In the opening match, Vu Thi Trang (world No. 172) delivered an impressive performance by defeating Ukraine’s young talent Yevheniia Kantemyr, who is ranked No. 127 in women’s singles and No. 24 in women’s doubles.

The first set was highly intense, with both players constantly chasing each other on the scoreboard. At the decisive moment when the score was tied 20-20, Trang showed her composure and clinched two consecutive points to close the set 22-20.

With a psychological advantage, the Vietnamese shuttler played with great confidence in the second set. She quickly overwhelmed her opponent, scored continuously, and sealed the set with a commanding 21-8 victory, securing a 2-0 overall win (22-20, 21-8). This triumph highlighted Trang’s experience and resilience against a young and ambitious rival.

In the second round, Trang will face Gao Fang Jie (China), the 14th seed and a former top-20 player in the world. Though it will be a tough challenge, Vietnamese fans hope Trang can continue to show her determination and possibly create another upset.

Earlier, Trang’s teammate Nguyen Thuy Linh stunned world No. 10 Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand), eliminating her after 44 minutes in the first round, contributing to Vietnam’s strong start at this year’s championships.

However, the men’s singles players could not replicate the success. Le Duc Phat lost 1-2 to Julien Carraggi (Belgium), while Nguyen Hai Dang was defeated 0-2 by Alwi Farhan (Indonesia), both bowing out early.

Another highlight came in the men’s doubles, where Nguyen Dinh Hoang – Tran Dinh Manh secured a convincing win over Brazil’s Izak Batalha – Matheus Voigt with a 2-0 scoreline (22-20, 21-16). In the second round, they will face a tough challenge against the 16th-seeded pair from Chinese Taipei, Lee Jhe Huei – Yang Po Hsuan.

The World Badminton Championships is getting underway in Paris from August 25 to 31.

Thuy Linh beats Ratchanok Intanon at world badminton championship

VOV.VN - Vietnam’s top female badminton player Nguyen Thuy Linh has made history after defeating former world No. 1 Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand in the first round of the women’s singles at the ongoing 2025 BWF World Championships in France.