Dramatically defeating Japanese tennis player, Nguyen Thuy Linh wins Vietnam Open 2023

Nguyen Thuy Linh is ranked 27th in the world and is the number 1 seed of the tournament. Meanwhile, Kurihara is ranked 156th in the world. However, the Japanese athlete created many difficulties for Thuy Linh in the final match.

Kurihara started the game better, leading Thuy Linh in the first points. After a tentative start, Nguyen Thuy Linh increased the speed. She continuously pushed the ball to the two corners of the court, then unexpectedly dropped or smashed the ball in the opposite direction of her opponent's movement to win points.

The player from Phu Tho took the lead and increased the gap in the second half of the first set. Kurihara tried hard but missed many shots. Thuy Linh won 21-14 in set 1.

In the second set, Kurihara attacked more boldly. The Japanese player's persistent series of shots caused Thuy Linh a lot of trouble. The Vietnamese representative tried hard to tie the score at 6-6. However, Thuy Linh gradually ran out of breath due to her declining physical strength. Kurihara took a deep lead with a minimum gap of 5 points before winning 21-11.

The two players entered the deciding set. Kurihara used his physical advantage. He also showed confidence in his returns. Meanwhile, Thuy Linh often showed signs of fatigue after each missed shot. She was unable to close the gap with her opponent in the first half of the third set.

But when the two players switched courts, Thuy Linh showed her bravery and experience. She tried hard to catch up before tying the score at 17-17, taking the lead at 20-17. The pressure was pushed back to Kurihara. Although Thuy Linh lost 2 points afterwards, in the decisive point, the Vietnamese player successfully attacked, defeating her opponent 21-19, thereby winning 2-1 overall.

The Vietnamese tennis player successfully defended the Vietnam Open championship. This title is a sweet achievement for Thuy Linh. She entered the tournament without the best physical preparation. This tennis player competed in 3 consecutive tournaments with the goal of accumulating points for the Olympics.

The Vietnam Open 2023 will take place from September 12-17 in Ho Chi Minh City. This year, the tournament will bring together 283 players from 23 countries and territories. The tournament is part of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 100 system, with a total prize of 100,000 USD.