Nguyen Thuy Linh faces Japan's 'badminton beauty' at Swiss Open 2026

Fans will witness a "beauty showdown" in the round of 16 at this year's Swiss Open.

Vietnam's current number 1 badminton player - Nguyen Thuy Linh struggled to advance past the first round of the Super 350 Swiss Open 2026 after rallying to defeat Yvonne Li (Germany) late on March 11 Hanoi time.

That match was extremely challenging for Thuy Linh. The Vietnamese representative started poorly, quickly fell behind Yvonne Li, and lost heavily 11-21 in the first game. Despite some subsequent difficulties, the "Vietnamese badminton beauty" demonstrated her class and commendable competitive spirit, overcoming all pressure to end the hopes of her opponent, a seven-time German national champion, to create an upset.

Thuy Linh's next "obstacle" in Basel, Switzerland this year was quickly determined thereafter. She will face Tomoka Miyazaki, the world's number 9 and current Japan's number 2 player.

Miyazaki, born in 2006, is one of the hottest young stars in the world badminton scene currently. She possesses a fresh, bright appearance, always radiating positive energy, along with proven ability in many major tournaments.

In late 2023, Miyazaki gradually gained attention by winning the Super 100 Indonesia Masters 2 and becoming runner-up at the Super 300 Korea Masters. However, it was in the following season that the name of the Japanese prodigy truly became widely known to the broader badminton fanbase.

In 2024, Miyazaki excellently earned the silver medal at the Super 1000 China Open - losing only to Wang Zhiyi, won the Orleans Masters, helped the Japanese team win bronze at the Uber Cup, and claimed the All Japan Championship title. She reached her career-best ranking in June 2025 at world number 6, though her progress has since slowed somewhat.

In the first round of this year's Swiss Open, the 19-year-old player defeated her compatriot Hina Akechi in just two games. She is the tournament's number 3 seed.

In the past, Thuy Linh and Miyazaki met once in the first round of the Singapore Open 2024, where the Vietnamese representative lost 13-21; 15-21.

The "beauty showdown" in the round of 16 of Swiss Open 2026 between Nguyen Thuy Linh and Tomoka Miyazaki is scheduled to take place at 20:45 on March 12 Hanoi time. The match will be held on court 4, as the fourth match (following the women's doubles match Lin Chih-chun/Yang Chu-yun vs Ling Fang-hu/Jheng Yu-chieh).

If she surprises Miyazaki, Thuy Linh will face Kaloyana Nalbantova (Bulgaria) or Lin Hsiang-ti (Taipei, China) in the quarterfinals.