Jayce
Japanese badminton star Nozomi Okuhara triumphed over world number 7 Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia today at the Super 500 Indonesia Masters, winning 22-20, 21-11. This victory marks her first women’s singles semifinal appearance of the season and her first in a Super 500 level tournament since 2019.
Ranked 23rd in the world, Okuhara overcame two match points to reverse the match against Hsu Wen-chi in the round of 32, and then easily defeated Lin Hsiang-ti in straight sets in the round of 16. In her career, she has faced Mariska six times, winning four of those encounters.
In this latest match against Mariska, Okuhara showcased her formidable defense. She maintained a lead for most of the first game, but Mariska managed to level the score at 20-20. However, Okuhara steadied herself and clinched the first game with two consecutive points.
Despite Mariska’s power, she struggled to break through Okuhara’s defense in the second game. As Mariska became increasingly impatient and made numerous errors, Okuhara capitalized. She surged ahead from 4-3 with a seven-point streak, and after the interval, she continued to extend her lead, ultimately winning in straight sets.
Okuhara began regaining her form last November, winning titles at the Syed Modi International and the Odisha Open. Now, she has secured her first semifinal spot of the season. Interestingly, her last Super 500 semifinal appearance was at the 2019 Singapore Open.
