The Spanish woman won the final due to the withdrawal of the Japanese Akane Yamaguchi
MADRID, 17 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish badminton player Carolina Marín has won the prestigious All England, World Tour Super 1000 category tournament for the International Badminton Federation, after beating the Japanese Akane Yamaguchi (26-24, 11-1) in the final this Sunday. , who had to abandon due to injury.
The three-time world champion and six-time European champion wins the tournament for the second time, the oldest in the world and in which she already reigned in 2015, and lifts a trophy for the first time since she triumphed in July 2023 at the European Games. On the circuit, she had not been proclaimed champion since the Orleans Masters (France) in April 2023.
On the characteristic gray court of the Utilita Arena in Birmingham, the two contenders offered an even start in which the Asian athlete, who in the semifinals eliminated the number one and defending champion, the South Korean An Se-Young, was managing slight advantages of one or two points, neutralized by the Olympic champion in Rio 2016.
Just before reaching the break of the first set, the Huelva native took a lead of +2, but Yamaguchi completed a 4-0 run that allowed her to regain the initiative. In a thrilling finale, Marín managed to survive up to four set points and took advantage of one of the three he had at his disposal to close the set in his favor after 39 minutes (26-24).
The victory in this first ‘battle’ was a real incentive for the Spaniard, who took the lead with a 10-1 partial in the second set. Yamaguchi, suffering from hip discomfort, requested medical assistance and continued, but only one point later did she confirm her abandonment.
In this way, Marín, with two serious knee injuries behind him and at 30 years old, fulfills his goal of adding points for the world ranking, in which he is currently in fifth position, to have a chance of being among the top four and be seeded at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.