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Come March 17, Arena Birmingham is gearing up to become the epicenter of some intense badminton action as the All England Open 2021 ensues. In its 113th edition, the BWF Super 1000 event will feature the top shuttlers in the world and the competition is expected to be very fierce.
The Olympic window for qualifying has been extended until June 15. The All England Open 2021 happens to be the second Olympic qualifying tournament of the year (the previous one was the recently concluded Swiss Open 2021).
These are tournaments where shuttlers will be able to collect precious points necessary to stay afloat in the Race To Tokyo.
Top 5 Shuttlers expected to win at All England Open 2021
With so much at stake, it is safe to say that we can expect power-packed action to unfold on the courts, especially with top players like Carolina Marin, PV Sindhu and Akane Yamaguchi headlining the women's half of the event.
Curiously enough, the All England Open has been an elusive hunting ground with no female player being able to successfully defend a title here since the Open Era, making competition perpetually unpredictable and intense.
Here's taking a look at the Top 5 female contenders who have been touted as title-favorites as they head into the 2021 All England Open.
#5 Ratchanok Intanon
Ratchnaok Intanon, the 26-year-old former World No. 1 from Thailand, will be coming into the All England Open 2021 after having resumed her season in January at the back-to-back Yonex Thailand Open, Toyota Thailand Open and the BWF World Tour Finals 2020.
A 2-time finalist at the All England Open, Intanon is yet to win the title, having lost to Denmark's Tine Baun in the 2013 finals and most recently to Tai Tzu-ying in the 2017 finals.
In her previous appearance at the All England Open, Intanon could only make it to the quarter-final stages, before losing to Chinese sensation Chen Yufei 17-21, 21-15, 21-17.
However, Intanon, who impresses with her nimble footwork on the courts, is expected to be a title favorite as she has performed decently in the January tournaments - having made it to the semi-finals and quarter-final stages in two out of the three events.
Moreover, after resting well in February, Intanon is expected to be in sharp shape as she comes into the 2021 All England Open.
#4 Akane Yamaguchi
Looking to begin her season in 2021, Japan's 23-year-old Akane Yamaguchi will be coming into the All England Open 2021 as a title favorite. Having been the runner-up at the 2018 All England Open, losing only to Tai Tzu-ying in the finals, Yamaguchi finished as a quarter-finalist in the previous edition of the tournament.
Known to always pack in a punch, Yamaguchi is not to be taken lightly as she makes her return to the BWF tour in Birmingham. Interestingly enough, a potential clash with arch-rival PV Sindhu is on the cards at the 2021 All England Open.
#3 Nozomi Okuhara
Nozomi Okuhara, the 2016 All England Open champion and bronze medallist from the Rio Olympics, is yet to begin her 2021 calendar. Her last appearance on the BWF tour was in October at the 2020 Denmark Open, which she won, defeating Carolina Marin 21-19, 21-17.
Okuhara has always been a formidable opponent, having caused many an upset in the past.
Possessed with admirable speed, the Japanese is expected to cause a spot of trouble as she begins her title bid against Julie Dawall Jakobsen in her opening round match at the 2021 All England Open.
Being a former champion at the All England Open, the current World No. 4 is expected to know the rungs to succeed in Birmingham and will have to be watched out for at the 2021 All England Open.
#2 PV Sindhu
With much hope and expectation pinned to her shoulders, India's top shuttler and 2019 world champion, PV Sindhu, will be heading into the All England Open 2021 with two motives.
First, she needs to play at her absolute best level so that she can continue her wonderful run and safekeep her points to qualify for the Olympics and second, she would aspire to better her results at the All England Open and aim for the title.
So far, Sindhu has only made it to the semi-finals of the tournament in 2018, where she went down fighting to Akane Yamaguchi 21-19, 19-21, 18-21. To be honest, Sindhu hasn't had the most consistently pleasant run in Birmingham.
However, one can hope that given the current form she is enjoying, having finished as a finalist in the recently concluded Swiss Open 2021, she will excel at the challenges thrown her way at the All England Open 2021.
#1 Carolina Marin
Enjoying a sensational run so far in 2021, the clear favorite heading into the 2021 All England Open is, obviously, Carolina Marin. The 27-year-old Spaniard is a champion like no other and she has proven that time and again.
If we are to only consider her run this year, Marin seems to be on a victory trot having lapped up titles in Thailand, winning the Yonex Thailand Open, the Toyota Thailand Open and most recently, after handing a crushing defeat to PV Sindhu 21-12, 21-5, she went on to win the Swiss Open 2021.
At the All England Open as well, the current World No. 3 has been a previous champion, having bagged the title in 2015. In the previous edition of the All England Open, Marin went down fighting to eventual champion Tai Tzu-ying.
However, with both Chen Yufei and Tai Tzu-ying not participating in this year's All England Open, the path ahead for Marin will be clear and sans too many obstacles. For Indian fans, a potential clash against PV Sindhu is also on the table at the 2021 All England Open.
