All England week is here. As the third and final Super 1000 event on the HSBC BWF World Tour before the Olympic qualifying period ends in late April, it is no surprise to see that this year’s renewal has attracted an entry list filled with superstars, as the Race for Tokyo enters its final stages.
As is well known, champions have been crowned at the All England since 1899 making it the oldest and most prestigious badminton tournament in the world. The 110th edition has a special feeling around it and is a spectacle not to be missed.
The door is open
In the men’s singles final last year, we witnessed a sensational final between Viktor Axelsen and Kento Momota, which is now a long-standing rivalry. For the Dane, it was a special moment as he was the first European in the final since his compatriot Jan O Jorgensen in 2015. But it was Momota who made history, by becoming the first Japanese player to lift the men’s singles trophy.
Through very unfortunate circumstances, Momota was injured in a car accident in Malaysia earlier this year and will not be present to defend his title. This opens the door to the likes of Olympic bronze medallist, Axelsen, who arrives in Birmingham as the second seed, and also fellow Dane, Anders Antonsen, the fifth seed.
Axelsen faces the Thai player, Sitthikom Thammasin, who is in real need of points for Olympic qualification, in the first round. The fact that they have not previously played may prove to be a tricky opener for the Dane.
The vibe is different
For Antonsen, this week is very important, as he explains in the build-up that.
-One of my major goals this year is the All England. In my opinion, it is the biggest tournament in the tour, if you remove the Olympics and World Championships. I feel All England is really special because of the tradition and it is a very old tournament. Many Danes have been doing well at the All England as long as I can remember. My former coach Morten Frost has won it before, you meet a lot of the former great players there, so the vibe is different.
Antonsen has a tough draw considering his high seeding, as he will play Korea’s Son Wan Ho on day one. If he is to represent his country, Son needs to have a big performance this week. The two played early this year, and Antonsen was the victor in two straight games.
Marin getting set for Olympic defence
In the women’s singles, after climbing back up the rankings following her injury, Carolina Marin finds herself as the eighth seed. The Spaniard, who won this title in 2015 will be hoping to once again rekindle this form leading into an Olympic gold medal defence in Tokyo.
Marin will face China’s Zhang Yi Man in the opening round, a young player who has shot up the top-level this year. Marin dispatched Zhang in their only meeting last year. Looking ahead, Marin is in the same half of the draw as the All England specialist, Tai Tzu Ying as the second seed.
British battle on British soil
An ongoing and fascinating battle for the home fans to keep an eye on is between Chris Adcock/Gabby Adcock and Marcus Ellis/Lauren Smith. The two English pair are fighting for the right to represent Team GB in Tokyo. At the moment, Ellis and Smith sit in eleventh and the Adcocks in twelve in the Race to Tokyo rankings, meaning every point counts from now until the end of April.
The European Games gold medallists, Ellis and Smith will face Japan’s Takuro Hoki and Wakana Nagahara who are ranked 25 in the world. They have not previously played, but the winner will have the opportunity to face either former Asia champion Ko Sung Hyun with new partner Eom Hye Won or 2018 winners Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino of Japan.
The Commonwealth Games and European Champions, Chris and Gabby Adcock have found a seed in their opening match. They will play Indonesia’s eighth seeds Hafiz Faizal and Gloria Widjaja, the Thailand Masters runners-up, who defeated the English pair in three games at the Hong Kong Open last year.
It will certainly be a fun-packed week, so make sure you follow our coverage.
For the full seeded entries and fixtures, click
here.