The first Super Series tournament of the year came to a successful close on January 12. Apart from in the men’s doubles final in which China’s Fu Hai Feng／Hong Wei fell at the hands of the top seeds Boe and Mogensen of Denmark, players／pairs from China were successful in the four other finals! Last year’s men’s and women’s title winners, Lee Chong Wei and Sung Ji Hyun, respectively, were unable to retain their titles and lost to Chen Long and Ratchanok Intanon.

 

Yoo Yeon Seong／Lee Yong Dae

 

Although China dominates world badminton, head coach Li Yongpo said to the media at the end of last year that he was “Not very satisfied” with the team’s performance in 2013 compared to the brilliant success of 2012 and said he would make training more intensive. It seems that this extra training paid off in the first Super Series event of 2014. Of the 10 players／pairs that reached the finals at the Korea Open, seven were from China and only Boe／Mogensen were able to deny China the title in the men’s doubles.

 

The Korea Open saw another final for Ratchanok Intanon after she claimed three titles in a row in August last year!Her biggest challenge on the way to the final was in the semifinal where she met last year’s winner Sung Ji Hyun. Intanon was only able to take her ticket for the final after a tough fight that went to three games. However, the fatigued Intanon was up against her nemesis Wang Shi Xian in the final and went down in straight games.

 

Going down in straight games 21-14,21-15,Badminton King Lee Chong Wei suffered his fourth recent defeat against China’s Chen Long. In the all-China women’s and mixed doubles finals Bao Yi Xin／Tang Jin Hua and Zhang Nan／Zhao Yun Lei, respectively, saw off their compatriots to take their first title of the New Year.

 

Tai Tzu Ying

 

Of all the Victor Stars, women’s singles player Tai Tzu Ying’s performance was the most disappointing. She went up against top seed Wang Shi Xian in the quarterfinals, the third time the pair have met in the past month, each taking one win each in the two meetings prior to his one. With all eyes on this match, Tai took the first game 21-12, but Wang came back to level the score with the same margin. In the deciding game, Tai trailed throughout and managed to save two match points, turning the situation around to have two match points herself at 21-20 and 22-21; however she lost the third and deciding game 22-24.

 

The hosts’ main men’s doubles pairs Lee Yong Dae／Yoo Yeon Seong and Kim Sa Rang／Kim Ki Jung went out in the quarterfinals and at the last 16 stage, respectively. Chinese Taipei’s pair Lee Sheng Mu／Tsai Chia Hsin, who are ranked 9th in the world, also went out at the hands of one of Malaysia’s top men’s doubles pairs, Goh V Shem／Lim Khim Wah.

 

After the Korea Open most of the competing players will fly direct to Malaysia to take part in the upcoming Malaysia Open 2014. This tournament has been upgraded to a Super Series Premier tournament this year and prizemoney up for grabs has been increased to US$500,000. Top players, including Tontowi Ahmad／Liliyana Natsir(Indonesia), will all take part. For all the latest tournament news keep an eye on VICTOR SPORT’s official international website at www.victorsport.com

 

( Edit by VICTOR Badminton )