It was a busy start to the VICTOR OCEANIA CHAMPIONSHIPS 2024 as the Geelong temperature rose to echo the talent displayed on court. With the largest entry in the events history, the stage was set for a busy week of badminton.
Australia and New Zealand have dominated the first day of play. However, Tahitian player Antoine Beaubois fought hard to win in the first round of the men’s singles to keep a Pacific country in the draw. He followed up with another win in the round of 64 against Jaehyun Park (AUS).
- Antoine Beaubois (TAH) def Benjamin Eu-Wen Chen (AUS) 21-15 21-18 – Round 128
- Antoine Beaubois (TAH) def Jaehyun Park (AUS) – 21-12 21-11 – Round 64
Third seed and the number one player from New Zealand, Edward Lau, had little trouble in his first match of the tournament Jordan Wang (AUS).
- Edward Lau (NZL) [3] def Jordan Wang (AUS) 21-10 21-9
‘It was good to get used to the court and the shuttles and get a win. It was much hotter than usual” said Edward.
Second seed and hometown favourite, Jacob Schueler spent only 14 minutes on court, showing his determination to just get the job done, winning in two one sided games.
- Jacob Schueler (AUS) [2] def Robert Loo (AUS) 21-2 21-5
14-year-old Yanxi Liu from New Zealand showed that age is no barrier when playing in an Open tournament. Up against Dania Nugroho, a Development Falcons player from South Australia, it was very close for both games. Liu took her chances and showed her opponent that she was there to win.
- Yanxi Liu (NZL) def Dania Nugroho (AUS) 24-22 21-19
Meanwhile the mixed doubles produced a favourable result for Cook Island players Emanuela Mataio and Te Pa O Te Rangi Tupa, winning in two games.
- Emanuela Mataio/Te Pa O Te Rangi Tupa (COK) def Cayven Teo/Eva Zhang (AUS) 24-22 21-19
Antoine Beaubois could not make it a three-peat when he took to the court with mixed doubles partner Heirautea Curet. Keeping it close, they could not close out a win against their Australian opponents.
“It’s a big objective of ours this season to do well and it’s an honour to have the opportunity to represent Tahiti at International events. The team event is very important for us, and we hope to have a strong team spirit” says Beaubois.
The session concluded with an epic three game men’s doubles, Trans Tasman clash. Youngsters Raphael Deloy and Lezhi Zhu (NZL) hung in against their more experience opponents, challenging them every step of the way. In the end, the Australian pair came out on top and will feature again on day two of the VICTOR Oceania Individual Championships 2024.
Brendan Wang/Jordan Wang (AUS) def Raphael Deloy/Lezhi Zhu (NZL) 21-18 12-21 21-16
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