Source: REUTERS/IVAN ALVARADO
[Saba Sports News] The 2023 BWF World Tour Finals are currently being
held in Hangzhou, China. After three days of intense competition, the top four
players in each event have emerged. Yesterday, the International Badminton
Federation conducted the highly anticipated draw for the semi-finals.
Surprisingly, six out of the 10 semi-finals turned out to be rematches of the
third-round group stage matches, sparking discussions among the media and fans
about the fairness of the draw rules. According to the rules, the top two
players from each group advance to the top four. After the draw, there is a 50%
chance of a rematch from the group stage. Some fans expressed that the rules
are generally satisfactory as they can prevent the extreme situation of
deliberately selecting opponents to some extent. However, they feel that this
particular draw lacked rigor. For instance, the balls were put in and then
artificially stirred for only ten seconds. It was essentially deemed as a form
of cheating. If you have a good memory, you might even recall who is in which
ball. The editor believes that it would be better for the top four players to
directly cross positions, with the first-place player from Group A competing against
the second-place player from Group B. After all, everyone is on the same level,
and there is no guarantee for anyone to qualify. In case of equal wins, the
points would be considered, which many players might not fully comprehend.