KOREA OPEN Finals – Super Series gets 2 New Champions!

KOREA OPEN Finals – Super Series gets 2 New Champions!

Lee Hyo Jung and Lee Yong Dae went on an attacking rampage to blaze to the mixed doubles gold at the 2009 Korea Open. They did not fare so well apart, however, as Denmark’s Mathias Boe / Carsten Mogensen (pictured) and Chinese Taipei’s Cheng Wen Hsing / Chien Yu Chin each won their first ever Super Series title. By Don Hearn, Badzine Correspondent live in Seoul. Photos: Badmintonphoto (live) Korea: 2, Thailand: 0, Crowd: thousands It was the biggest crowd for the Korea Open this decade. They had all gathered to see Korea’s doubles pairs trounce their opponents and Korea’s best had all obliged by making the finals. No spectacle was more eagerly awaited than the Olympic champions themselves, and Lee Yong Dae / Lee Hyo Jung did not disappoint. The mixed doubles final belonged to the home pair from start to finish. The Thai pair just could not seem to grab the attack and they did not lead even once in the 23 minutes it took Lee/Lee to romp to a 21-8, 21-7 victory. “I was a little nervous at first, but it was better once we got into the game," said Lee Yong Dae at the post-match press conference. "I think with the confidence we've gained from winning the Olympics, we are making fewer mistakes and not giving away one or two points just on errors. I think that's why we've had good results at the China Open and here. Hyo Jung is still the leader out there. She is the one with the most match experience and I feel comfortable looking to her. "I didn't want to play this match with the thoughts of the men's doubles final in the background so I tried to play as if the mixed doubles final were the only match I was playing today." Unfortunately for both Lees, the confidence from winning the mixed doubles was not enough to carry them to the two other titles that they and the home fans were hoping for. Cheng/Chien win Rematch to Take First Super Series Title Lee Hyo Jung, who put in a flawless performance in the mixed doubles, seemed to return to her error-prone ways in the women's doubles final. Lee Kyung Won, too, seemed to lack that extra spring in her step that had carried the pair to a second consecutive win over Yang/Zhang the day before. The Korean ladies looked very strong to begin with. They opened up a 16-10 lead in the first game but Chinese Taipei’s Cheng Wen Hsing and Chien Yu Chin (pictured) soon erased the gamp to tie it at 17-all. Lee/Lee then surged ahead to 19-17 but the Taiwan pair reeled them in once again, scoring four straight points to finish the game 21-19. Two of the last three times that Cheng/Chien had played in the Korea Open, they lost to the eventual winners by falling apart in the last game and the same thing happened last week when they lost to the Koreans in the Malaysia Open semi-finals. They made no mistake this time, though, and ran away with the second game to win their third title in the past year. This was only the third time the world #3 pair - who have been in the world’s top 5 for much of this decade - had won a major title outside of Taiwan. “The best thing that could happen” Next up was Lee Yong Dae and Jung Jae Sung, who were looking for their fourth Super Series title in two months and who looked unbeatable in the early rounds as all of their opponents had struggled just to get into double figures and no match had lasted more than half an hour. Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen of Denmark dominated the first game, however, and no matter how loudly the crowd cheered, the Koreans just could not get on the attack. Every shot the Danes sent over seemed to drop between the net and the front service line and forced the Jung and Lee to raise the shuttle and give the Danes back the attack. Boe/Mogensen led from start to finish and closed out the first game 21-12. The Danish pair continued to find success with this style and opened up a 12-8 lead in the second game but pushed a few shuttles into the net to bring up a 12-all. Some net mastery by Lee finally gave the Koreans a 14-13 lead but then the Koreans again gave the Danes the attack and the latter wore down their opponents’ defense to tie it up again. The game continued in this vein with the Koreans finally getting on the attack on a few occasions but mostly they were compelled to play more and more spectacular defense. Jung/Lee (pictured) made a late rally and pulled a 3-point run to give them the game point that all expected would lead to a third and deciding game. Boe/Mogensen kep the pressure on, however, and the game went to extra points. Boe disputed a line call when one of his drives was called out at 21-all but heeded the umpire’s warnings to be silent and the Danes saved another game point to tie it back up. Two errors by the Koreans then gave the Danes the match and their first ever . “I am just so thrilled," said Boe after the match. " This morning, I didn’t expect to win because it’s incredibly difficult to beat the Koreans here on home soil. They have the line judges with them and of course they’re the best pair in the world at the moment. To beat the Koreans on home soil: that’s the best thing that could happen. “I think it’s because we play a little bit like them,” Boe said when asked how they were able to succeed, where so many fail, in troubling the Korean pair. “It’s very physical. We have a very good offense and they don’t have it so easy on defense. We don’t make so many mistakes and we can kill it. Some of the other Asians don’t hit as hard as we do. Boe did not think any change of style was behind the Koreans’ recent success. “No. Lee Yong Dae has improved so much the last couple of years and that’s why their level is so much higher now. They play very like Koreans. They play powerful and that’s why they’re so good. They’re stronger than everybody else - maybe except us when we have a good day. I don’t feel they’ve changed so much. They’re just a few percent better all over the line. “Our strategy was to get the best out of the first four and then get the attack and then work as hard as we possibly could because we knew we could not beat them if we stayed on defense too long. Of course we had to give them the offense sometimes but mainly we had to be strict and then focus on our attack. “I think the conditions here have improved a lot. The stadium is almost full today. It’s very nice to play a full house. Even though we some line calls against us, I think the umpires and the line judges have been a lot more fair this year than last year. Of course, they still had about 3 calls that were clearly out on our side or in on their side but that’s just how it is in Korea. “After the Olympics, where we had a big disappointment, we looked at each other and said that we wanted to prove to the old national coach that he was wrong and that we could achieve great things and we did that, winning the Chinese Taipei Open just after the Olympics and then two smaller tournaments in Europe and then runner-up in China and then the victory here. I think we have proven ourselves.” Boe, who is now 28, says that he intends to play in the London Olympics, not just to watch it and that he will definitely be in the game in 2012, barring any serious injury. He says that he and Mogensen are very professional about considering their condition when choosing which tournaments to attend and that is why they skipped the Malaysia Open last week. Like all of today’s champions, the next goal for the Danes is the All England and they will decide, based on their performance there, whether to play the Swiss Open. For now, the Danes can travel back home to relish their new status as Super Series title-holders. For complete results from the 2009 Yonex Korea Open Super Series finals, please CLICK HERE

Taiwan duo take women's badminton title

SEOUL -- Top seeds Cheng Wen-hsing and Chien Yu-chin from Taiwan defeated South Korea's Lee Hyojung and Lee Kungwon Sunday to win the women's doubles title at the 2009 Yonex Korea Open Super Series held in Seoul.

Cheng and Chien stopped their second-seeded South Korean opponents in straight sets, 21-19, 21-8.

The Taiwanese women got off to a rocky start in the first set, falling behind 11-5, but seemed more comfortable together after taking a break. The fought back to tie the set at 19-19 before closing it out by taking the final two points.

Riding the momentum of their first set comeback, the Taiwanese duo coasted past the South Koreans in the second set to clinch the title.

Cheng and Chien won US$27,000 for their efforts at the US$300,000 tournament, which featured a total of 175 men and women from 21 countries.

The team from Denmark was the biggest winner in the competition, walking away with three of the tournament's five titles — in the men's singles, women's singles and men's doubles.

The host team of South Korea only managed to win the mixed doubles event

KOREA OPEN Finals – Singles Double for Denmark

KOREA OPEN Finals – Singles Double for Denmark

Tine Rasmussen (pictured here with runner-up Pi Hongyan) and Peter Gade took golds in the singles events at the 2009 Yonex Korea Open Super Series, the first time Denmark has done that at a tournament of this size since they won both, here in Korea in 2001. Tine’s win was not only her first at the Korea Open but it also marked the first time that she had ever won back-to-back titles. By Don Hearn, Badzine Correspondent live in Seoul. Photos: Badmintonphoto (live) Winning two singles titles at a major badminton tournament is not an easy feat for any national team. In fact, only four countries have done it this millennium and, of these, only Denmark and China have done it more than once (the other two were Indonesia at the 2001 Indonesian Open and Korea at the 2008 German Open). It was fitting that it was again Peter Gade who started things off in this return to tradition for the Danes as he was part of the other two singles sweeps by Denmark since 2000, both of them right here in Korea. Peter Gade’s repeat championship performance, however, was by no means a foregone conclusion as he was playing world #1 Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia, who had beaten the Dane 3 times already in one month. The first game was close throughout. Lee looked ready to finish it when he had an 18-16 lead but Gade (pictured) hung on and had inched up to 17-18 when Lee tried to kill a loose net shot by Gade but instead hit the tape. The shuttle bounced high enough that Gade was able to take the net kill himself. Soon thereafter, Gade then earned two game points when his drop shot ticked the tape on the way over. The end change made a world of difference on this day and Lee Chong Wei took the second game easily 21-10. “On the one side, you really have to work for every point and if you’re behind it’s going to be too difficult,” explained Gade later, “so I did the same thing that I did in the quarter-final and it worked today. I decided not to use any energy and to save it to play as fast as I can in the third game. It’s not my normal way to do it, to throw away a game, but tactically, it was the right thing to do.” The strategy paid off as Gade was able to stay one step ahead of the Malaysian ace and finish off the third game 21-17. “I knew that with the rest yesterday, I would have a little extra energy to go to that speed where I’m able to beat Chong Wei. But I played well tactically on the right points and that is why I won,” said Gade. “Of course, Chong Wei is tired but I’m tired as well. It’s been such a tough schedule. So this was the last match. I just wanted to get everything out and go home to my family and to do it with a win against Chong Wei: this was one of the goals of 2009 was to beat Chong Wei so I’m very happy.” “Neither of us was able to get the attack through. Normally we want to attack – both of us – but that is just the way it is in this stadium with the defense. You have to be patient. And you need to play very fast around the net. Playing the right net shots was the key and I did that. My normal way is to control and I can control with every other player except for Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei. “The crowd is very big here, and there is a lot of support but I think the key here is that Lee is not at home. When he’s at home, playing in front of 7,000 or 8,000 people, maybe he regains a little bit of self-confidence and that’s the balance. If I can beat him here, then I can beat him at All England if I can improve more than him between now and then.” Two First-time Finalists, One New Champion As Peter Gade relaxed under the laurels of his fourth title, his compatriot Tine Rasmussen was taking the court to go after her first, but so too was France’s Pi Hongyan, in the first all-European final in Korea since Gade and Jonassen duked it out in Incheon in 2005. The two games were very similar with Tine Rasmussen (pictured below) opening up a margin in each, only to be reeled in by the feisty Pi before standing firm and finishing it off. In the first game, Tine led 20-16 but allowed the French player to close to with one before finishing it 21-19. In the second, Pi closed an even bigger gap, coming back from 13-18 down to tie the game at 19. But once again, Tine was able to get the crucial final points to finish the match 21-19, 21-19. Tine later revealed that the conditions made it a whole different game for both players. “The shuttles were very fast and both of us made mistakes on the back lines,” she said “and when I got a high lob, I couldn’t see a thing so I would just smash to the centre of the court and my shots weren’t as precise as usual but it was the same for both of us. “I was really happy to win in two games because I was tired mentally and physically. Of course, I should be after two amazing weeks. “I have never gone on after winning one tournament to win another. I’ve always had an injury or something so just going to the quarters made me just take it one match at a time. “I know Hongyan had a lot of confidence today because she beat Zhou yesterday and she is playing her best. But when Peter won, I think I gained some confidence and I hope our doubles pair can feel that, too,” she said, presciently. The slightly larger prize purse at the Korea Open is a bonus that Tine says only sets in afterward, the All England being the only tournament to stand out from the crowd as a coveted trophy. This storied event is next up for both singles winners of today. With the return of the top Chinese players, Tine says that she will be doing more homework, studying videos, once the draw comes out and she sees who her opponents will be. For complete results from the 2009 Yonex Korea Open Super Series finals, please CLICK HERE

KOREA OPEN SF - Ha-PI Days are Here Again!

KOREA OPEN SF - Ha-PI Days are Here Again!

For Pi Hongyan (pictured) of France, 2009 has started in the best way as the world #7 followed up her semi-final appearance in Malaysia by making her first final in over a year. Her less fortunate opponent, Zhou Mi, is one of four players who had won a Korea Open title while playing for China’s national squad but who came up short today. By Don Hearn, Badzine Correspondent live in Seoul. Photos: Badmintonphoto (live) Pi Hongyan was on fire today in her semi-final against Zhou Mi. Pi was a two-time semi-finalist at the Korea Open while Zhou Mi is a two-time champion but today it definitely seemed that the tables had turned. The French player seemed so light on her feet as she glided about the court and executed her shots with precision. “I knew how I had to play,” explained Pi after the match. “We reviewed last week’s match when we arrived here and I knew I had to be patient, use the whole court, and not leave myself open to her attacks. That worked well today. I played at my rhythm, I dictated the match and I felt good on my feet. Fatigue definitely worked in my favour because she seemed tired while I was still fresh, on account of the easier matches that I’d had earlier in the week.” Pi made a crucial comeback in the first game, where she was trailing 13-18 but dug deep and pulled the game out 23-21. Zhou led throughout the second game but Pi was the one who still had some left in the third and she came away the 23-21, 19-21, 21-12 winner. Pi’s opponent will be last week’s winner, Tine Rasmussen (pictured) of Denmark, who had a comparatively easy 21-10, 21-11 win over Hong Kong’s Wang Chen that took only 19 minutes. “I feel so happy to be in the final again after going all the way last week,” said Tine. “I feel like I am at my old level again. It’s been a hard season but I think I’ve done the right preparation. There have been some small injuries but nothing to worry about. I think it’s a good sign that I can win one tournament and then go on to do well in the next one." Gade vs. Lee : Round 4 The women’s singles provided more thrills, certainly, than the men’s event. Simon Santoso fell ill on Friday night and announced his withdrawal from the semi-finals on Saturday, giving Peter Gade a free pass to the final. There, he will face Malaysia’s formidable Lee Chong Wei, who had little trouble beating the Dane in their two matches in last month’s Super Series Masters Finals in Kota Kinabalu, though things were closer last week in Kuala Lumpur. This time, however, neither player will have home court advantage but Gade might just feel a little more at home. The three-time Korea Open champion has for some time been one of the few non-Korean household names among badminton enthusiasts here. Denmark has a chance at 3 golds on Sunday, in fact, as Boe/Mogensen dominated their semi-final against Chinese Taipei's Fang/Lee. The Danish pair will attempt to prevent Korea's Jung/Lee from taking their fifth title in 2 months. In fact, it was a win over Boe/Mogensen that gave the Koreans the first of those five. More Former Champions Bow Out Two-time champions Yang Wei / Zhang Jiewen came up short for the second consecutive week as Lee Hyo Jung / Lee Kyung Won (pictured) looked stronger than ever. Lee Hyo Jung seemed to be using her height and strength to advantage more than in the past and rained down smashes on the former Olympic Champions. “I thought if I didn’t attack, we wouldn’t be able to win so I resolved to keep pounding away until the rallies ended,” said Lee Hyo Jung after the match. This strategy along with the Korean pair’s overall consistency worked wonderfully in the first game but they found themselves trailing in the second as the Chinese led throughout. Lee/Lee had a perfect chance to tie the second game when, at 11-12, Lee Hyo Jung had a perfect kill opportunity but swung too early and mishit the shuttle, giving the advantage to the Chinese, who took the attack and sent each of the Korean ladies sprawling to the floor in succession. This set off a 7-point run by the Chinese from which the Koreans never recovered and they ceded the second game 18-21. The third game belonged to the home pair and they qualified for their second straight final with a 21-16, 18-21, 21-10 victory. “Before we played in Malaysia, we were a little nervous with Lee Kyung Won coming back from injury,” Lee Hyo Jung explained. “I told her to take it easy, that we needed to make sure she didn’t get injured again.” Hyo Jung explained that she hopes to continue to partner Lee Kyung Won until the London Olympics. Asked whether it would be possible to keep playing until 2012, Lee replied with a twinkle in her eye “Shouldn’t it be possible?” Still, the task at hand is on Sunday afternoon, when the Koreans will be going after their second Korea Open title but, ironically, playing in their first final together. The last time they won their home event, in 2005, they had a walkover in the final when Emms/Kellog were force to withdraw. Gao Ling, herself a 3-time winner in Korea, was beaten by the top seeds in what paradoxically seemed like an upset. Chinese Taipei’s Cheng Wen Hsing / Chien Yu Chin (pictured above) won in two games over Gao/Wei 21-15, 21-17. Thais to Mix it up with Olympic Champions Songphon Anugritayawon / Kunchala Voravichitchaikul (pictured) of Thailand have made great strides this year and finally have ended up in their first ever final in any major tournament. They enjoyed the narrowest of two-game victories when they beat India’s Diju V / Jwala Gutta 21-19, 22-20. The Thais saved two game points in the second game before jumping ahead to secure the win. The Thais have the unenviable task of taking on the Olympic champions Lee Yong Dae / Lee Hyo Jung in the final. Hong Kong’s Chau/Wiratama stayed closed throughout most of the first game but finally Lee/Lee pulled ahead and never looked back in the second as they roared to a 21-16, 21-11 win. They’ll have more than just the prowess of the world’s #2 pair to contend with. Lee/Lee’s professional team, Samsung, typically brings in busloads of boisterous supporters to augment a cheering section that, this year, will no doubt be dominated by legions of young girls swooning over Lee Yong Dae. Lee Hyo Jung said after her semi-final that Olympic success has made life significantly different. Though she hopes that the attention now focussed on Lee Yong Dae will turn into interest in all of the players and in the sport of badminton itself, she is clearly already sharing that limelight to some extent. “These days, even when I go to a public bathhouse, people recognize me and suddenly people will buy me soft drinks,” Lee admitted. The No. 2 Olympic Gymnasium has been patrolled this weekend by giant likenesses of both the Beijing gold medallists and the two original icons will no doubt be doing their best in the final to justify the attention. For complete semi-final results from the 2009 Yonex Korea Open Super Series, please CLICK HERE

KOREA OPEN SF – Payback for Lee and Jung!

KOREA OPEN SF – Payback for Lee and Jung!

Jung Jae Sung and Lee Yong Dae left no doubt about their status as the world’s top pair as they rid their closet of the Danish monster, beating an under-the-weather Paaske/ Rasmussen in two quick games. By Don Hearn, Badzine Correspondent live in Seoul. Photos: Badmintonphoto (live) Any who were hoping for a competitive match were disappointed with the way the first match transpired on semi-finals day at the 2009 Yonex Korea Open. However, this is not what the majority of the spectators at Seoul’s No. 2 Olympic Gymnasium were hoping for. No, for them, the thrill of seeing Lee Yong Dae and Jung Jae Sung run roughshod over an opposing pair of any description was enough. Jung Jae Sung, who will begin his military service on February 2nd, was elated after the win over the team that had nipped the Korean duo’s Olympic campaign in the bud. “We were very nervous about playing them again in front of a home crowd in Korea,” said Jung after the match, “but since we were able to get the upper hand early in the match, our nerves settled in and we started to play with confidence. “I think if we had been in a fast driving game, we would have been in trouble in this match. We experimented with a side-by-side position more instead of front and back and that seemed to give us an extra edge.” Jonas Rasmussen offered a clear explanation of what went wrong for the visiting team today. “Lars has been sick all week,” Jonas revealed. “He was shivering during the warm-up and I brought nothing to the match. You just can’t beat this team if you don’t bring you’re A-game. “We are happy with the result in this tournament. We did well in the first round against the other young Korean pair and we thought we might have a shot if Lars could get fresh but unfortunately it went the other way. And this is a whole different level of pair from those we were playing the rest of the week.” Jung/Lee go on to play the winner of Boe/Mogensen of Denmark and Fang/Lee of Chinese Taipei. Lee Yong Dae will, of course, feature in the second last match of the day with Lee Hyo Jung against Chau/Wiratama of Hong Kong. For live semi-final results from the 2009 Yonex Korea Open Super Series, please CLICK HERE Comments Search

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

KOREA OPEN QF – No one can Keep up with the Lees

KOREA OPEN QF – No one can Keep up with the Lees

Four Lees – one Malaysian and 3 Korean – booked their spots in the semi-finals in Seoul on Friday at the 2009 Yonex Korea Open Super Series. Lee Hyo Jung and Lee Yong Dae both did doubles duty by qualifying in both mixed and their other doubles disciplines. Lee Chong Wei (pictured), meanwhile, won his rematch with Park Sung Hwan, affirming his dominance over the Korean star. By Don Hearn, Badzine Correspondent live in Seoul. Photos: Badmintonphoto (live) Europeans Shut out of Mixed While the afternoon started off with Losses for both of Indonesia’s mixed doubles pairs, they were shortly to be joined on the sidelines by the remainder of the European mixed contingent. Shendy Puspa Irawati / Fran Kurniawan were the first victims of the day as Korea’s Lee/Lee put on a show for a crowd that had clearly gathered just to see them. It was all over in 23 minutes but the spectators had ample opportunity to cheer their darlings during the 21-11, 21-11 romp. Not far away, Meiliana Jauhari / Rendra Wijaya were playing like seeds for two games before the poise and precision of the Indian pair finally allowed them to take control in the decider and Diju V / Jwala Gutta finished it off 21-17, 16-21, 21-9. After trailing throughout their first game against Denmark’s Fischer Nielsen / Pedersen, Songphon Anugritayawon / Kunchala Voravichitchaikul (pictured) struggled to maintain the lead they had achieved in the second. As the Danes closed the gap late to 18-all, it looked as if the Thais might let it slip away but they finished it 21-18 and in the decider, they were the ones who effected the late comeback and it was enough to give them the 17-21, 21-19, 21-18 victory and there will be a Thai pair in the semi-finals for the second consecutive weekend. Shortly thereafter, it was Blair/Bankier’s turn to make promising but fruitless comebacks. In their first game against Chau/Wiratama of Hong Kong, the two Scots evened the score again and again but came up short in the end. In the second game, they were down 5-14 at one point but rallied to make it 17-all before giving up the ghost and allowing the Hong Kong pair to win it 24-22, 21-18. Another Lee, Another Week, Another Win On the centre court, Lee Chong Wei (pictured) continued his run of good form. He hasn’t lost to Park Sung Hwan in nearly five years and neither the skiff of snow that carpeted Seoul on Friday, nor the home court advantage, nor the line judges could end the streak. Park started very strong with the crowd, excited and captivated after the win by the Olympic champions, fully behind him. He maintained a comfortable margin throughout the opening game. He did get a little help when, at 19-16, Park smashed down the sideline on Lee’s forehand side. Lee protested in vain when the shot was called in and the small Malaysian cheering section joined in as the jumbo TV screen behind the chair umpire appeared to show Park’s smash landing a good 10cm wide. A hush seemed to come over the crowd when Lee blasted out to a commanding 11-3 lead in the second game, taking control at the net. Park lost two hairpin net duels in particular when Lee made the decisive tumble that Park could only return into the tape. Park took a 3-2 lead early in the third when another line call went in his favour. Lee stared in disapproval at the same line judge who called in Park’s favour in all 3 games despite the change of ends and Lee seemed visibly discouraged after that as Park continued on a 5-point run. The Malaysian soon pulled it together, however, and started to move Park to all four corners of the court, mixing smashes and drops with punch clears and surging back to a 10-8 lead. The last half of the game was all Chong Wei, though, as the Malaysian ran away with it and won 18-21, 21-7, 21-16. The world #1 goes on to face Poland’s Przemslaw Wacha, who won handily over Hong Kong’s Chan Yan Kit. Nothing but Doubles for the Home Team Korea's Hwang Hye Youn (pictured), too, started strong in her women's singles quarter-final but was unable to finish. She held a commanding lead in her first game with Hong Kong’s Wang Chen. The lanky veteran seemed to be very limited in her movement after seeking medical attention for her left knee just before the interval. Hwang took advantage and launched out to a 20-11 lead but Wang clawed back seven points to almost level before the Korean finally capped it off 21-18. The second game was neck-and-neck with Wang showing the better consistency and She kept the momentum to lead the entire third game and come away with the 18-21, 21-19, 21-16 victory. “I was very nervous today because she is such a strong player,” Hwang said after the match, “and it has been so long since the one time that I beat her. It’s just happened that on the days that I’ve beaten the top women, everything just seemed to come together. I was injury-free, I’d been doing well in training at the time and I was able to go into the matches with a positive attitude. “Even this month, I injured my lower back slightly in Malaysia and it seemed to clear up after a while but then it came back and when it’s bothering me, I find it difficult to relax and play with confidence.” Hwang admitted that she envied her teammates Lee Hyo Jung and Lee Yong Dae for their new-found fame as well as their gold medal and continued tournament successes. “I’d like to be famous, too,” she grinned. “When you’re famous, you have a lot of fans and you get presents.” Zhou Mi and Pi Hongyan both won their matches handily and will meet in the semi-finals for the second straight week. Zhou holds a slight advantage in the head-to-head record between the two and Saturday is the 10th anniversary of Zhou’s first Korea Open title. Chinese Women Weather the Storm from Korean Youths Korea is down to one women’s doubles pair – two more Lees, of course – as both veteran Chinese pairs won their encounters with up-and-coming Koreans. Gao Ling and Wei Yili (pictured) seemed to be absolutely on the ropes as Ha Jung Eun / Kim Min Jung beat them 21-13 in the first game and led 18-13 in the second. However, the Chinese pair exhibited some spectacular defense and the young Koreans were visibly frustrated at being unable to end the rallies. Gao/Wei’s patience paid off and they came away the winners by 13-21, 22-20, 21-18. Yang Wei / Zhang Jiewen looked similarly threatened by the much younger but perhaps more crafty Eom/Jung. The Chinese pulled off their comeback earlier than had their compatriots, however, and bounced back from 13-18 down in the first to win 21-19. They then dominated the dejected Koreans and won 21-16 in the second game to set up a repeat of last week’s final against Lee/Lee. For Eom Hye Won, a tiny 17-year-old who hails from the same hometown as Hwang Hye Youn and Jun Jae Youn, this was, no doubt, invaluable experience as she is expected to tear up the junior circuit this year. For now, though, the Koreans will have to look again for medals to Jung Jae Sung and the trio of Lees while the singles belong to another Lee and a handful of challengers. For complete quarter-final results from the 2009 Yonex Korea Open Super Series, please CLICK HERE

KOREA OPEN Day 3 – The Shon Also Rises

KOREA OPEN Day 3 – The Shon Also Rises

Joachim Persson of Denmark became the first singles seed to fall in the 2009 Yonex Korea Open Super Series. Shon Wan Ho (pictured with Persson) dumped the world #6 player in 2 easy games to set up a quarter-final against Peter Gade, who advanced along with all the other seeds. The big story in doubles was the losses of both of Indonesia’s World Champion pairs, even if the Seoul crowd seemed to have eyes only for Lee Yong Dae and Lee Hyo Jung. By Don Hearn, Badzine Correspondent live in Seoul. Photos: Badmintonphoto (live) Nova and Lilyana Stuck in Second For the third year running, Indonesia’s Nova Widianto and Lilyana Natsir have failed to make it past the second round of the Korea Opens. Just like in 2007, the last time the 2006 champions came here as top seeds, they lost a tight third game to mark their exit from the one of the pro circuit’s most lucrative event. The upset perpetrators, India’s Diju V / Jwala Gutta, unlike their counterparts from two years ago, will not have to face the likes of Gao Ling in the quarter-finals, however. Instead, they will take on 8th seeds Jauhari/Wijaya, one of two Indonesian pairs still alive in the draw. The other Indonesian pair, Kurniawan/Irawati, has the unenviable task of taking on the favourites, defending champions Lee Yong Dae / Lee Hyo Jung. The Koreans were obviously the main attraction for the crowd, which was double the size of the previous day, many having heard that the Olympic champions would be in action. Lee/Lee had a rousing reception and ran roughshod over Denmark’s Larsen/Schjoett-Kristensen, winning in just 23 minutes. All three of Korea’s new pairs fell by the wayside in the second round, however. Han Sang Hoon / Ha Jung Eun put up the biggest fight but couldn’t pull off another upset as Kurniawan/Irawati took care of them in 3 games 21-16, 7-21, 21-19. Elsewhere, Robert Blair came dangerously close but refused to bow to Chinese Taipei’s Fang Chieh Min on consecutive days. Blair and Imogen Bankier (pictured) edged Fang/Cheng 21-18, 15-21, 21-18. Miryang’s Secret Shon Shines As Athens silver medallist Shon Seung Mo is living out his retirement as a Junior National Team coach, another of the same name and provenance has taken his turn in the limelight. Shon Wan Ho also hails from Miryang, the small southern city that gave the recent, award-winning film Secret Sunshine its title. Shon, too, has been a well-kept secret. Just 20 years old, he has been one of the best singles players of his age group but has been left at home in recent years as others in his age group, like Hong Ji Hoon, have gotten plenty of international exposure. On Thursday, though, Shon made the most of his chance and gave Joachim Persson no quarter, beating him 21-14, 21-13. “This was the first time I’d played Joachim Persson. In fact I had never played any Danish player,” Shon explained after the match. “I found that he has a very strong attack and his strokes are very precise. Still, he seemed to be prone to errors today and I think I kept my errors down and this helped me. “I studied a video of his first-round match and went over it with Coaches Ahn Jae Chang and Li Mao. This is what we’ll be doing tonight to prepare for the match against Peter Gade, too, because, of course, I’ve never played him before either.” All other favoured players came through their matches in straight games except for Poland’s Przemslaw Wacha, who came back from a one-sided defeat in his first game against India’s Arvind Bhat to win it 11-21, 21-14, 23-21. Wacha was clearly on edge in the final minutes of the match when he let a few shuttles drop in. He earned himself a yellow card when he threw his racquet at the equipment box in a rather unothordox victory celebration. Japan’s Sho Sasaki may have beaten Park Sung Hwan of Korea 3 times last year but that seemed like ancient history on Thursday as Park dominated their match, winning 21-12, 21-4 in just 22 minutes. His real test comes with his quarter-final rematch against Lee Chong Wei, who in turn dominated Park in last week’s Malaysia Open final. Pi and Zhou School Local Challengers In the women’s singles, two local players who have only recently returned to the national team – one as the oldest player and the other as the youngest – took to the courts to take on two of the strongest players in the game today. Top seed Zhou Mi was threatened in her first game against Bae Seung Hee, who tied it at 18-all before losing her nerve and letting Zhou finish it. Zhou went on to take the second game with ease and the match ended 21-18, 21-10 in favour of the top seed. Pi Hongyan had the opposite experience with 17-year-old Sung Ji Hyun, nearly blanking the Korean teen in the first game but letting her stay close in the second. Pi still won comfortably 21-1, 21-17 as Sung went for treatment for a painful cramp in her thigh. Another favourite, Wang Chen, let her challenger take one game before she finally slammed the door in the deciding game. Wang sent Malaysia’s Julia Wong (pictured above) packing 21-14, 15-21, 21-5. She goes on to face Korea’s Hwang Hye Youn for the first time since Hwang beat her in the 2007 Swiss Open. Both of the 2008 World Junior Championship finalists exited the Korea Open in the 2nd round. Sayaka Sato of Japan was dealt with summarily by Bulgaria’s Petya Nedelcheva while Saina Nehwal (pictured) lost to Indonesia’s Adriyanti Firdasari in 3. The women’s doubles was similarly upset free. Local teenagers Eom Hye Won / Jung Kyung Eun advanced over the 8th seeds with a walkover and will be the first opponents of 2004 Olympic Champions Yang Wei / Zhang Jiewen of China, in the quarter-finals. Gao Ling / Wei Yili, will also be facing a local pair as Ha Jung Eun / Kim Min Jung, will have their first match of the tournament against the Chinese veterans. Double Doubles Disappointment for Indonesia While many expected a semi-final like last week’s Malaysia Open, both Kido/Setiawan and Yulianto/Gunawan failed to produce. On adjacent courts, the two Indonesian pairs lost to Chinese Taipei’s Fang/Lee and Malaysia’s Choong/Lee respectively, both in thrilling matches. Fang/Lee (pictured) made the quarter-finals here last year, where they lost narrowly to the Danes but they hope to do one better in 2009 and reach their first Super Series semi-final in over a year. To reach the final, however, the Taiwan pair must get past Choong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah, who ended the campaign of last week’s runners-up in three games. Although the Malaysian veterans led throughout the deciding game, they nearly let it slip away when they watched their 7-point lead dwindle to one but they hung on and won 11-21, 21-16, 21-19. Bona Septano / Muhammad Ahsan are now the only Indonesians left in the draw and they will meet one of two remaining Danish pairs. Korea has two pairs left in the quarter-finals but they are up against each other. Han Sang Hoon and Shin Baek Cheol (pictured below) showed nerves of steel in the last match of the day as they came back from 17-19 down in the third game to edge out 6th-seeded Malaysians Chan/Chew 21-16, 13-21, 22-20. “Because I’ve been concentrating on mixed doubles the last year, not much is expected of me so I came into today’s match without any pressure to perform,” said Han after the match. “I played Chan right here two years ago when we both had different partners and we won so I had some idea what to expect. I knew that his defense was excellent so Baek Cheol and I determined be patient, knowing that we might have to smash five or six times before we’d get a return short enough to end the rally. “Tomorrow against Yong Dae and Jae Sung, I’m just going to concentrate on enjoying the game. There is no pressure on us so we’re just going to try to play some happy badminton.” Indeed, Han is facing the mighty Jung/Lee for the second week in a row and with a less experienced partner than last week. The winner will take on the victor between Paaske/Rasmussen and Logosz/Mateusiak, two pairs with winning records against the Asian Champions. For complete 2nd round results from the 2009 Yonex Korea Open Super Series, please CLICK HERE