Thuy Linh enters the finals of the 2025 German Open badminton tournament

Although the semi-final match took place late on March 1, Hanoi time, a large number of Vietnamese audiences still went online to watch and cheer.

That wait was partly rewarded when Thuy Linh played one of the best matches of her career to defeat Japanese opponent Riko Gunji, ranked 46th in the world.

Facing a lower-ranked opponent, Thuy Linh started the match confidently, hitting quickly and leading 4-2. But Gunji was no pushover either, moving flexibly and having good power. She took advantage of the Vietnamese player's shots that went over the net and out to score 6 consecutive points, leading 8-4.

The match then became quite tense. Thanks to good net shots and groundstrokes, Thuy Linh narrowed the gap and equalized 9-9, 11-13. Meanwhile, Gunji, with cross-court shots, also continuously scored points, maintaining the lead at 15-13.

The difference came from Thuy Linh's bravery. In addition, the cheers from the Vietnamese audience in the stands also helped her spirit. The 27-year-old tennis player equalized 15-15 then led 17-15, 19-16 before winning 21-17 after 20 minutes.

In this tournament, Thuy Linh did not have her coach or close friend Laurent Lam with her, so the break between the two sets did not help her with advice or encouragement. She entered the second set with many small mistakes, hitting the ball many times, allowing her opponent to lead 5-2 and then 11-6.

Gunji himself also played well. The Japanese player had powerful cross-court drives and smashes, along with some amazing saves to increase the gap to 13-7, 16-8.

But surprisingly, Thuy Linh made a miraculous comeback. She showed her steely determination, saving the ball in every situation, scoring five consecutive points to reduce the gap to 13-16. After letting the opponent score one point to lead 17-13, Thuy Linh created a 7-point streak, leading 20-17. During this series of points, there were some of her sustained and winning shots that made the German audience stand up and applaud.

On the contrary, Gunji could not maintain her accuracy at the crucial moment. After cutting the score to 19-20, in the following sustained rally, she hit a serve out, helping the Vietnamese player end the second set with a score of 21-19.

After the decisive moment, Thuy Linh threw her racket and raised her arms high to make a victory sign. On the other side of the court, Gunji hung his head, as if he couldn't believe he had lost after leading by 8 points.

Thuy Linh's opponent in the final on March 2 is Singaporean tennis player Jia Min Yeo, number one seed.

The German Open is part of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Super 300, with a total prize money of up to 240,000 USD. At the 2024 tournament, Thuy Linh reached the final and lost to a Danish player.

This year, by reaching the semi-finals, she will win 3,480 USD (about 90 million) and 4,900 bonus points. In the final, she will receive 9,120 USD (about 230 million) and 5,950 points. As the champion, Thuy Linh will receive 18,000 USD (about 450 million) and 7,000 points.

Thuy Linh was born on November 20, 1997 in Phu Tho. She played professionally at the age of 14, and 4 years later, won the 2015 National Excellent Tennis Player Championship. Since 2018, Thuy Linh has been the number one female tennis player in Vietnam, with 7 consecutive national individual badminton championships. She has also won the Vietam Open 3 consecutive times since 2022. Thuy Linh has also participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2024 Paris.