2018 BWF World Tour Finals draw: Tough group stage for China

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The draw for the 2018 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals was completed in Guangzhou, capital city of south China's Guangdong Province on Monday. The results show some challenging matchups for Chinese players.

Men's singles:

China's Shi Yuqi in the semi-final of the men's singles at the 2018 French Open. /VCG Photo

Group A: Chou Tien-chen (Chinese Taipei), Shi Yuqi (PR China), Son Wan-ho (South Korea), and Anthony Sinisuka Ginting (Indonesia)

Group B: Kento Momota (Japan), Tommy Sugiarto (Indonesia), Kantaphon Wangcharoen (Thailand), and Sameer Verma (India)

None of the three rivals Shi will meet in Group A is easy to face. Chou ranks No.3 in the world right after Shi. Son used to compete for world's No.1 ranking with China's Chen Long. Ginting put an end to Momota's undefeated record at the 2018 Asian Olympics. By contrast, Momota in Group B will barely meet any challenge.

Women's singles:

China's Chen Yufei in the quarter-final of the women's singles of the 2018 French Open. /VCG Photo

Group A: Tai Tzu-ying (Chinese Taipei), Akane Yamaguchi (Japan), Pusarla Venkata Sindhu (India), and Zhang Beiwen (U.S.)

Group B: Nozomi Okuhara (Japan), Chen Yufei (China PR), Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand), and Michelle Li (Canada)

The matches between Tai and Yamaguchi in Group A and Okuhara and Chen in Group B can be basically seen as rehearsals for the championship match. Chen's played two matches against Okuhara in 2018 with one win and one loss. Her real challenge could come in the knockout stage when she may meet Tai against whom Chen already lost 11 consecutive matches.

Men's doubles:

Two Chinese combinations, Han Chengkai (L2)/Zhou Haodong (L1) and Li Junhui (R2)/Liu Yuchen (R1) will play against each other in Group A in the men's doubles at the 2018 BWF World Tour Finals. /VCG Photo

Group A: Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (Indonesia), Han Chengkai/Zhou Haodong (China PR), Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen (Denmark), and Liu Yuchen/Li Junhui (China PR)

Group B: Chen Hung-ling/Wang Chi-lin (Chinese Taipei), Liao Min-chun/Su Ching-heng (Chinese Taipei), Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan (Indonesia), and Hiroyuki Endo/Yuta Watanabe (Japan)

Two Chinese combinations will not only play against each other in Group A, but will also compete with world's No.1 ranking Gideon/Sukamuljo, which has beaten the Chinese combination eight times in nine matches. Meanwhile, the Danish combination Astrup/Rasmussen defeated China's Han/Zhou at the 2018 China Open in September to claim the title, making Group A the toughest group for Chinese players. The only good news is that combinations in Group B are relatively easy to handle. Therefore, if the Chinese players can make it out of the group stage, they will have very good chances of making it to the final.

Women's doubles:

Two Chinese combinations, Chen Qingchen (L1)/Jia Yifan (L2) and Du Yue(R2)/Li Yinhui (R1) will play against ieach other in Group A in the women's doubles at the 2018 BWF World Tour Finals. /VCG Photo

Group A: Misaki Matsutomo/Ayaka Takahashi (Japan), Greysia Polii/Apriyani Rahayu (Indonesia), Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan (China PR), and Du Yue/Li Yinhui (China PR)

Group B: Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara (Japan), Jongkolphan Kititharakul/Rawinda Prajongjai (Thailand), Lee So-hee/Shin Seung-chan (South Korea), and Gabriela Stoeva/ Stefani Stoeva (Bulgaria)

Like their male compatriots, the two Chinese female combinations will need to play against each other. Moreover, the other two combinations are formidable foes. Matsutomo/Takahashi won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Polii/ Rahayu won more of the matches against the Chinese combinations (4W-0L against Du/Li and 2W-2L against Chen/Jia).

Mixed doubles:

Two Chinese combinations Huang Dongping (L1)/Wang Yilyu (L2) and Huang Yaqiong (R1)/Zheng Siwei (R2) have a good chance to meet in the final at the 2018 BWF World Tour Finals. /VCG Photo

Group A: Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong (China PR), Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Thiailand), Goh Soon Huat/Shevon Jemie Lai (Malaysia), and Marcus Ellis/Lauren Smith (England)

Group B: Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino, Chan Peng Soon/Goh Liu Ying (Malaysia), Wang Yilyu/Huang Dongping (China PR), and Hafiz Faisal/Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja (Indonesia)

The mixed doubles draw results were the best for Chinese players compared with others. Hopes are high for the two Chinese combinations to meet in the final, like they did at the 2018 BWF World Championships.

The 2018 BWF World Tour Finals will happen between December 12 and 16 in Guangzhou.