Denmark Open: An Solid on Return

An Se Young - VICTOR DENMARK OPEN - Badmintonphoto

An Se Young made her return to the badminton court after her Olympic gold.

This article is written by BWF.

“I am a full 10 out of 10 happy to be back on court,” exclaimed An Se Young after making a welcomed return to competition at the VICTOR Denmark Open 2024 since winning Olympic gold in Paris in the summer.

The Korean had taken a break from badminton after her victorious moment defeating He Bing Jiao in the final in the French capital to great acclaim.

“I was nervous but I am happy to be back after winning the Olympics,” added the Olympic champion who was all smiles after winning her opener 21-16 21-8 to Pornpicha Choeikeewong.

“I was trying to adjust to the conditions in the first game, read the drift of the hall and get that on-court feeling back. I loved stepping out onto the badminton court, it’s my happy place. I had a lot of time off after Paris. I needed it to recover from my injury, which isn’t 100 per cent yet, but I’m getting there.”

The 22-year-old was happy to be playing in Odense after skipping the tournament in 2023.

“Denmark is lovely and clean. I’m glad I could return here [Denmark] and play in front of the fans. It’s also great to be back on tour with my teammates. I missed it but I got to spend time with my family and friends and do the things I enjoy like eating Korean BBQ.”

An will play the winner of Ratchanok Intanon or Yvonne Li’s match in the second round.

→ Results (Day 1)
→ Order of play (Day 2)

WHAT OTHERS SAID:

“I had a six-month break after an injury to my meniscus. I have played two tournaments since and it still feels tight but my movement feels okay. I want to be risky with my shot playing but also want to make sure I don’t get injured again.” – Benyapa Aimsaard on making a return to the World Tour circuit.

“Life since the Olympics has changed quite a lot. I sign a lot of autographs and Wang Chang has to run away from girl fans chasing him, haha!.” – Liang Wei Keng speaks about life after Olympic silver.

“I was so excited to make my debut at the Denmark Open at a home event. I have been coming to Odense for years to watch the Open and it’s really unbelievable to see my heroes like Hendra Setiawan walking around. I would love to meet him.” – Rasmus Espersen on how special the Denmark Open is to him.

“I’m always learning new things from players. Badminton is a learning process and the more I play the top players, the better I can become. The aim is to become world No.1.” – Reigning world champion, Kunlavut Vitidsarn stays humble on what he can do to be the best.

“I was the one who called Robin Tabeling as I was without a partner and I didn’t know what his plan was until I saw his Instagram post after the Olympics. So I hit him up and said ‘I’m up for it if you are.'” – Alexandra Baje on how her partnership with Dutch shuttler, Tabeling got started.

The VICTOR DENMARK OPEN 2024 draw is here

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One week from now this years VICTOR DENMARK OPEN launches in Jyske Bank Arena, Odense from 15.- 20. October. Find out who is seeded in the tournament and link to the draw. 

We look forward to welcoming you to yet another edition of the world’s second oldest international tournament, the VICTOR DENMARK OPEN.

For the third year in a row, it will take place at Jyske Bank Arena in Odense, which will be filled with the world’s best badminton players throughout the week.
On Tuesday, the draw for the Super 750 tournament was made. Get an overview of the entire draw here.
Below you can see who the seeds are in each category:

Men’s Singles:

  1. Viktor Axelsen
  2. Anders Antonsen
  3. Lee Zii Jia
  4. Jonatan Christie
  5. Kodai Naraoka
  6. Kunlavut Vitidsarn
  7. Li Shi Feng
  8. Anthony Ginting

Women’s Singles:

  1. An Se Young
  2. Wang Zhi Yi
  3. Akane Yamaguchi
  4. Han Yue
  5. Gregoria Tunjung
  6. Aya Ohori
  7. Supanida Katethong
  8. Busanan Ongbamrungphan

Men’s Doubles:

  1. Liang/Wang
  2. Astrup/Skaarup
  3. Kang/Seo
  4. Chia/Soh
  5. He/Ren
  6. Alfian/Ardianto
  7. Goh/Izzudin
  8. Hoki/Kobayashi

Women’s Doubles:

  1. Liu/Tan
  2. Baek/Lee
  3. Shida/Matsuyama
  4. Nakanishi/Iwanaga
  5. Tan/Thinaah
  6. Kim/Jeong
  7. Kim/Kong
  8. Li/Luo

Mixed Doubles:

  1. Feng/Huang
  2. Jiang/Wei
  3. Kim/Jeong
  4. Tang/Tse
  5. Goh/Lai
  6. Toft/Magelund
  7. Cheng/Zhang
  8. Yang/Hu

VICTOR DENMARK OPEN 2024 will be played from October 15th to 20th.

 

Debutant: – I Guess You Could Call it a Small Dream

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Danish rising star Mads Vestergaard is set to make his debut at this year’s VICTOR DENMARK OPEN. In this article, we explore his experience transitioning to higher-level tournaments and his preparations for the mixed doubles category ahead of the event.

When Mads Vestergaard steps onto the court at Jyske Bank Arena in Odense for this year’s VICTOR DENMARK OPEN, it will mark the first time a Danish audience sees him compete at such a high level on home soil. It’s an event that not only the crowd can look forward to – Vestergaard himself has been eagerly awaiting this debut for a long time. 

He said, “It’s something you watch as a young player and think, wow, I want that to be me someday, competing in front of this Danish audience. So, it means a lot to be able to participate.” 

The twenty-two-year-old Dane, who competes in both mixed doubles with Christine Busch and men’s doubles with Daniel Lundgaard, has already claimed titles at the Scottish Open, Estonian Challenge, Polish Open, and Abu Dhabi Masters. In February, Vestergaard was awarded Comet of the Year 2023 by Badminton Denmark’s sports management. Now, at this year’s VICTOR DENMARK OPEN, he can add participation in a Super 750 tournament on home soil to his résumé. 

He added, “It means a lot to be able to compete on home soil in such a big tournament. It’s only in the last year that we’ve started to compete in tournaments at this level.” 

While Mads Vestergaard has only just begun to take on bigger tournaments, he has already managed to achieve great results. In June 2024, Mads Vestergaard and Christine Busch reached the semi-finals at the Super 750 tournament Singapore Open. 

“I think we’re in a good place right now,” said Mads Vestergaard. “Towards the end of the summer, we made significant progress, playing some excellent matches in Singapore. In men’s doubles, I helped defeat the world number one, and Christine and I reached the semi-finals in mixed doubles. So, I’d say we have a stronger belief that, on our best days, when everything is right, we can challenge and also beat some of the very best.” 

Vestergaard is well aware that moving up to bigger tournaments means being challenged in new ways. Suddenly, he and his partners are entering tournaments unseeded, often facing higher-ranked opponents. This shift has influenced how he approaches each match. 

He said, “It’s a somewhat different way of approaching tournaments now, knowing that if you’re not at one hundred percent and performing at your absolute best, you probably won’t win the matches.” 

Vestergaard highlights the pace among top competitors in mixed doubles as a particular challenge: 

“They’re incredibly fast, especially the Asians are extremely fast and often hit with great force. We talk a lot about how important it is to adapt to the fact that when we play against the best, the matches move at a very fast pace.” 

Regardless of how Mads Vestergaard and Christine Busch perform against some of the world’s best mixed doubles competitors at the Victor Denmark Open, making their debut is undoubtedly a significant milestone for the young Dane. 

“I guess you could call it a small dream. And not everyone gets to experience it. After all, you need to be ranked in the top thirty-two in the world to qualify for the tournament. So, it means a lot, and it’s one of the tournaments I’m probably looking forward to the most. It’s the kind of tournament you count down to a little more than usual because it has such big significance.”

Fan Guide: How to Experience the VICTOR DENMARK OPEN as a Spectator

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Are you unsure about when you should be at the arena? Do you want an autograph from your favorite player but don’t know how to get one? Or are you just curious about what it’s like to be a spectator at a major tournament like the VICTOR DENMARK OPEN? We have compiled the most pressing questions and answers in this guide so that you are well-prepared.

When should you be there?
Matches start at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. On Friday, we start at 12 p.m., on Saturday at 9 a.m., and on Sunday at 12 p.m. Doors open half an hour before the start on the first three days, one hour before on Friday and Saturday, and at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.
There are badminton matches scheduled throughout the day, with the last matches ending in the evening. You can come whenever it suits you, so if you have work during the day, you can still catch plenty of matches.

How many matches does the ticket cover?
Your ticket grants access to all matches throughout the day. From Tuesday to Thursday, three courts are in use simultaneously. On Friday, during the quarterfinals, two courts are in use, while Saturday’s semifinals and Sunday’s finals are played on one court. This means that with your ticket, you can watch many different matches and enjoy a lot of badminton action.

What can you do besides watching badminton?
There are plenty of activities in the spectator area to keep you entertained in addition to following the matches. Last year, spectators could, for example, participate in a competition organized by former world champion Thomas Laybourn, play a duel against Hans Kristian Vittinghus, test their precision with a racket, shop for lots of badminton gear, and much more. Similar activities will be arranged this year, so check out the spectator area and listen for announcements from the hall speaker.
Additionally, you can meet several different robots in the arena. Try your hand at tic-tac-toe against a robot or use another robot as your personal info guide. 

Where can you get food?
In the hall’s street food area, you can find a delicious selection of food with a focus on sustainability initiatives. Therefore, the menu includes fewer dishes with beef and more meat-free alternatives. The ingredients are as local as possible and are delivered to the arena in electric vehicles.

Can you get autographs and pictures with the players?
Yes! Autograph sessions will be arranged in the spectator area where you can get both pictures and autographs from the stars. These sessions will be announced by the hall speaker, so stay alert if you want to secure an autograph or a picture.
If your favorite player is not participating in one of the official autograph sessions, there is still hope. Many players stop to give autographs and take pictures on their way out of the hall after their matches. So, if you stand ready by the barrier where the players pass, you might be lucky enough to catch them. However, remember that flash photography is not allowed in the hall as it can distract the players on the court.

What is good badminton atmosphere according to the players?
We give the floor to Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup, who provide some good advice on how to create the best badminton atmosphere in the hall.
Anders Skaarup: – The approach should be to cheer too much rather than too little. It doesn’t have to be quiet during all rallies either. One of the things we particularly enjoyed about Royal Arena and the Olympics was the great enthusiasm and joy for the game. As much as possible, let loose a bit. It doesn’t just have to be shouting a name and then clapping. There should be as much noise as possible. I think that would also be cool for the other spectators.
Kim Astrup: – We definitely get a bit more adrenaline from having thousands of spectators sitting there in Odense with us. It certainly gives us a lot of positive energy to feel that the audience is with us in the match and wants us to win.

The ticket sales for VICTOR DENMARK OPEN 2023 are on

The ticket sales for VICTOR DENMARK OPEN 2023 is now on. Go to ticketmaster.dk to get your ticket before it is sold out.

Finally, it is possible to buy your access to the unforgettable badminton adventures, that the VICTOR DENMARK OPEN 2023 can provide.

Although the ticket sales has just kicked off, you have to be fast. Recent years, different ticket types have been completely sold out in just a few flashes.

Signing autographs, Kids Area, competitions and VIP Zone will be available, and so will all the greatest stars and icons of the badminton world!

See you in Odense, once again, this October from 17-22 in Jyske Bank Arena!