The 26th edition of the World Championships is taking place at the Palacio de los Deportes Carolina Marin, Huelva from 12-19 December. The venue is an ode to Spain’s most successful female athlete ever: Carolina Marin.
A lot has come to pass in the badminton world this year. The 2021 calendar will always be remembered for the maximum major titles on offer: Tokyo Olympics, World Tour Finals, and five Super 1000 tournaments. It is quite fitting to conclude the memorable saga with one of the biggest badminton tournaments of them all, the World Championships. There are innumerable intertwining stories to tell, records to break, and histories to make.
The fairy tale will go on
The highlight is the story of former Olympic and three-time world champion Carolina Marin. The Spaniard was in fine form to equal Zhang Ning in Tokyo. Unfortunately, injuries marred her campaign. Likewise, she will be unable to contest the World Championships on home soil. However, the living legend is as tough off court as she is on court. Marin will watch from the sidelines, hoping to study her greatest rivals and emerge on top after another successful comeback.
Can Viktor Axelsen equal Chen Long?
It is a near-impossible task for any athlete to emulate Lin Dan, the greatest badminton player of all time for many fans. However, the reigning Olympic champion has a perfect chance to follow in the footsteps of another Chinese great. Axelsen seeks his second World Championships title, and the two-time defending champion Kento Momota has withdrawn. Moreover, other top-eight players: Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, Jonathan Christie, and Chen Long are missing. It simply cannot get much better for the Danish superstar.
The World No. 1 will still have his hands full as he faces Loh Kean Yew in the opener. Drawn in the bottom half, the second seed is expected to face either Rasmus Gemke or Ng Ka Long Angus in the quarterfinals. His potential semifinal opponent will be the winner of the clash between Anders Antonsen and Lee Zii Jia.
In contrast, the top half of the men’s singles draw is wide open. It will not be surprising to see Kevin Cordon continue the dream Olympic run and make the semifinals again. Even though the fourth seed Chou Tien Chen has failed to impress at the highest level recently, a week of good badminton will easily place him into the finals.
The return of the queen
The elegance, strokeplay, and fluidity of Tai Tzu Ying have elevated women’s singles to new heights. The opponents have learnt a lot from “the player to beat”. After the Chinese Taipei ace finally broke the major tournament jinx by clinching silver in Tokyo, she did not play any tournaments. There is no doubt that she is coming back for the gold in Huelva. The absence of the Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei only helps her cause.
The women’s singles draw is reminiscent of 2019 in a special way: Tai Tzu Ying vs Pusarla V Sindhu in the quarterfinals. It will not be ludicrous to suggest that the winner of this tie will be the eventual winner. Although, the World No. 1 is expected to square off against He Bing Jiao in the semifinals. However, the Chinese player might face a tough challenge early on in form of the highest-ranked European, Mia Blichfeldt.
Another An vs Akane showdown
It is a little unfortunate to have An Seyoung and Akane Yamaguchi in the same quarter. The two players are drawn to play each other for the sixth time after the Olympics. While the Japanese dominated the European leg, the Korean prodigy recorded a clean sweep in Bali. The winner will likely face Ratchanok Intanon in the semifinals. The Thai is expected to brush off the competition following Nozomi Okuhara’s withdrawal.
For all the latest news, make sure to follow Badminton Europe.