In the first major event of the 2025 world badminton season, the Malaysia Open, Wang Zhiyi performed well in the women's singles competition, overcoming strong opponents to reach the final. Unfortunately, she lost to South Korean prodigy An Se-young and had to settle for the runner-up position. This week, Wang Zhiyi embarked on the Super 750 India Open with the national team. On this match day, Wang Zhiyi faced Japanese youngster Miyazaki Tomoka. After the start of the game, Wang Zhiyi was in good form but gradually lost control of the rhythm, allowing Miyazaki to reverse and win the first set. Subsequently, due to leg discomfort, Wang Zhiyi could not continue and chose to withdraw from the match, ending the run of the second seed early!
Born in 2006, Miyazaki Tomoka is a rising star in women's singles that Japan is currently focusing on cultivating. Although she is young, her latest world ranking has reached No. 11, and her personal strength cannot be underestimated. However, in terms of immediate combat effectiveness, there is still a gap compared to Wang Zhiyi, who is ranked second in the world.
This can also be seen from their past head-to-head records. In last season's China Badminton Open, Wang Zhiyi defeated Miyazaki Tomoka in straight sets in the final, lifting the women's singles championship trophy.
After the start of this tournament, both Wang Zhiyi and Miyazaki Tomoka encountered tenacious resistance from their opponents in the first round. Miyazaki Tomoka fought hard for three sets to eliminate Thai player Boonpiya, while Wang Zhiyi also went through a tough three-set battle to defeat American veteran Zhang Beiwen.
However, in the second round, Miyazaki Tomoka won very easily, only allowing the home player Anupama to score a total of 15 points in two sets, easily advancing with a 2-0 score. Han Yue also played three sets to eliminate Danish player Mia, giving Miyazaki Tomoka an advantage in terms of physical energy.
In the first set of the match, Wang Zhiyi quickly entered the state and seemed to be unaffected by the continuous rounds of tough battles. By making wide-ranging adjustments, she created many direct opportunities for herself in the mid-to-front court. After a 3-all tie, Wang Zhiyi scored 5 consecutive points to establish an 8-3 lead. However, after Miyazaki Tomoka took the initiative to speed up, she broke free from Wang Zhiyi's control and fully demonstrated her fast-paced characteristics, quickly leveling the score difference and entering the mid-game break at 11-10.
After the restart of the game, Wang Zhiyi still used her signature drop shots to slow down the pace. In her comfortable multi-shot drop shot exchanges, Wang Zhiyi gradually caught up to 14-all. However, after Miyazaki Tomoka took the initiative to increase the intensity, Wang Zhiyi lost control of the game and watched helplessly as her opponent made a streak to win the first set 21-16.
After the end of the first set, Wang Zhiyi withdrew from the match due to physical discomfort, which allowed Miyazaki Tomoka to defeat Wang Zhiyi for the first time in her career and confidently advanced to the women's singles semifinals.