KUALA LUMPUR – Japan women’s shuttler Akane Yamaguchi was not on top of her game when playing at the Malaysian Open last week, costing her the opening round.
However, today, she made up for that loss and breezed through the same stage at the Malaysia Masters – held at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil – after she defeated 13th ranked Michelle Li of Canada, 21-15, 21-13, in just 29 minutes.
Speaking to the media after the match, she admitted that her motivation has been on and off since she was crowned the 2022 All England title, but was persistent to keep going for another tournament until she could get back to her best version.
“Since I lost at the Malaysia Open, I kept training for the past week.
“But my motivation has been up and down, and my mindset has not been in the right place.
“Even after defeating Michelle today, I did not get the usual boost of motivation or satisfaction,” she said.
The world number 1 was surpassed by 30th ranked Indonesian Gregoria Mariska Tunjung in an upset 21-14, 21-14 in the first round of the Malaysia Open here last week in just under 27 minutes.
Yamaguchi chose to be in the Super 500 event this week, hoping she could set her motivation right again and get back to her best physical and mental condition.
The 25-year-old will be skipping the Singapore Open to prepare herself for the BWF World Championships that will be held in Tokyo in late August.
Today’s victory booked her a meeting against 11th ranked Wang Zhi Yi of China for the second round tomorrow, which is a set up for a difficult task, as she has never won a match throughout their three meetings. – The Vibes, July 6, 2022
