KOREA OPEN Preview – Hot Action set to Warm up Chilly Seoul Stands

Just a few days after earning two golds and 2 silvers in Kuala Lumpur, Korea’s top players will return home to the frigid Korean capital with the prospects of even better results in the second leg of the Super Series, where they will have home court advantage and a drastically reduced field. Still, all but four of last weekend’s semi-finalists and all of the finalists will be vying for gold again in Seoul.

By Don Hearn. Photos: Badmintonphoto

start off with a tricky fixture against Korea’s number two pair, Yoo/Kim.

Second seeds Lee Yong Dae / Lee Hyo Jung are likely to sail inFor the third consecutive year, the Super Series is kicking off with the Malaysia and Korea Opens in a New Year one-two punch. For players, coaches and officials, the transition from Kuala Lumpur’s endless summer to Korea’s colder climes is unmistakeable. On the eve of the tournament's commencement, the temperature dropped to a frosty minus 11.

The difference in energy between the crowds in the two venues no doubt adds to a feeling of desolation as the Korea Open begins; however, the crowds always become more vociferous as the tournament enters the weekend and with the final rounds expected to be just as hotly contested this week as last, no one is likely to be left shivering next Sunday in the No. 2 Olympic Gymnasium.

Malaysia to Flex Singles Muscles

Men’s singles is the only event that will go through qualifying rounds. Withdrawals have prompted the Korean coaching staff to let in more young hopefuls to try their hand in a Super Series event. Look for Daren Liew to give it his best shot to join the already strong Malaysian contingent in the round of 32.

Unfortunately for Korea, their top 3 players are all in the top quarter with overwhelming favourite Lee Chong Wei. Korea’s #2, Hong Ji Hoon, is to face Lee in the first round while Park Sung Hwan and Lee Cheol Ho face off against each other in the first round to start off a quarter-final collision course with the top-seeded Malaysian. Some of this is eerily familiar as last year’s edition, too, produced a repeat of the Malaysia Open final in the early rounds when an ailing Lee Chong Wei had to forfeit to Lee Hyun Il. This year, Lee looks stronger than ever and Park will have his hands full unless the sub-zero Seoul temperatures can play havoc with Lee’s health once more.

Malaysia’s Sairul Amar Ayob (pictured above) will be keen to make a 3rd quarter-finals appearance in Korea and there, he is likely to meet Przemyslaw Wacha if the Pole can successfully run the gauntlet of three of India's best shuttlers. The bottom half of the draw is likely to see an all-Danish quarter-final between three-time champion Peter Gade and Joachim Persson and an all-Indonesian one between Simon Santoso and Andre Kurniawan Tedjono.

Tine and Mi again?

The Korean fortunes in women’s singles are no better as the top two shuttlers, Hwang Hye Youn (pictured) and Bae Youn Joo, are crammed into one little corner of the draw along with two other promising compatriots, with all four vying for a shot at a quarter-final against the mighty Wang Chen.

Top seed and defending champion Zhou Mi (pictured below) could be in for a surprise as her bye takes her to a second round meeting with Bae Seung Hee, an experienced veteran who returned to the Korean National Team after beating all comers in a domestic tournament last summer. Zhou is clearly in-form, however, and has an excellent chance of taking a third Korea Open title. Saturday, incidentally, will mark the tenth anniversary of her first.

Tine Rasmussen, meanwhile, will be challenged by three young hopefuls as Malaysia’s Lydia Cheah, India’s Saina Nehwal, and Indonesia’s Pia Zebediah Bernadet are all in her quarter.

No Troubles in Doubles for the Home Team?

Lee Yong Dae and Jung Jae Sung, of course, look very strong to take the men’s doubles title, having won four of their last five tournaments. However, even without Koo/Tan in the draw, there are more than just top seeds Markis Kido / Hendra Setiawan who pose a real challenge to the Korean juggernaut. Foremost among these is obviously Denmark’s Paaske/Rasmussen (pictured below), who may end up as Jung/Lee’s semi-final opponents. The Danes start off their campaign against the #2 Korean pair, Cho/Yoo. Another pair to remember is Poland’s Logosz/Mateusiak, who won their only meeting with Jung/Lee, in late 2007.

Among the few players to be making their 2009 debut at the Korea Open, Denmark’s Boe/Mogensen have also shown that they can trouble the favourites but if they want to prove it in Seoul, they will have to get past the Indonesian top seeds and into the final.

The women’s doubles field is so skeletal that Korea’s Ha Jung Eun / Kim Min Jung and two-time champions Yang Wei / Zhang Jiewen have byes all the way to the quarter-finals. Still, all of the semi-finalists from Kuala Lumpur will be on hand to make it interesting.

Ha/Kim’s first opponents will most likely be Gao/Wei with the winner likely to take on the victor between Jauhari/Irawati and Cheng/Chien, last week’s bronze medallists.

In the bottom half of the draw, only a major upset could prevent a semi-final rematch between Lee Kyung Won / Lee Hyo Jung (pictured top) and Yang/Zhang. If the Beijing silver medallists - who last won their home event in 2005 - are to ascend the podium as they did Sunday in Malaysia, however, they are most likely going to have to accomplish their last two wins from the weekend in reverse order, starting with another victory over the Athens gold medallists.

Lee Kyung Won is obviously back in game form following her recovery from the ankle injury she sustained in the Olympic final. However, the Chinese ladies are still on their way to being at their best and that means that with each week they are getting more and more comfortable - and by extension less and less vulnerable - on court.