Selena Piek and Cheryl Seinen lost the group final, but the Dutch did well and showed that they are ready to challenge the best pairs in the knockout stage.

Talking about the women’s doubles category at the Tokyo Olympics, almost everybody mention the Japanese doubles as the ones to beat, if you want to become Olympic Champion. 

In the morning session of the fourth day of the Olympics, the number one seeds, Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota suffered a big loss against Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu in three games, and in the evening session, the European Games 2019 Champions tried to create another women’s doubles upset.

Ready for knockout stage
Before today’s match up, Dutch Selena Piek and Cheryl Seinen were trailing 1-2 in the head-to-head against the 2018 and 2019 World Champions, Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara, Japan, but in the first game the Dutch put up a great fight.

Both pairs were already qualified for the knockout stage after beating the Canadian and Egyptian pairs in the group but finishing one in the group will make the knockout stage a little easier. 

Japanese dominance
Piek and Seinen, who beat the Japanese at Denmark Open back in 2018, challenged the number three seeds in the opening game, but came out short despite of having a game point. The Japanese duo won the first game 24-22.

- We played the right way and kept pressure on them. We also could make some good rushes to the net, Seinen told Badminton Europe.

In the second game, Matsumoto and Nagahara took control leading 7-4 and 11-6. 

Selena Piek and Cheryl Seinen won the first two matches of the group, which secured the spot in the quarterfinals, and after losing 24-22 21-15, the Dutch pair will finish number two in Group B.

- They stepped up an moved more forward as there was a side different because of the drift. It was a little harder for us to play hard and from the back, Seinen said.

Piek/Seinen is the only European pair to make it out of the group at the Olympics. The draw for the knockout stage of the Olympic tournament will be conducted later on Tuesday.