Priyanshu Rajawat announced himself on the World Badminton scene in style as he defeated big names like top-seed Kenta Nishimoto and Nhat Nguyen in straight sets in second round and the semi-final respectively.
The 2023 edition of the Orlean Masters tournament which is the final tournament in the European leg of the BWF World Tour began on 4th April and culminated on the 9th April. The Super 300 event featured top-seed players like Kenta Nishimoto, Kanta Tsuneyama, Carolina Marin, and Beiwin Zhang.
After a lot of withdrawals and a certain number of interesting results, the 2023 Orlean Masters proved worthy of the Super 300 category after being recently upgraded from the Super 100 level of the BWF World Tour.
Priyanshu Rajawat clinches Men’s Singles Title
By defeating Denmark’s Magnus Johannesen in the Men’s Singles final, the 21-year old Indian shuttler brought back home the title after eleven years, Anand Pawar being the last Indian shuttler to bag it in 2012.
Priyanshu won his first BWF title by winning the first game by scoring 21-15 and the last game by 21-16 points against the Danish opponent. The second game was won by Johannesen by a close score of 21-19.
Priyanshu drew attention with his ground-breaking performance in Pro Badminton League 2020. His consistent performance throughout the Orleans Masters tournament displayed not only his calibre but also his ability to achieve victory.
Not only this, the nimble-feet shuttler defeated top seed players like Kiran George in the first round, World No. 12 Nishimoto in the second, Chi Yu Jen in the quarters and Nhat Nguyen in the semi-final of the tournament on the way to the final.
His unique deceptive techniques and ability to engage in rallies drew a lot of appreciation in the circuit. The rising star of the Indian badminton circuit is admired for his lightning-speed footwork and quick reflexes. Priyanshu has not only brought the first Men’s Singles title home this year for India but has also restored interest and admiration for the sport.
Carolina Marin defeats Beiwen Zhang to clinch Women’s Singles Title
The Spanish Star Carolina Marin kicked off her 2023 start with a ground-breaking win against Chinese-born American shuttler Beiwen Zhang in a 3-game battle at BWF World Tour Super 300 Orleans Masters.
Marin led the match by scoring 25-23 in the first and 21-10 in the third game. The second game was quite a shock when she lost it by 12 points. Somberness sat in the decider but the Spaniard’s befitting comeback was a treat for her fans as she did not lose another point, taking 13 in succession to complete her victory in 65 minutes. This was Marin’s first win since January’s Indonesia Masters final and thus very significant for her.
By winning the third game, the 29-year old shuttler bagged her Women’s singles title at Orleans Masters 2023 on Sunday. With her World tour rank at 4, Marin has always set a high bar for her challengers and once again, she managed to get this title despite recovering from a knee injury recently.
Other Important Results
Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei win their first-ever BWF World Tour title
Chen Tang Hie and Toh Ee Wei clinched their first BWF World Tour title as the Malaysian pair defeated Ye Hong-wei and Lee Chia-hsin 21-19, 21-17 in the Mixed Doubles’ final.
In Men’s Doubles, Chen Boyang and Liu Yi also won in straights sets in the final against third-seed pairing of Bagas Maulana and Fikri Shohibul as the Indonesian pair once again fell short of winning the title.
Sixth-seed pairing of Rena Miyaura and Ayako Sakuramoto won the title in the Women’s Doubles category as the Japanese pair defeated China’s Lenu Shengshu and Tan Ning 21-19, 16-21, and 21-12 in the final.
Among the Indians, Saina Nehwal and Men’s Doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty had to withdraw after entering the draw prematurely ending their respective BWF European tours. The highlight of the tournament was the top-notch performance by rising star Priyanshu Rajawat from India.