Singaporean badminton player Yeo Jia Min ousted a world champion in Switzerland yesterday in a match that lasted just 40 minutes.
The 20-year-old had beat Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi in two straight sets, shuttling her into the third round of the BWF World Championships.
The Badminton World Federation said this as they shared images on Facebook of Yeo looking emotional while basking in her victory.
“From the start, I tried to focus on every point and not to make simple errors like I used to do and I tried to control my emotions,” the BWF website quoted Yeo as saying.
Yeo, who is currently 32nd in the world rankings, added that she had to be “patient and find chances to attack” a 22-year-old opponent she said was “very good in defense.”
Even the world champion herself was “surprised” by Yeo’s skills, according to the report on BWF’s website.
During a press conference, Akane said she had difficulty getting into a rhythm while competing with Yeo.
“I was playing the shuttle into areas where my opponent wanted it, instead of into difficult areas. Those are the main reasons for my loss,” she was quoted as saying.
Yeo’s win came a day after fellow Singaporean Loh Kean Yew beat India’s Sameer Verma at the men’s singles on Monday night. Yeo will go on to compete with Vietnam’s Vu Thi Trang, who is 74th in the world ranking.
Earlier this month, Yeo won her first title of the year after beating South Korea’s An Se Young at the Hyderabad Open.
Here’s hoping she also wins the BWF World Championships title when the tournament ends on Sunday. Big up and good luck, Yeo Jia Min!
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