SAIPAN — A 2024 Olympic silver medalist and the tournament’s number-one seeds went down on day three of the Yonex Northern Marianas Open, with semifinals in all five disciplines set for 3 p.m. Saturday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.
Japan’s Tori Aizawa and Hina Osawa marked their first international outing as a duo in nearly a year with a statement win in mixed doubles, toppling Jeong Na Eun, a silver medalist at the 2024 Paris Games, and partner Cho Song Hyun 21-16, 13-21, 21-8.
Aizawa doubled down on the day, teaming with Daisuke Sano to take an all-Japanese men’s doubles quarterfinal over Naoya Kawashima and Kota Ogawa 21-8, 21-17.
Korea’s Moon In Seo and Park Seul pulled off the day’s biggest upset, running down an early lead from top-seeded Americans Audrey Chang and Jasmine Yeung to win 21-18, 21-19.
Defending women’s singles champion Sakura Masuki of Japan survived a tight one, holding off Hirari Mizui 21-19, 25-23, while compatriot Koo Takahashi powered past Chinese Taipei’s Zhe Ying Wu 21-8, 21-14.
Saturday’s semifinals include top men’s doubles pair Wei Chun Wei and Po Chih Yang of Chinese Taipei against Korea’s Jin Sung Ik and Lee Hyeong Woo, and an all-Japanese women’s singles semifinal between rising talent Nayu Shirakawa and Nodoka Sunakawa.
The tournament and the Crowne Plaza Saipan International that follows are the first international sporting events held in the CNMI since Super Typhoon Sinlaku struck in April, drawing more than 200 athletes and officials from 20 countries. Admission is free, and matches on courts one and two are streamed live on the Badminton Oceania TV YouTube channel.
