Sabasports Match Preview
SATHIO GROUP Australian Open 2024
2024-06-11 to 2024-06-16
Source: REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
The 2024 Australian Open will take place in Sydney from June 11th to 16th. This event is classified as a Badminton World Federation Super500 level tournament, offering total prize money of up to US$420,000. Despite withdrawal of several players, there are still a considerable number of strong participants in the Australian Open.
On the men’s side, the top-seeded player, Jonatan Christie, and his compatriot, Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, have been placed in the top half of the draw. They will face tough competition from Japanese player Nishimoto Kenta and Chinese Taipei number one player Chou Tien Chen. In the bottom half, the second seed, Kodai Naraoka, will encounter the third seed, Lee Zii Jia from Malaysia, as well as Prannoy H. S. from India, among other strong opponents. Singaporean player Loh Kean Yew also poses a challenge in this half.
Based on the distribution of seeded players in the top and bottom halves, the competition appears to be fierce in both sections. In the top half, the tournament’s number one seed, Jonatan, may face Nishimoto Kento in the quarter-finals. These two players have a history of closely contested matches. Ginting is likely to face Chou Tien Chen in the quarter-finals, and Ginting has a better track record against him. In the bottom half, second-seeded Naraoka is expected to meet Prannoy in the quarter-finals, where Naraoka holds a significant advantage. Lee Zii Jia, the third seed and Malaysia’s top player, will likely face Loh Kean Yew in the quarter-finals, with Lee Zii Jia also having a clear advantage in their previous encounters.
Considering the overall strength and form of the players in the Australian Open, Jonatan and Lee Zii Jia are considered the most outstanding contenders. However, Jonatan’s recent performances have been underwhelming, as he was eliminated in the first round of both the Singapore Open and the Indonesian Open, raising concerns about his current form. On the other hand, Lee Zii Jia won the championship in the previous Thailand Open and reached the final of the subsequent Malaysian Masters. His recent success makes him a more likely candidate for the title in this Australian Open.