On day three of competition at the TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2019, Australia faced Nepal in Group 3A.
The reigning regional champions and aspiring Tokyo 2020 Olympians, Simon Leung and Gronya Somerville got Australia off to a solid start with a comfortable win over Nepal. The pair broke into the world’s top 100 this month and the pair looked comfortable on the courts this afternoon.
Simon Wing Hang Leung/Gronya Somerville (AUS) vs Dipesh Dhami/Amita Giri (NEP) 21-11 21-12
“It’s good motivation for myself, knowing we can do it and we can reach the ranking we need to achieve to qualify for the Olympics“ – Simon Leung
“It was good to get the first win on the board for Australia “ – Gronya Somerville
Tiffany Ho made her tournament debut in the match against Nepal. Battling against a noisy crowd while India and Malaysia battled it out just two courts away, it seems that the electric atmosphere propelled Tiffany Ho to a victory after three long games.
Tiffany Ho (AUS) vs Nangsal Tamang (NEP) 21-12 18-21 21-18
“Was awesome to get on court for the first time…It was a tough one but the atmosphere was good and I’m excited to play some more“ – Tiffany Ho
Nepal’s Ratnajit Tamang did not let the pressure get to him as he entered the game in a must win situation. The first game was a close encounter and Australia was left to play catch up for the remainder of the second game.
Ratnajit Tamang (NEP) vs Ashwant Gobinathan (AUS) 21-19 21-14
“It was quite disappointed with the result. He played really well so congratulations to him“ – Ashwant Gobinathan
It was Tiffany’s lucky day as she doubled up on her selection for the match against Nepal with the experienced Gronya Somerville. The pair were took complete control since the moment the umpire yelled ‘play’ and breezed through the match in just 18 minutes.
Tiffany Ho/Gronya Somerville (AUS) vs Amita Giri/Nangsal Tamang (NEP) 21-6 21-5
Dipesh Dhami and Ratnajit Tamang did not let Australia’s victory dampen their spirits. The Nepalese pair barely let go off the lead throughout the whole two games, leaving the Australian’s with plenty to reflect on after going down in two games.
Dipesh Dhami/Ratnajit Tamang (NEP) vs Simon Wing Hang Leung/Eric Vuong (AUS) 21-17 21-16
“It wasn’t good enough, we played into their game too much…with that level we just can’t win against the better players“ – Simon Leung
AUSTRALIA 3 – 2 NEPAL
Two wins will boost Australia’s confidence ahead of the final group match against Ireland on Wednesday.
The two nations will be competing for a first place finish in Group 3A and a position in the 23rd and 24th play off on Friday evening.
Follow all the draws and results of the TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2019 here.
