JOHNSON 5, WASHINGTON 2
Usually by this time of year, the badminton season has already crowned their champions. This is not a “usual” year with state titles coming in the next 14 days. Today St. Paul featured the top two teams fighting for the city title. This is usually a harbinger of state titles.
Today it was the host Governors getting revenge over the Eagles for an earlier 4-3 loss on the road. For the past 10 competitive seasons it has been the Johnson dynasty that holds the crown. Washington will have a share of the title for the first time—-provided Washington and Johnson win Tuesday’s matchups with Highland Park and Humboldt respectively.
Adjustments in the line up were made by each team since that match Washington win. For Johnson Yeng Lai Thao was at second singles. Today she was back at her usual third singles spot. Julie Xiong, the usual second singles, missed the first contest.
In the first meeting Washington won three singles. Today it was a Johnson sweep of four. The exact reverse happened in the doubles from the first meeting. In fact it was the first loss of the year for the Johnson second and third doubles team today.
Three matches went to three sets with Washington getting both doubles wins at second and third in this manner. In both cases they won the first and third set. At second singles Julie Xiong needed to win two in a row after dropping the first set. She took the next two sets by the narrow margin of 21-19. There were six two point wins on the day. The Washington third doubles team of Cho Cho Oo & Dun Htoo had two two point set wins, including the only extra point set of the day in their first set.
This probably is not the last time these two rivals will see each other. Going into today’s match Washington was #1, Johnson #2. That will shift in the final poll on Wednesday morning. Another rendezvous is expected in the finals of the state.
SINGLES
1. Song Yang, J def Cinderella Nwe 21-12, 21-5
2. Julie Xiong, J def Rain Htoo 17-21, 21-19, 21-19
3. Yeng Lai Thao, J def Yuelia Chang 21-13, 21-18
4. Sandy Yang, J def Camille Dokken 21-16, 21-16
DOUBLES
1. Stacy Yang/ Phoo Phyo, J def Your Paw/ Ku Gay Tha 21-19, 21-16
2. Brianna Yang / Seng Hang, W def Mor Yang / Sandy Vang 21-13, 19-21, 21-12
3. Cho Cho Oo / Dun Htoo, W def Ia Chang / Pang Thao 22-20, 17-21, 21-19
BY THE NUMBERS
SINGLES
Matches: Johnson 4-0 1.000
Games: Johnson 8-1 .889
points: Johnson 185-139 .571
Set 1 points: Johnson 80-62 .563
Set 2 points: Johnson 84-58 .592
Set 3 points: Johnson 21-19 .525
decided by 10+: Johnson 1-0 1.000
decided by 3-: Johnson 3-0 1.000
margin: Johnson 5.111
DOUBLES
Matches: Washington 2-1 .667
Games: Washington 6-4 .600
points: Washington 156-148 .513
Set 1 points: Washington 62-54 .534
Set 2 points: Johnson 63-52 .548
Set 3 points: Washington 42-31 .575
decided by 10+: none
decided by 3-: 2-2 .500
margin: Washington 1.000
FIRST SINGLES
Song YANG 2, Cinderella NWE 0
(21-12, 21-5)
#1 ranked Song Yang picked up her second win over #4 Cinderella Nwe Monday. In the first go around Yang won 19 & 7. Today was a bit easier, but the first set ended according to my information at 19-13. Therefore, you will see fewer points than required below. Yang limited her errors to seven for the match, half of Nwe’s total. And she more than doubled her winners 26-11. Yang thrived on longer rallies winning them at an .840 clip. The faster two stroke points were almost evenly split. Seven of the times Nwe ended Yang’s serve came on two stroke rallies. The second set score is deceptive in that in appears it was a blow out. The final margin was deep, but the road to that was littered with 11 five strokes or more rallies. The initial nine point run, after a missed serve came with seven long rallies, the first two ending on 8 and 9 stroke drops. Yang, in my brief outings this spring, has a more varied service location that others and she had both short and deep aces in her bag of tricks.
The first set was competitive. It was there that Nwe had all her runs. Both players seemed to exchange runs of three for a time. Yang had her first three services with runs of three; Nwe had services two through four with runs of three. After Yang’s fifth service it was 16-10. Nwe kept it close with some defensive racquet work, but never had a block for a point. Nwe also has a brace on her right knee and was moved all over the floor by Yang.
Besides Yang’s side out shut down (75%) she finished with not allowing Nwe any service points on her last eight attempts stretching across two sets.
| Category | YANG | NWE |
| Side out | 9/12-.750 | 4/12-.333 |
| Longest side out string | 8(across 2 sets) | 3(2 sets) |
| 3+ Runs | 6 | 3 |
| Longest point string | 9 | 3 |
| SERVING | ||
| Service points | 28 | 6 |
| Serving % | 38/40-.950 | 18/18-1.000 |
| POINTS | ||
| Overall points | 40 | 18 |
| Points after 11 | 18 | 9 |
| Points after own errors | 5/7-.714 | 3/14-.214 |
| STROKES | ||
| Strokes | 201/40 | 53/18 |
| Strokes per point | 5.025 | 2.944 |
| 5+ rallies | 21-4/ .840 | 4-21/ .160 |
| 2- rallies | 13-11/.542 | 11-13/.458 |
| WINNERS | 26 | 11 |
| Aces | 3 | 0 |
| Blocks | 0 | 0 |
| Clears | 6 | 1 |
| Drives | 5 | 1 |
| Drops | 2 | 1 |
| Soft drives | 3 | 2 |
| Smashes | 7 | 6 |
| ERRORS | 7 | 14 |
| Deep | 2 | 2 |
| Net | 2 | 8 |
| Wide | 1 | 4 |
| Serve | 2 | 0 |
| W:E Ratio | 3.714 | 0.786 |
| Margin | 11.00 | |
| Set Point % | 2/4-.500 | |
| Time | 16:51 |