VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam’s badminton player Nguyen Tien Minh has cruised to the third round of the Japan Open Tournament after defeating Kento Momota from the host country 2-1 on September 19.

Minh clinched victory after three sets of fierce competition lasting nearly 90 minutes against Japanese rival Kento Momota, who ranks 35th in the world.

Minh, who is seeded No5, had a few draws at this year, including one with young player Kento Momota who had lost to the Vietnamese rival twice in their previous matches.

In September 19 match, Minh led 21-17 the first set, but the situation was reversed in the second set when he failed to maintain his active role, thus losing 21-19 to Kento Momota.

At the beginning of the third decisive set, Vietnam’s top player was put under heavy pressure when the Japanese competitor scored many consecutive points in a row.

However, thanks to his outstanding performance, Minh successfully narrowed the gap and finally finished the game with an impressive score of 21-15.

Entering the tournament’s third round, Minh will meet Indian rival Ajay Jayaram (seeded No.30).

Source: VOV