Akane Yamaguchi

Akane Yamaguchi
Akane Yamaguchi at Indonesia Open Super Series Premier 2015
Personal information
Country  Japan
Born (1997-06-06) 6 June 1997
Katsuyama, Fukui, Japan
Height 1.56 m (5 ft 1 in)
Weight 55 kg (121 lb)
Handedness Right
Women's singles
Highest ranking 1 (19 April 2018)
Current ranking 2 (13 September 2018)
BWF profile

Akane Yamaguchi (山口 茜, Yamaguchi Akane, born 6 June 1997) is a Japanese badminton player who is a singles specialist.[1] She is also part of Kumamoto Saishunkan Badminton team.[2] Yamaguchi occupied the No. 1 BWF women's singles ranking in 19 April 2018, becoming the first Japanese player to achieve it.[3]

Career

Yamaguchi is one of the Japanese teenage prodigies whom many people predict to be future elite women's singles competitors. She reached the finals of the BWF World Junior Championships three years in a row, winning silver at the 2012 BWF World Junior Championships in Chiba, Japan and winning the gold twice, once at the 2013 BWF World Junior Championships in Bangkok, Thailand and once at the 2014 BWF World Junior Championships in Alor Setar, Malaysia.[4]

At the age of 16 years and 3 months, Yamaguchi became the youngest player ever to win the BWF Super Series tournament by beating her compatriot Shizuka Uchida in the final of 2013 Japan Super Series. This was also the first time that a Japanese woman won the home event in the ladies' singles at the Japan Open. This was a historic first ever Japan Open victory for the home country.[5]

In 2016, Yamaguchi won her second Super Series title at the Korea Open, beating Sung Ji Hyun, the 5th seed.[6] She followed this with a win at the Denmark Open held at Odense, making her only the third non-Chinese women's singles player to win two consecutive super series. The only other non-Chinese players to do so were Tai Tzu Ying, Ratchanok Intanon and Tine Baun.

On her way to victory at Denmark, she also beat double world champion and olympic gold medallist Carolina Marin in a close three set match as well as her teammate Nozomi Okuhara, whom she had never beaten prior to the Olympic games.

On 19 April 2018, she made another history to become the first Japanese player to achieve world rank number 1 in singles discipline.[7]

Achievements

BWF World Championships

Women's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
2018 Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre, Nanjing, China India P. V. Sindhu 16–21, 22–24 Bronze

Asian Games

Women's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
2018 Istora Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, Indonesia India P. V. Sindhu 17–21, 21–15, 10–21 Bronze

Asian Championships

Women's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
2017 Wuhan Sports Center Gymnasium, Wuhan, China Chinese Taipei Tai Tzu-ying 21–18, 11–21, 18–21 Silver

East Asian Games

Women's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
2013 Binhai New Area Dagang Gymnasium, Tianjin, China China Wang Shixian 21–19, 19–21, 16–21 Bronze

Youth Olympic Games

Girls' singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
2014 Nanjing Sport Institute, Nanjing, China China He Bingjiao 24–22, 21–23, 17–21 Silver

BWF World Junior Championships

Girls' singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
2014 Stadium Sultan Abdul Halim, Alor Setar, Malaysia China He Bingjiao 14–21, 21–18, 21–13 Gold
2013 Hua Mark Indoor Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand Japan Aya Ohori 21–11, 21–13 Gold
2012 Chiba Port Arena, Chiba, Japan Japan Nozomi Okuhara 12–21, 9–21 Silver

Asian Youth Games

Mixed doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2013 Nanjing Sport Institute,
Nanjing, China		 Japan Minoru Koga Thailand Dechapol Puavaranukroh
Thailand Puttita Supajirakul		 21–19, 19–21, 21–17 Gold

Asian Junior Championships

Girls' singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
2014 Taipei Gymnasium, Taipei, Chinese Taipei China Chen Yufei 21–11, 16–21, 21–13 Gold
2012 Gimcheon Indoor Stadium, Gimcheon, South Korea Japan Nozomi Okuhara 19–21, 9–21 Bronze

BWF World Tour

The BWF World Tour, announced on 19 March 2017 and implemented in 2018,[8] is a series of elite badminton tournaments, sanctioned by Badminton World Federation (BWF). The BWF World Tour are divided into six levels, namely World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 750, Super 500, Super 300 (part of the HSBC World Tour), and the BWF Tour Super 100.[9]

Women's singles

Year Tournament Level Opponent Score Result
2018 All England Open Super 1000 Chinese Taipei Tai Tzu-ying 20–22, 13–21 2nd, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2018 German Open Super 300 China Chen Yufei 21–19, 6–21, 21–12 1st, gold medalist(s) Winner

BWF Superseries

The BWF Superseries, launched on 14 December 2006 and implemented in 2007, is a series of elite badminton tournaments, sanctioned by Badminton World Federation (BWF). BWF Superseries has two levels: Superseries and Superseries Premier. A season of Superseries features twelve tournaments around the world, which introduced since 2011, with successful players invited to the Superseries Finals held at the year end.

Women's singles

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result
2017 Dubai World Superseries Finals India P. V. Sindhu 15–21, 21–12, 21–19 1st, gold medalist(s) Winner
2017 China Open China Gao Fangjie 21–13, 21–15 1st, gold medalist(s) Winner
2017 French Open Chinese Taipei Tai Tzu-ying 4–21, 16–21 2nd, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2017 Denmark Open Thailand Ratchanok Intanon 21–14, 15–21, 19–21 2nd, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2017 Australian Open Japan Nozomi Okuhara 12–21, 23–21, 17–21 2nd, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2016 Denmark Open Chinese Taipei Tai Tzu-ying 19–21, 21–14, 21–12 1st, gold medalist(s) Winner
2016 Korea Open South Korea Sung Ji-hyun 20–22, 21–15, 21–18 1st, gold medalist(s) Winner
2015 Japan Open Japan Nozomi Okuhara 18–21, 12–21 2nd, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2014 China Open India Saina Nehwal 12–21, 20–22 2nd, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2013 Japan Open Japan Shizuka Uchida 21–15, 21–19 1st, gold medalist(s) Winner
     BWF Superseries Finals tournament
     BWF Superseries Premier tournament
     BWF Superseries tournament

BWF Grand Prix

The BWF Grand Prix has two levels, Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It is a series of badminton tournaments, sanctioned by Badminton World Federation (BWF) since 2007.

Women's singles

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result
2017 German Open Spain Carolina Marín Walkover 1st, gold medalist(s) Winner
2015 Bitburger Open Thailand Busanan Ongbumrungpan 16–21, 21–14, 21–13 1st, gold medalist(s) Winner
2013 New Zealand Open China Deng Xuan 17–21, 21–18, 20–22 2nd, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
     BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament
     BWF Grand Prix tournament

BWF International Challenge/Series

Women's singles

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result
2013 Osaka International Japan Kaori Imabeppu 20–22, 16–21 2nd, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
     BWF International Challenge tournament
     BWF International Series tournament

References

  1. ↑ "Players: Akane Yamaguchi". bwfbadminton.com. Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  2. ↑ "山口 茜". www.saishunkan-badminton.jp (in Japanese). くまもと再春館製薬所バドミントンチーム. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  3. ↑ "Akane Yamaguchi Becomes First Japanese Player to Achieve World Singles No. 1!". Yonex. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  4. ↑ "Worlds were not enough for national champion Yamaguchi". www.badzine.net. Badzine.net. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  5. ↑ "Akane Yamaguchi signals generational shift in women's singles". www.sportskeeda.com. Sportskeeda. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  6. ↑ "Akane Yamaguchi Wins Second Superseries Title at Korea Open". yonex.com. Yonex. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  7. ↑ "Akane Yamaguchi Becomes First Japanese Player to Achieve World Singles No. 1!". yonex.com. Yonex. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  8. ↑ "BWF Launches New Events Structure". Badminton World Federation. 29 November 2017.
  9. ↑ "Action-Packed Season Ahead!". Badminton World Federation. 15 January 2018.
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