Photo Credit: NMBA
4 July 2024 – Day three of the CROWNE PLAZA Northern Marianas Open (2 – 7 July 2024) was a thrilling spectacle as the round of 16 matches were played across all events. With the day coinciding with Fourth of July, the US Independence Day, the atmosphere was electric, and the level of competition intensified as players battled to advance to the quarterfinals.
Mixed Doubles: The day kicked off with the top three seeds in the mixed doubles category securing their places in the next round without much trouble.
- Hiroki Nishi/Akari Sato (JPN) [1] vs. Chan Yueh Lin/Hung Hsin En (TPE) 21-17 21-16
- Phatharathorn Nipornram/Nattamon Laisuan (THA) [2] vs. Chu Bo Rong (TPE) 21-15 21-10
- Cheng Kai Wen/Liu Chiao-Yun (TPE) [3] vs. Daisuke Sano/Sorano Yoshikawa (JPN) 21-18 21-15
A highlight of the mixed doubles was the victory of New Zealand’s Edward Lau and Shaunna Li, who fought three hard games to advance to the quarterfinals. They are now the only Oceania contestants in the tournament.
- Edward Lau/Shaunna Li (NZL) [4] vs. Ting Yen-Chen/Wang Yi Zhen (TPE) 15-21, 22-20, 21-16
Women’s Singles: The women’s singles event was marked by several upsets. Mihane Endo from qualifications defeated the number eight seed, Lee Yu-Hsuan from Chinese Taipei, in two games. Singapore’s Yue Yann Jaslyn Hooi took down the number five seed, Huang Ching Ping from Chinese Taipei, in straight games. In a domestic rivalry, Sakura Masuki defeated the number four seed, Asuka Takahash also from Japan, in two tight games. Lastly, Sorano Yoshikawa took down number two seed, Lin Sih Yun from Chinese Taipei in three games.
- Mihane Endo (JPN) [Q] vs. Lee Yu-Hsuan (TPE) [8] 21-10, 21-17
- Yue Yann Jaslyn Hooi (SGP) vs. Huang Ching Ping (TPE) [5] 21-18, 21-16
- Sakura Masuki (JPN) [PFQ] vs. Asuka Takahashi (JPN) [4] 21-19, 21-18
- Sorano Yoshikawa (JPN) vs. Lin Sih Yun (TPE) [2] 21-12, 20-22, 21-14
Men’s Singles: In the men’s singles category, the top seed and Paris Olympic-bound Viren Nettasinghe from Sri Lanka was defeated by Keisuke Fujiwara from Japan in two aggressive games. Following the match, Nettasinghe reflected on his performance, acknowledging his mistakes and praising his opponent’s play. He remarked on the unpredictability of the sport and his plan to rest and prepare for the next tournament.
- Keisuke Fujiwara (JPN) vs. Viren Nettasinghe (SRI) [1] 21-17, 21-16
Another grueling match featured Saran Jamsri from Thailand against Huang Yu from Chinese Taipei, lasting 74 minutes.
- Huang Yu (TPE) [7] vs. Saran Jamsri (THA) 19-21, 21-19, 21-18
Men’s Doubles: The men’s doubles event saw fierce competition with several tight matches leading to the quarterfinals.
- Chan Yueh Lin/Chu Bo Rong (TPE) [4] vs. Yuto Noda/Kota Ogawa (JPN) 12-21, 21-18, 22-20
- An Yun Seong/Park Kyung Hoon (KOR) [1] vs. Chen Yu-Che/Yu Hsiang Chou (TPE) 11-21, 21-13, 21-16
Women’s Doubles: The women’s doubles category saw major upsets with the elimination of both the number one and number three seeds.
- Mihane Endo/Mei Sudo (JPN) vs. Cheng Yu-Pei/Sun Yu Hsing (TPE) [1] 21-12, 21-14
- Kim Hye Jeong/Kim Yu Jung (KOR) vs. Kokona Ishikawa/Mio Konegawa (JPN) [3] 21-9, 21-11
Overall, Day 3 of the CROWNE PLAZA Northern Marianas Open 2024 was filled with intense matches and notable upsets, setting the stage for even more thrilling encounters in the upcoming rounds. Stay tuned for more action and excitement as the tournament progresses!
Matches are available to watch on Badminton Oceania’s YouTube Channel.
CROWN PLAZA Northern Marianas Open 2024 Live Score
Tournament Schedule as following:
