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Teenager Nozomi a big threat

 

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Teenager Nozomi a big threat
Japan's Nozomi Okuhara has made a big among the elite players on the world stage.

Dubai - In today's opening Group A clash, she has a tough opponent to handle before going on to her second round clash on Thursday.

by

Moni Mathews
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Published: Wed 9 Dec 2015, 5:02 PM

Teenager Nozomi Okuhara who turned 21 this year, is one of the many new faces from Japan and the Far East scene to have made a big splash among the elite of women's badminton.
In today's opening Group A clash, she has a tough opponent to handle before going on to her second round clash on Thursday. The evening clash against crowd favourite Saina Nehwal will naturally be the 'feature match' of the opening day's programme in the second BWF world superseries finals in Dubai.
Nozomi made headline news when she stunned the field to grab the Japan Open superseries leg this season and since then, has been a front runner in the race to Dubai. The lively and terrific retriever, Nozomi, the former word junior champion, won her national seniors crown as a 16-year old four seasons ago.
She stretched Carolina Marin, the queen of the sport today to three gruelling sets before bowing out 17-21, 21-18, 20-22 in the Hong Kong superseries last month. Such is her record that she is one of the most feared exponents of the game by the elite in Asia and Europe.
A year earlier, Nozomi, world number 48 then, stunned Carolina inside 40 minutes with a ruthless display in both sets in the semis. Nozomi after her stunning triumph against Carolina in the last four, went down to Tai Tzu Ying, the 2014 Dubai finals winner, 19-21, 11-21.
And, one cannot forget her stupendous effort to take Japan into the Sudirman Cup final this season when she shocked 2014 Dubai superseries runner-up, Sung Ji-hyun of South Korea. Nozomi did what she does best to counter the tall and wiry Korean's long reach and steep shots. The Japanese went after every shot and the sheer persistence paid off as she subdued the tiring Sung 11-21, 21-17, 21-14.
moni@khaleejtimes.com

Moni Mathews

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