance and Julie MacPherson were also in action over in the women’s doubles draw, looking to build some momentum after a first-round win in Tokyo at the World Championships.
They were paired in the opening round with Puttita Supajirakul and Supissara Paewsampran, part of the Thailand team who took bronze in the 2020 Uber Cup.
And the match quickly got away from Torrance and MacPherson after a lightning quick start, from the Thai pair who took the opener inside 13 minutes.
Supajiraku and Paewsampran quickly wrapped up a comfortable 21-7, 21-13 win to end the World No.46’s progression in Japan.