Thursday 10 October 2024 – The second day of the Yonex Bendigo International showcased an impressive display of passion and determination as players continued their pursuit of advancing in the draw. The day was not without surprises, as several unseeded players upset higher-ranked opponents, defying expectations.
The morning began with round 32 of women’s singles, where Australia’s 2024 Olympian Tiffany Ho took on her first match against Jenny Zhu from New Zealand. Zhu made a powerful start, executing precise shots and controlling the pace to her favour and confidently won the first game 21-11. In the second, Tiffany Ho, drawing on her international experience, reset her game to find her rhythm against her opponent, winning 21-13. In the decider, both players pushed each other to the limit, but Ho’s shift to a more aggressive strategy, utilising all corners of the court. The Olympian secured the final game 21-15. “I didn’t feel any pressure going into the match, and I thought it would be a great chance to test my ability and see my improvement as a player”, Zhu commented after her well-fought match. Tiffany Ho will move onto the round of 16 against Huang Yu Wei from Chinese Taipei.
The seed one in women’s singles from India, Tasnim Mir faced the difficult decision to retire early from her match against Australia’s Mimi Ngo. The youngster will face Chen Su Yu from Chinese Taipei in round of 16. At the other end of the draw, reigning champion Yue Yann Jaslyn Hooi from Singapore clinched a close win in three tight games against Yi En Hsieh from Chinese Taipei who is commendably competing in all three disciplines.
A strong start for men’s doubles number one seed from India, Hariharan Amsakarunan/Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi, who faced Indonesian duo Michael Kaldrian Wiguna/Gabriel Christopher Winta Wijaya. Both sides showcased their aggressive attacking shots but were met with agile and quick-thinking defense, making the scoreline tight and an even contest right until the end. The victory was secured by the top seeds, 22-20 and 21-12.
In the men’s singles, a thrilling three game match saw an almost-upset by Singapore player Marcus Jun Hui Lau against the top seed Kuo Kuan Lin representing Chinese Taipei. This being their third match-up against another, the Singaporean player was the underdog. A 63-minute battle saw both players pushed to their limits but still maintaining a calm and focused manner to execute their own game plans. Lin utilised his early lead in the deciding game to keep the pressure on his opponent, ultimately winning the match 21-17, 15-21 and 21-16.
As day two of the Yonex Bendigo International wrapped up with intense matches and surprise upsets, the competition continues to heat up with players prepared to provide some standout performances in the days to come.
