The Spanish badminton player Carolina Marín has won the prestigious All England, category tournament World Tour Super 1000 for the International Badminton Federationafter 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 track of the Utilita Arena in Birmingham, the two contenders offered an even start in which the athlete Asian, who eliminated the number one in the semifinals and defending champion, 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 round, the Huelva native took a lead of +2, but Yamaguchi completed a set of 4-0 that allowed him 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 Spanish, who took the lead with a 10-1 run 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.
After her victory, Marín was very proud of what she achieved this week. “All England champion… I have no words. I am very happy and very proud of the week what I have done, not only to win this title; It is a very prestigious tournament and a very important title in my career, but I am proud of what I have been doing, of the things I have improved, of the things I have dared to do in each of the matches…” , he listed.
“It has been a very hard week, but thanks to the wonderful team I have here and thanks to my mother, who has been supporting me, to the people who has come to see me, to those who see me from home, thanks for that support. We take this medal and this trophy home,” concluded the current world runner-up.
2024-03-17 21:48:05
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