Badminton

Nguyễn Thùy Linh in action during the German Open final. She finished in second place. Photos of BWF

HÀ NỘI — Nguyễn Thùy Linh finished second at the German Open badminton tournament which closed on March 3 at Westenergie Sporthalle, Muelheim.

The Vietnamese No. 1 and tournament's No. 7 seed lost 21-11, 21-9 to No. 6 seed Mia Blichfeldt of Denmark in the women's singles final match.

Blichfeldt was world No. 22 while Linh placed No. 23 in the world. They were considered at equal level but Linh seemed a title favourite after she defeated the tournament's No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in previous matches.

However, Blichfeldt, who lost to Linh at the World Junior Mixed Team Championships in 2014, exceeded her rival in all facets. She was taller, stronger and more skillful, quickly wrapping up both two sets with ease.

Despite her great effort, Linh could not find a solution to stop Blichfeldt, who then topped the podium and walked away with 7,000 points to prove her world ranking.

Nguyễn Thùy Linh (right) and Mia Blichfeldt of Denmark pose for photos after German Open women's singles final.

Linh pocketed 5,950 points from her first Super 300 Tour event final and will return to the world top 20 this week.

She will remain in Europe to take part in tournaments in France (Mar 5-10), England (Mar 12-17), Switzerland (Mar 19-24) and Spain (Marr 26-31). These activities are part of her plan to become a seeded player at the Paris Olympics this summer. VNS