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Match Preview
YONEX
French Open 2024
2024-03-05
to 2024-03-10
Source:
REUTERS/Henry Romero
The 2024
French Open is set to commence on March 5, 2024, featuring an International
Badminton Federation Super750 level event. A substantial prize purse of up to
US$850,000 is at stake for the participants. Notably, this year’s French Open
has been included in the Olympic points competition due to alterations in the
tournament schedule. As a result, players will accumulate points from both 2023
and 2024, which will contribute to their Olympic ranking. However, it should be
noted that these Olympic ranking points will not be added to their world
ranking points. Instead, at the conclusion of the 2024 French Open, the points
earned in 2023 will be deducted and replaced with the new points accumulated in
2024.
Analyzing
the men’s singles draw at the French Open, the top half appears to be filled
with notable players. The standout competitor is Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen, who
holds the top ranking in the world and is seeded number one in the tournament.
However, Axelsen’s participation this season has been limited due to injuries.
In recent times, he has struggled with fitness concerns. In the top half,
Axelsen’s primary contender is the tournament’s third seed, Li Shi Feng from
China. While Li Shifeng secured victories in the Asian Games and the All
England last season, his performance this season has not lived up to
expectations. He has experienced early-round exits in several tournaments,
including the first and second rounds. Despite Li Shifeng’s presence, it seems
unlikely that any player in the top half would pose a significant threat to Axelsen.
The other top-seeded players in the top half, such as Kunlavut Vitidsarn and
Anthony Sinisuka Ginting from Indonesia, may find it challenging to challenge
Axelsen given his formidable abilities.
The
bottom half of the men’s singles draw is equally competitive, with the second
seed, Shi Yuqi from China, being the favorite. Other notable players in this
half include the fourth seed Anders Antonsen, the sixth seed Kodai Naraoka from
Japan, and the seventh seed Prannoy H.S. from India. Shi Yuqi’s first-round
opponent is Frenchman Christo Popov, and given his strength, it is expected
that he will comfortably advance to the second round. In the second round, Shi
Yuqi is likely to face Malaysian player Lee Zii Jia, who has been performing
well recently and has climbed up the world rankings. However, the biggest
threat to Shi Yuqi is Antonsen. Antonsen has recently reached the third spot in
the world rankings and is definitely a player that Shi Yuqi needs to focus on.
Based on
the overall strength of the players in the two halves of the draw, it is highly
likely that Viktor Axelsen and Shi Yuqi will have a strong chance of reaching
the finals. It is worth noting that in recent events like the Malaysian Open
and Indian Open, Shi Yuqi successfully defeated Axelsen, following their
previous encounter in last year’s finals. Shi Yuqi’s victory over Axelsen in
the Paris Olympics also made him the first player to defeat Axelsen twice in a
row. Shi Yuqi’s current form appears to be exceptional, and if he can maintain this
outstanding performance in the upcoming matches, it is not impossible for him
to defeat Axelsen once again.