Wednesday 9 October 2024 – The Yonex Bendigo International kicked off a thrilling three-week stretch of BWF International Challenge competitions in the Oceania region. The qualification rounds in the morning delivered intense action, followed by many nail-biters when the main draw commenced with several matches going down to the wire. See some Day One Main Draw highlights:
Men’s Singles Main Draw:
The opening day of the men’s singles main draw featured several high-intensity matchups in the round of 64.
- Yi Liu (TPE) delivered a standout performance, defeating Australia’s National Champion Jack Yu in a thrilling match. Liu edged a marathon first game, winning 30-29, before sealing the win 21-16 in the second.
- Keisuke Fujiwara (JPN) made his mark by upsetting fifth-seeded Jia Wei Joel Koh (SGP) in their first-ever meeting. Fujiwara now faces Ken Yeoh (MAS), a former top 20 junior player, in what promises to be another exciting clash.
- Top-seed Kuo Kuan Lin (TPE) eased past Australian qualifier Timothy Sentosa, winning 21-10, 21-10. Lin moves on to face Lau Jun Hui Marcus (SGP) on day two.
Mixed Doubles Main Draw:
The round of 32 in mixed doubles saw confident victories and close upsets, setting the thrilling tone for the rest of the tournament.
- Kiwi duos Adam Jeffrey/Justine Villegas (NZL), along with Dylan Soedjasa/Camellia Zhou (NZL), secured victories against young Australian pairs, showing their experience in competing on the world stage.
- Seeded duo from Chinese Taipei, Chen Cheng Kuan/Lee Chih Chen, and Indonesia pair Michael Kaldrian Wiguna/Nathalie Ivyana also advanced, but they’ll be facing unfamiliar opponents in the next round, preparing the stage for some unpredictable matchups in day two.
Day two promises another electrifying day of Badminton, with women’s singles, women’s doubles and men’s doubles to begin play.
Tune in to our livestream here: https://bit.ly/YBI2024StreamingPlaylist
See day two’s schedule here: https://bwf.tournamentsoftware.com/tournament/f521b97c-fd6d-4626-88e2-8b3bd48de049/matches/20241010
Follow the Badminton Oceania Instagram for more tournament information: https://www.instagram.com/badmintonoceania/
Yonex Bendigo International Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/share/vYB3F2Zh5iUzPW9L/
Image credits: Adam Photography