Nguyen Thuy Linh wins overwhelmingly in her opening match at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

In the early hours of July 29th (Vietnam time), Nguyen Thuy Linh (world No. 26) entered her first badminton match at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Her opponent was Australian player Tiffany Ho (world No. 80).

With enthusiastic support from the few Vietnamese fans in the stands, Thùy Linh entered the match with great confidence and took control of the game. She completely dominated the match and gave Tiffany Ho no chance whatsoever.

Against the weakest opponent in the group, the Vietnamese badminton representative easily won after only 33 minutes of play with a score of 2-0 (21-6, 21-3).

Nguyen Thuy Linh entered the game confidently, quickly taking a comfortable lead. She maintained this advantage throughout the first game, winning 21-6.

Entering the second game, the pressure weighed heavily on Tiffany Ho, causing her to make numerous unforced errors. Only when trailing 0-10 did the Australian player manage to score her first point. Thuy Linh's feel for the ball improved compared to the first set. She only lost 3 points (21-3) to close out the match in two quick games.

Nguyen Thuy Linh will face the ninth seed, American Zhang Beiwen, in the decisive match for a place in the quarterfinals in Group K. Previously, Zhang Beiwen easily defeated Tiffany Ho in her opening match with a 2-0 victory (21-9, 21-4).

The chances of Vietnam's number one female badminton player advancing in this year's Olympics are wide open. If she plays to her potential, Thuy Linh could certainly spring a surprise against Zhang Beiwen. Her American opponent is 34 years old, and her speed and stamina are key factors that Thuy Linh can exploit in their upcoming match.

In October 2023, the two met at the Finnish Open, and Nguyen Thuy Linh won that match.

Another representative of Vietnamese badminton, Le Duc Phat, will kick off his 2024 Olympic campaign with a match against Fabian Roth of Germany at 1:30 PM on July 30th.