BITBURGER 2010 Finals – China’s second knives on top

A week after their clean sweep in Paris, China once again scooped all the titles of the categories they entered in Saarbrucken, leaving only the men’s doubles gold to Denmark’s Boe and Mogensen. China’s new generation is ready to take over.

By Raphaël Sachetat. Photos: Sven Heise (live from Saarebrucken)

China struck once again. In the only Grand Prix Gold held in Europe this season, the Bitburger Open, the Chinese made sure they would get back home with another sackful of gold medals – four, to be precise – after Sunday’s finals, where the Chinese took rather easy matches to clinch the four first victories.

It all started with the mixed doubles, where Zhang and Zhao – who had been very close to losing the previous day, had a shaky start but eventually finished on a high with a 22-20, 21-9 success over Fuchs and Overzier.

The singles from the young generation – Liu Xin and Chen Long then made it 3 for China when they scooped their titles. Liu beat her former compatriot Wang Rong, who now plays for Macau, in straight games, while the expected clash between Vittinghus and Chen Long was uneven, with games won easily on both sides, resulting in quite a disappointing final and a 21-3, 12-21, 21-9 win for Chen. The Chinese is now back at square in the head-to-head with the Dane after the latter had beaten him in Sweden earlier this year.

To complete China’s sweep, Pan and Tian spent a little over 30 minutes on court against Dutch Jonathans and Van Dooremalen with a 21-7, 21-10 success. Nevertheless, the Dutch ladies can be quite happy with their performance after the recent coming back into the circuit of Lotte Jonathans, who had disappeared for more than 6 years to become a mother of two children before she vowed to get back to her former level.

Last but not least, Europe did get a title in the men’s doubles where Denmark’s Boe and Mogensen made sure logic prevailed when they took on German’s Schottler and Kindervater. The latter, unseeded, bowed to the Danes 21-16, 21-16.

This closed out the final day of another great tournament – always liked by players themselves because of the famous players’ party.

All finals

MS: Chen Long (CHN) bt. Hans Kristian Vittinghus (DEN): 21-3, 12-21, 21-9
WS: Liu Xin (CHN) bt. Wang Rong (MAC): 21-16, 21-10
MD: Boe/Mogensen (DEN) bt. Schottler/Kindervater (GER): 21-16, 21-16
WD: Pan/Tian (CHN) bt. Jonathans/Vandooremalen (NED): 21-7, 21-10
XD: Zhang/Zhao (CHN) bt. Fuchs/Overzier (GER): 22-20, 21-9

All results HERE