KOREA OPEN QF – Danes Win Big in Korean Quarters

KOREA OPEN QF – Danes Win Big in Korean Quarters

Tine Rasmussen and Peter Gade (pictured) both fought through three-game matches to book their places in the semi-finals while an all-Danish final beckons in men’s doubles as both Boe/Mogensen and Paaske/Rasmussen made it to the final four for the second consecutive year. However, Jung Jae Sung / Lee Yong Dae have their sights set on breaking up the party now that they have booked their rematch with their Olympic nemeses. By Don Hearn, Badzine Correspondent live in Seoul. Photos: Badmintonphoto (live) Lightning Won’t Strike Twice for Shon as All Singles Favourites Win After the early loss in mixed doubles, Denmark’s fortunes started to change as three-time champion Peter Gade took on Korean youngster Shon Wan Ho in the men’s singles. Gade was never really threatened in the first game and won it 21-13 but Shon ran away with the second game, taking it 21-7. “My coach Morten Frost watched the whole [Persson vs. Shon] match yesterday and we discussed it. I knew I had to be patient because he is very defensive and a very good fighter and I knew he was going to throw everything back,” Gade said afterward. “The other side of the court was a little more difficult to play on and when he started to get ahead I let go, rather than worry about trying to close it to 21-16 or something because I wanted to be sure I had enough energy in the third game.” In that third game, Gade dominated, leading start to finish and winning 21-17. “I knew I had to take my breaks and be patient because his offence is not that good. That is the case with a lot of young players, especially for Shon because he was comfortable playing at home with a lot of support. I think he will have trouble winning in different conditions, though, because his attack is not so strong. “My opponent in the first round [Park Wan Ho] seemed to be more talented, actually. I mean, for the future, he could be the next Lee Hyun Il,” Gade offered. Gade goes on to face Simon Santoso, runaway winner over compatriot Andre Kurniawan Tedjono. “My goal in these two tournaments was to reach two semi-finals,” Gade revealed. “There have just been too many tournaments and too much travelling so I thought if I can make two semi-finals, and keep my ranking in the top five, I will be very pleased. But physically, things are good and I’m very optimistic about the future. “Still, I have won here 3 times so that would be nice to win again. I will have to be fired up to beat Simon. He is a good counterattack player.” In the last singles match of the day, Tine Rasmussen completed the set of favourites advancing to the semi-finals. Tine came back from one game down to beat Indonesia’s Adriyanti Firdasari in a match of 3 one-sided games. Firdasari’s departure leaves Simon Santoso and Lee Chong Wei as the only representatives of Indonesia and Malaysia respectively. Denmark continued to march on as Boe/Mogensen (pictured) met the challenge of the last remaining pair in a strong Indonesian doubles contingent. It was a thrilling match of spectacular attacking play and even more spectacular defense by both sides. The crowd was roaring in amazement as all four players repeatedly returned seemingly unreturnable smashes. The Danes missed out on one match point opportunity in the second game but made sure in the third and advanced to the semi-finals with a 21-17, 22-24, 21-14 win. Boe/Mogensen will meet Chinese Taipei’s Fang/Lee who pulled off another upset, this time in two games over Malaysia’s Choong Tan Fook / Lee Wan Wah. Jung/Lee set for Revenge at Home Both Jung Jae Sung / Lee Yong Dae (pictured) and Lars Paaske / Jonas Rasmussen executed their latest straight game victory to set up a meeting in the semi-finals, their first since the Danes rained on the Koreans’ parade in the first round of the Olympic Games. Jung Jae Sung is soon to start his two years of military service, something from which an Olympic medal could have exempted him. This will be the two pairs’ first meeting with either of them having home court advantage and the rise in ticket prices for the admission to the No. 2 Gymnasium at Seoul’s Olympic Park is unlikely to keep the weekend fans away. The crowds always grow considerably in Seoul once the work week ends and as the cold snap breaks and the outdoor temperatures go up another 4 degrees, the cheering for the fans’ darling Lee Yong Dae could well reach a fever pitch. The only question is who will handle the pressure better. For complete quarter-final results from the 2009 Yonex Korea Open Super Series, please CLICK HERE