As the qualification rounds of the VICTOR Denmark Masters 2023 concluded in the afternoon, the stage was set for top athletes to showcase their skills in the first matches of the main draw.
In the men's singles category, Chinese Taipei’s Wang Po-Wei, who claimed the Bonn International last week, navigated through the qualification rounds and is set to face off against Azerbaijan’s Ade Resky Dwicahyo in an exciting clash tomorrow. Joining them in the main draw are, among others, Norway’s Markus Barth and England’s Johnnie Torjussen, who demonstrated their prowess on the court.
“It was good to get a win. He’s the seeded player so I’m going in as a slight underdog, but I’m glad I could win it in two games,” said Torjussen after his first win in the qualifications; the English player took out the qualification’s number eight seed B. R. Sankeerth, Canada, 21-15 21-19.
From the RSL BEC Centre of Excellence, Dane Josefine Redkjær Jensen and Ukraine’s Anna Mikhalkova emerged as qualifiers for the main draw. For Mikhalkova, this marked a remarkable comeback, having been away from competitions since the European Mixed Team Championships back in February.
Reflecting on her return, she expressed her excitement, stating, "I've been a little bit nervous before stepping on court, but it is very nice to feel 'hungry' to play again." The Centre of Excellence player has been preparing thoroughly for her comeback in the circuit. “In the last few months, I have been working a lot with our new physical coach Søren Gravholt on the weight training side, which gives me a lot of stability in court.
The Ukrainian player triumphed in straight games, 21-13 21-15, against Dane Frederikke Østergaard. “I felt great in today’s match. I managed to follow the tactics and felt very much in control. My opponent was very good at the net play in the second game, so I am glad I managed to stay in top of my game.”
The thrilling action from the main draw has already commenced
The first few main draw matches took place already today, with some first round men's doubles and women's doubles matches. In a hard-fought battle, Danes Amalie Cecilie Kudsk and Signe Schulz displayed their skills, clinching the first game against England's Abbygael Harris and Annie Lado. However, the English duo fought back valiantly, eventually securing victory, 16-21, 21-10, 21-18.
Another notable performance came from Denmark's Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard, who faced France's Eloi Adam and Leo Rossi. Despite still being a recent partnership, the Danish duo showcased dominance, cruising to a convincing win on home soil, 21-9 21-10. Tomorrow, they will be facing Malaysia’s Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap.
As the first day draws to a close, athletes prepare for the busy day ahead tomorrow, with the remaining main draw first round matches taking place first, followed by the second round. Matches will be commencing a 9.00am (CEST), and fans can
watch all matches live on badmintoneurope.tv.