Antonsen shows how to hunt for the opponent’s favourite shot – Steve’s Badminton Blog and Website

The Indonesia Open just concluded and Antonsen won it this year. It was a remarkable run by Antonsen, and the highlight match which I like to discuss is the semi-final between Antonsen and Shi Yuqi. Let’s dive into it.

In the first match, Shi Yuqi did his usual thing by moving the shuttle quickly across the court, launching rapid attacks and varying the pace of this attacks. This was so devastating and Antonsen got blitz.

Blitz is a term I use to explain things to Fred, it is the badminton equivalent of shellshock. When the player attacks and is able to win many points in quick succession, the opponent would be left in state of disbelief, confusion and a lack of self belief sets in. The opponent would have trouble even sending the simplest shots back. That is when the opponent would lose the game tamely and he would have a confused and frustrated look on his face as he gets guidance from his coach during the half game interval. It is up to the coach to snap him out of it, otherwise, the player gets and easy win, and the opponent gets an early shower and flight home.

Lee Zii Jia uses this tactic to great effect. When his attacks are successful, he appears to win easily and is unstoppable. He often is able to blitz lesser opponents on both games. But when the opponent is able to withstand his blitz, Lee Zii Jia often runs out of ideas and tends to lose when his blitz tactic don’t work.

On this day, Shi Yuqi managed to blitz Antonsen on the first game, winning it easily 21 – 9. And when Shi Yuqi was doing this, he used his favourite attack many times. His favourite attack is a short swing cross court smash, executed by intercepting the opponent’s shot before the rear service line. Shi Yuqi can execute this smash from both over the head side and the forehand side. But, his preference is to his it from over the head, across the court.

After a disasterous first game, Antonsen and his brother, who is his coach, identified that attack. When Shi Yuqi goes on the attack, he will likely choose to get the point using that move. So Antonsen was going to hunt for that move in order to counter it.

But that was not the only thing Antonsen as to do. He has to increase the pace and move faster. He has to take the initiative and attack Shi Yuqi in order to limit his oppotunities to attack. And when Shi Yuqi does attack, he needs to be ready for that move.

One example of this was the rally when the score was at 8 to Shi Yuqi at 11 to Antonsen. Antonsen kept the shuttle low as often as he could, limiting the opportunity for Shi Yuqi to attack. And when Shi Yuqi had the chance to attack, he launches his favourite shot. Antonsen was hunting for it, so he could get it back. Eventually Antonsen lost that rally, but the signal has been sent. He was hunting for Shi Yuqi’s favourite shot, and he was getting them back.

Shi Yuqi noticed that, and he put some variation into his attack by hitting cross court to the other side. Antonsen was for it too. If he was going to hunt for the cross court smash, it makes sense to hunt for cross court smashes to the other side too!

With a player of Shi Yuqi’s calibre, even when hunting for that attack, Antonsen is not going to be able to retrieve each and every one. Occasionally, Shi Yuqi is going to be able to make his smash count. As it showed when it was 17 – 20 to Antonsen’s favour. But at that point, it does not matter much as Shi Yuqi lost the next point and Antonsen took the second game 18 – 21.

When Antonsen was leading 11-6 in the 3rd game, Shi Yuqi launched his favourite attack again, and Antonsen managed to defend it. Antonsen’s game plan of pressuring Shi Yuqi was working, In the few chances where Shi Yuqi was able to launch an attack with his smash, he chose to do his favourite smash, and Antonsen was waiting for it.

Antonsen was really dictating the game now. Shi Yuqi was not able to score points easily anymore. And with his desperation, he was using his favourite attack even more, even when the situation was not ideal for that smash. And that only made it easier for Antonsen to defend against it, and even get points from defending against it.

It was a remarkable turnaround by Antonsen. In the first game he was really down and out. He turned it around by playing a more aggressive game and leaving Shi Yuqi with less chances to attack. And Shi Yuqi did attack, he neutralized Shi Yuqi’s most potent weapon. This left Shi Yuqi frustrated and he had to resort to ways of getting points which are not part of his usual game.

It can be said that Shi Yuqi became world number 1 by relying on his favourite smash. It is not an exaggeration. The last time he met Antonsen and played his usual game, Antonsen had no answer to this smash. Every long rally ended with Shi Yuqi winning the point using this smash or its variation for the other side. Shi Yuqi got comfortable with his favourite attack. Too comfortable. When Antonsen took it out of the equation, he had to resort to other means to win points, which he seem to have got a bit lazy on preparing for these types of situations.

In the 3rd game, Shi Yuqi looked like he was out of ideas. He relied on long rallies and simple attacks. It took a toll on him physically. Antonsen is much fitter as he trains like a long distance runner. He is prepared to go the distance. Shi Yuqi, with his build, seems more like a powerful sprinter, not a long distance runner. And as Shi Yuqi got more fatigued, the less clearer his thoughts were. And that let Antonsen to read his game and control him.

Antonsen was a deserved winner on this day, and ultimately the Indonesia Open. It was very well played. Well done, Antonsen. I enjoy his antics on his YouTube channel a lot. To have someone so entertaining and is also such a top player is rare. Keep it up!

That’s it for this entry.

Until the next entry, eat well, get plenty of rest and keep the badminton going!