The third day of the YONEX Bendigo International delivered a flurry of upsets, breakthroughs, and edge-of-your-seat battles that kept fans glued to the action.
In a stunning turn of events, Japan’s Nodoka Sunakawa sent shockwaves through the women’s singles draw by ousting top seed Tasnim Mir of India. Sunakawa’s calm under pressure and tactical precision earned her a straight-games victory, 21-16, 21-19, in a match that was anything but straightforward.
Meanwhile, in the men’s singles, Edward Lau of New Zealand bowed out after a gruelling 59-minute clash with Japan’s Takuma Kawamoto. Lau showed grit and resilience, clawing his way back into contention, but Kawamoto’s relentless pace proved just enough to edge past the Oceania hopeful. The final score was 21-13, 13-21, 21-16.
There was cause for celebration on the home front as Muhammad Rafi Zafran Ferary and Sydney Tjonadi became the first Oceania pair to secure a quarterfinal berth. The Australian duo overcame compatriots Rizky Hidayat and Kaitlyn Ea in a thrilling three-game encounter, turning the tide after dropping the first game to win 15-21, 21-18, 21-11.
One of the day’s most electrifying matches came courtesy of Koya Iwano (JPN) and Wang Yu-Kai (TPE), the latter fresh off his title win at last week’s ROKETTO Sydney International. Iwano took the first game, but Wang roared back, forcing a decider that had the crowd on their feet. In a match dripping with tension and drama, Wang emerged victorious 17-21, 21-17, 21-19, his opponent collapsing to his knees as the final shuttle hit the floor, while the Chinese Taipei supporters erupted in celebration.
And in the women’s doubles, 15-year-old Yanxi Liu of New Zealand continued her impressive run alongside partner Natalie Ting. The Kiwi pair cruised past Australia’s Jazmine Lam and Yee-Yuan Lim with a confident 21-15, 21-11 win, booking their spot in the quarterfinals and turning heads with their poise and synergy.
