PETALING JAYA: Turkiye’s Uber Cup campaign may have ended in the group stage, but singles shuttler Neslihan Arin will leave Horsens with a moment she will not forget anytime soon.
The 32-year-old was all smiles after delivering a point for her team against Japan, even as the six-time champions powered through the remaining matches to secure a 4-1 win on Sunday.
World No. 30 Arin pulled off a stunning upset, defeating world No. 9 Tomoka Miyazaki 16-21, 21-18, 21-19 in a gruelling 82-minute fight.
“It was an amazing match and a win for me. I wanted to win, and I showed that I could,” said Arin.
“I’m going to be looking back at this match and remembering it for a long time.
“I had played against her (Miyazaki) before, and I previously lost, so this time I came in more focused and it made the difference.”
The pair had previously met in the first round of last year’s World Championships in Paris, where Miyazaki came out on top.
Making their debut in the Uber Cup, Turkiye showed promise in their opening tie, pushing Malaysia before narrowly losing 3-2 on Saturday.
Arin was the first to take the court against K. Letshanaa, but went down fighting, losing 16-21, 21-13, 13-21.
Three-time Olympian Arin still took pride in her team’s fighting spirit at the Uber Cup, and she believes there is more to come from them.
“We are happy to be here, and I’m even happier to have contributed a point to Turkiye. We’re a team, and we will keep fighting regardless of the results,” she added.
