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Akane Yamaguchi
The World No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi is the top seed in the absence of the top-ranked Tai Tzu Ying. But she does not enjoy any comfort being the head of the draw.
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Right from her second round, she has to be at her flawless best for she can meet the talented Line Kjaersfeldt in her opener and then can come face-to-face with the world junior champion Chen Yufei.
One round further, the 2013 world champion Ratchanok Intanon will be waiting for the 20-year-old.
Her path to a maiden world crown is indeed littered with dangers at every corner. But the Japanese, who has been a teenage prodigy, has been able to establish herself as a force to reckon with in the past few months.
Post-Rio Olympics, she tasted back-to-back Superseries glory at the Korea Open and the Denmark Open. This year, she has won the German Open Grand Prix Gold, besides having runner-up appearances at the Badminton Asia Championships and the Australian Open.
She has beaten both Chen Yufei and Ratchanok Intanon in those two tournaments. If she can summon the same courage and conviction, there is no reason why she cannot produce those same results and get herself a medal.
