Olympic Badminton 2024: Men’s Singles

By Racketplayer July 24, 2024 Badminton 0 Comments

Who can make the step up from good to great to Gold?

Quarterfinal Showdowns

Kunlavut Vitidsarn and SHI Yuqi

Shi Yuqi’s journey to the final is fraught with peril. His side of the draw (Groups A-H) is stacked with rivals capable of derailing his campaign. The abundance of standout players increases the risk of mutual exhaustion as they battle for semifinal spots. To succeed, it’s crucial for competitors to focus on the next match, stay healthy, and keep pushing forward.

Kunlavut Vitidsarn, the current World Champion, has seen his form dip due to illness and injury. If he can overcome Kenta Nishimoto or Brian Yang, he is likely to face SYQ in the quarterfinals. Their head-to-head record favors Yuqi, especially considering his victory over Vitidsarn in March in the same arena. This sets up China to potentially have at least one player in the semifinals.

Anders Antonsen V LEE Zii Jia or Anthony Ginting

Anders Antonsen is a formidable contender, capable of outthinking and outperforming most of his rivals. The draw has been kind to him, as he only needs to play two matches in Group E before advancing to the quarterfinals. Assuming LEE Zii Jia tops Group G, he will likely face Anthony Ginting for a chance to challenge Antonsen in the QF for a semifinal spot. Ginting, an Olympic Bronze medalist, knows what it takes to perform under pressure. But,LEE Zii Jia is a dynamic player who could significantly influence the tournament’s outcome.

The battle for the quarterfinal and semifinal spots could mentally and physically exhaust these men. If LZJ finds his flow, he could beat SYQ for a final spot. So, who from the other side of the draw might he face?

Viktor Axelson and LI Shifeng

Viktor Axelsen, the defending champion, has been a major force in badminton for years. He has been careful to manage his mental and physical load over the past few months. Only time will tell if he has the fitness to reach the final. He will likely be wary of a potential quarterfinal clash against China’s LI Shifeng, a well-balanced player with strong support staff, including CHEN Long. The winner of this match will face a semifinalist from Groups I-L.

Group L: “The Group of Punishment”

Group L feels like an undeserved punishment. Jonatan Christie, seeded third, has to play three matches with no bye in the Round of 16, compared to Anders Antonsen, seeded fourth, who only plays two group matches and has a bye into the quarterfinals. This system needs reform as it’s unfairly loaded. Christie’s group includes Lakshya Sen and Kevin Cordon. If Sen hits his stride, his aggressive attack style makes him a significant threat for a medal. Cordon had a dream run in Tokyo, but replicating that will be challenging. The draw likely leads to a Round of 16 match between Christie and Prannoy, followed by a quarterfinal with Naraoka.

Top Takeaways.

The path to Gold will be full of intense battles with high stakes matches. Identifying the contenders amongst the pretenders is a tricky task especially in an atypical tournament. I think the title will go to a player in SHI Yuqi’s side of the draw so long as they don’t destroy each other on the journey to the final. Stay tuned as the drama unfolds!

Women’s singles review coming shortly