BWF Japan Open 2024: Home favourites Naraoka and Yamaguchi through to semi-finals
The two Japanese players won their respective quarter-final matches on Friday, while the men's and women's top seeds Shi Yuqi and Tai Tzu-ying also progressed.
Badminton
There was plenty to cheer for the home crowd at the BWF Japan Open 2024 on Friday (23 August), with local badminton players Naraoka Kodai (men's singles) and Yamaguchi Akane (women's singles) both progressing to the semi-finals.
It wasn't such great news for their compatriots in the women's singles, Nidaira Natsuki and Ohori Aya, however, who were eliminated by top seed Tai Tzu-ying of Chinese Taipei, and Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan, respectively.
Naraoka, coming off the back of marathon matches in the previous two rounds, rushed to an early lead against Wang Tzu Wei, winning the first game 21-13.
But the Chinese Taipei shuttler was spurred into action, taking the second 21-19, ensuring another three-set match for the Japanese.
Naraoka, used to these situations by now, showed his experience to close out the match against his tiring opponent, 21-13, 19-21, 21-16.
Next up, he will face Wang's compatriot Chou Tien Chen for a place in the final.
World number one Shi Yuqi (People's Republic of China), will play Alex Lanier of France in the other men's singles semi-final.
In the women's singles, second-seeded Yamaguchi had to come from behind after losing the first game 18-21 to China's Han Yue.
Buoyed by the home fans, the Japanese shuttler roared back into the contest in the second game, levelling the tie with a 21-15 game.
In a titanic third game where the lead exchanged hands twice, Yamaguchi eventually sealed the tie 18-21, 21-15, 21-18.
Her semi-final opponent will be Thailand's Supanida Katethong, while Tai will take on Ongbamrungphan on the other side of the draw.