Badminton 2022 French Open: Carolina Marin defeats Yamaguchi Akane to book a spot in the women's singles final

For the first time in two years Carolina Marin will play a final of a badminton's BMW World Tour Super 750 tournament.

The Rio 2016 Olympic gold medallist defeated reigning two-time world champion Yamaguchi Akane 21-14, 21-18 in the first women's singles semi-final of the French Open on Saturday (29 October).

Marin needed 47 minutes to defeat the Japanese and will face People's Republic of China's He Bing Jiao who defeated Chinese Taipei's Tai Tzu Ying 21-15 21-10 later on Saturday.

After recovering from an ACL injury that prevented her from defending her Olympic title in Tokyo, Marin won the European Championships crown in April.

The last time the 29-year-old Spaniard played a final of a BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament was in Odense, Denmark, in October 2020.

In her best victory since returning to the circuit, Marin dominated throughout, varying direction and pace of play toward an increasingly exhausted opponent.

Yamaguchi had halted Marlin’s progress to the podiums at recent tournaments, including August’s World Cup in Tokyo, but this time Marin beat the circuit’s form player, her joy evident in a shout of triumph on match point.

In the second semi-final, He took just 37 minutes to beat an out-of-sorts Tai. The 25-year-old two-time bronze world medallist will play for the title she last won six years ago in an all left-handed women’s singles final on Sunday (30 October).

READ MORE: Carolina Marin exclusive: "Sometimes your body stops you"

Meanwhile, Rasmus Gemke beat Hong Kong, China’s Lee Cheuk Yiu in two straight sets, 21-18 21-14 to make the men’s final on Sunday (30 October).

Both players had emerged from energy-sapping combative games in the previous round with Gemke, world ranked 16, besting World Championships silver medallist Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand (14-21 21-18 21-11).

Lee came through against stubborn world number 15 Lu Guang Zu of China (21-14 11-21 21-18) but it is the Dane who will be hoping to go one better than his previous final appearance at the 2020 Denmark Open where he finished runner-up.

Gemke's opponent will be his compatriot, reigning Olympic and world champion Viktor Axelsen who beat Japan’s 2018 Youth Olympic Games bronze medallist, Kodai Naraoka who played later on Saturday.

A masterclass from Axelsen was punctuated by never-say-die points from the young Japanese. 

The 21-year-old received prolonged applause from the crowd – despite losing the point and going 3-1 down and one game down, 21-12 – for a long rally that left him sprawled on the court and breathing hard. The Nadal-esque never-give-up attitude endeared this up-and-comer to the crowd but legend of the sport, Axelsen emerged a 21-12 21-8 winner to go through to take on his countryman in the final on Sunday.

READ: Viktor Axelsen: How having second daughter changed my outlook

Doubles finals

In the first mixed doubles match of the day, People's Republic of China’s world champions Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong took 37 minutes to beat the German pairing and world bronze medallists Mark Lamsfuss and Isabel Lohau 21-16 21-16.

Zheng and Huang now play Robin Tabeling and Selena Piek, the European bronze medallists from the Netherlands who beat Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto and Lisa Ayu Kusumawati of Indonesia in a later match. The Dutch pair fought back from one game and a 5-12 deficit in the second to win 17-21 21-13 21-12 in 56 minutes to knock out Kusharjanto and Kusumawati. Piek threw her racket in the air with joy on winning match point, the pair claiming a first ever world tour tournament final at any level.

In the men's doubles Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty of India won over Republic of Korea's Choi Solgyu and Kim Won Ho winning 21-18 21-14. Come Sunday's final they will take on Chinese Taipei's Lu Ching Yao and Yang Po Han who beat England's Ben Lane and Sean Vendy 21-15 21-14.

In the women's doubles, Matsumoto Mayu and Nagahara Wakana beat compatriots Fukushima Yuki and Hirota Sayaka 21-14 25-23 to progress to the final on Sunday.

Tan Pearly and Thinaah Muralitharan beat South Korea's Baek Ha Na and Lee So Hee in two straight games (21-13 21-17) on Saturday afternoon to become only the second pair from Malaysia to reach a women’s doubles final at the French Open. The previous duo – Chin Eei Hui & Wong Pei Tty – did so in 2008, just losing out at the final hurdle.

Fourteen years later and 41 minutes of aggressive controlled badminton in the semi-final rewards the current twosome with a place in Sunday’s final against the two-time world champions, Matsumoto and Nagahara, where they will hope to go one better than their countrywomen.

Badminton 2022 French Open final match ups on Sunday 30 October

(Starting at 1pm CET)

Men's singles final

Rasmus Gemke (DEN) v Viktor Axelsen (DEN)

Women's doubles final

Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan (MAS) v Matsumoto Mayu and Nagahara Wakana (JPN)

Mixed doubles final

Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong (CHN) v Robin Tabeling and Selena Piek (NED)

Women's singles final

Carolina Marin (ESP) v He Bing Jiao (CHN)

Men's doubles final

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (IND) v Lu Ching Yao and Yang Po Han (TPE)

For full schedule, check here.