Thắng Wang Zhiyi, Nguyễn Thùy Linh likely to face Japan’s top young star again

Nguyễn Thùy Linh continues to face formidable challenges in the opening competition of 2026.

On the afternoon of January 14th, Vietnam time, Nguyễn Thùy Linh caused a major upset at the Super 750 India Open 2026 by defeating India’s No.1 player, former World Tour Finals and World Championships champion Pusarla Venkata Sindhu, after a thrilling three-game match. This marked the third consecutive time Thùy Linh has overcome Sindhu, demonstrating the Phú Thọ native’s capability in international tournaments.

Thùy Linh’s opponent in the second round of this year’s India Open is the current world No. 2 Wang Zhiyi, who had to work hard to defeat India’s top young talent, Tanvi Sharma.

Wang Zhiyi is naturally the favorite, possessing a much higher level than the Vietnamese representative. She is currently China’s No. 1 player, having won the World Tour Finals, ASIAD, and contributed to multiple prestigious gold medals for the national team at the Uber Cup and Sudirman Cup. In their most recent encounter, Wang also defeated Thùy Linh with relative ease.

However, in sports, surprises can always happen, especially considering Wang just played a full week in Malaysia, then traveled a long distance to India with limited preparation time compared to other players.

If Nguyễn Thùy Linh manages to cause an upset against Wang Zhiyi, she is likely to face Tomoka Miyazaki in the quarterfinals.

Born in 2006, Miyazaki is one of the top young badminton talents in Japan and worldwide. She has won gold medals at the Asian and World Junior Championships, quickly established herself professionally by winning the Orleans Masters and Taipei Open, finishing runner-up at the Super 1000 China Open, qualifying for the 2025 World Tour Finals, and reaching a career-high ranking of No. 6 globally.

Thùy Linh and Miyazaki have faced each other once before at the 2024 Singapore Open, where the 19-year-old easily claimed victory.

To realize this scenario, Nguyễn Thùy Linh must surprise Wang Zhiyi, while Tomoka Miyazaki needs to defeat her compatriot Natsuki Nidaira. The match between Thùy Linh and Wang is scheduled for 11:30 AM on January 15th, Vietnam time.