Vietnamese badminton player Nguyen Thuy Linh secured a three-set victory over Singaporean competitor Yeo Jia Min in the opening round of the women’s singles tournament at the Arctic Open 2026 in Finland. Competing early in the morning, world number 30 Nguyen Thuy Linh fought back from a first-set loss and a late deficit in the second set to defeat world number 46 Yeo Jia Min 2-1 after nearly an hour of play, according to tournament reports.
Opening Round Intensity in Finland
The first-round match presented a difficult challenge for the Vietnamese top-ranked player, given their historical head-to-head record. Yeo Jia Min, a former world junior number one who previously reached 11th in the Badminton World Federation rankings, held five victories against one loss in prior meetings with Nguyen Thuy Linh. The opening set saw tight exchanges before Yeo capitalized on crucial moments to claim a 21-19 win and a 1-0 lead.
Nguyen Wins Second and Third Sets to Secure Victory
Yeo held a significant lead late in the second set, pulling ahead 18-14 and later 19-16, putting her within reach of the match victory. Nguyen responded by winning five consecutive points to take the second set 21-19, evening the match at 1-1. That momentum carried into the third set, where Nguyen controlled the pace to win 21-15 and close out the match.
Second-Round Matchup Against Mia Blichfeldt
Following her opening-round win, Nguyen Thuy Linh advances to face Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt, ranked 15th in the world, in the second round of the BWF World Tour Super 500 event. The tournament features a total prize pool of $500,000. Their last meeting took place two years ago at the German Open, where Blichfeldt defeated Nguyen 2-0.
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