AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2012 – Draws to fill with hungry shuttlers

Registration for next month’s Yonex Australian Badminton Open Grand Prix Gold has now ended and, in addition to the marquee Indonesian, Japanese, and Thai players announced late last week, some big names are now expected from China and Korea.  While nearly all of the shuttlers from the reigning Thomas and Uber Cup champion teams whose Olympic qualification (click here for the latest standings) is secure will be skipping the last Grand Prix event of the London qualifying period, the Sydney tournament will be the spot to make a last grasp at crucial points for several stars from the northeast.

Chen Jin is, of course, the highest-profile entry in this category, as he struggles to catch Peter Gade and sneak into the top 4 by the end of April.  Korea’s four top singles players are all less than certain of their ability to remain in the top 16, Shon Wan Ho having slipped from that echelon last week.

Women’s doubles is one of the tightest races and apart from the world’s top four, it will be well represented in Sydney.  In the Olympic qualification race, there are currently only 3000 points separating the 14th to 18th  ranked pairs and these five may soon be grasping for only 3 spots if another Korean or Indonesian pair can sneak into the top 8.  Four of these endangered pairs have signalled their intent to play in Australia, as have Korea’s Jung/Kim and the pair they are chasing to reach the top 8, Cheng/Chien of Chinese Taipei.

Nor will Taufik Hidayat be the only player heading Down Under with his Olympic ticket already secure.  Cheng/Chien are also in that category, as are China’s Chai/Guo and Indonesia’s Ahsan/Septano in men’s doubles and over half a dozen mixed pairs.

Of course, the field is also rife with top talent from among the ranks of shuttlers not going to London.  2010 World Champion Wang Lin may be the biggest of such names but she has lots of talented company in the Chinese second-tier contingent.  Korea is sending 2010 Australian Open champion Cho Gun Woo and semi-finalist Hwang Hye Youn along with a host of talented youngsters.

Even the top European powers will have powerful teams in Australia.  Many of these will be scrambling to ensure merely that they will be their own country’s representatives at the London Olympic Games.

Visit the BWF website to see the lists of entries