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Indonesia’s fast-rising women’s singles star, Fitriani Fitriani started her campaign with a win as the first round action began at the SaarLorLux Open 2018, a BWF Tour Super 100 tournament, in Saarbrucken, Germany, on Wednesday.
The 19-year-old, seeded seventh at this event, needed only 23 minutes to prevail over Chinese Taipei’s Chang Ya Lan 21-12, 21-13.
Up next for the 37th ranked Fitriani is World No. 92 Martina Repiska of Slovakia, who emerged a 21-16, 21-18 winner over Switzerland’s Ayla Huser.
Fitriani made it to the quarter-finals in two of her last three tournaments and will hope to do the same at the SaarLorLux Open as well. She is slated to meet the top seed and World No. 14 Gao Fangjie in what should be a tough quarter-final for the young Indonesian.
Fangjie had an easy opener on Wednesday where she made short work of India’s Prashi Joshi 21-6, 21-12 in just 26 minutes.
Fitriani remains the only Indonesian in the women’s singles draw following the withdrawal of her compatriot Gregoria Mariska Tunjung. The reigning world junior champion was seeded second at this tournament but she pulled out right before the start, having made it to the semi-finals of the Denmark Open and the quarter-finals of the French Open the last two weeks.
Tunjung was replaced by Russia’s Anastasiia Semenova, who made the most of this opportunity by beating German qualifier Theresa Isenberg 21-14, 23-21 to enter the second round.
Another talented South East Asian rising star, Yeo Jia Min of Singapore, could not withstand the challenge of the third seed and 2017 World Junior Championships bronze medallist Cai Yanyan. The Singaporean went down 11-21, 12-21 in 26 minutes.
The women’s singles matches witnessed a big upset as the sixth seed and World No. 33 Beatriz Corrales was knocked out. Estonia’s World No. 86 Kristin Kuuba made a stunning fightback from a game down to notch up a 25-27, 21-15, 21-17 win in 52 minutes.
Also winning on Wednesday was Denmark’s fifth seed Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt and Japan’s Yukino Nakai.
Singapore’s Loh wins; Lin Dan to start campaign
In men’s singles, Singapore’s Kean Yew Loh made a fine start to his challenge with a commanding 21-16, 21-12 win over Finnish qualifier Joonas Korhonen. Loh is the only South East Asian player in the men’s singles draw and will play his second round against the higher ranked Kim Bruun of Denmark.
Later at night, two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan will be in action as he seeks a title for the first time since winning the New Zealand Open in May. The Chinese legend has got the top seeding at this tournament and will look to get back to winning ways after struggling for the past few weeks. Dan takes on Finland’s Henri Aarnio in his opening round.
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