WORLD UNIVERSITY CHAMPS 2012 QF – Spain sends duo to semis

Top-seeded Pablo Abian was accompanied into the semi-finals at the 2012 World University Championships by fellow Spaniard Ernesto Velazquez while Korea’s men look set to dominate the doubles.

Story and photos:  Don Hearn, Badzine Correspondent live in Gwangju

For the second straight year, Spain’s Pablo Abian (pictured) is the men’s singles top seed in the biggest university event on the badminton calendar.  Last year, he made the long trek from the World Championships directly to the Universiade in Shenzhen, only to fall in the quarter-finals to home team shuttler Wen Kai.

This year, Abian is back and is up to the quarter-final stage, where he will face another home favourite, Lee Dong Keun, who is fresh off a big win in the team event and two easy early round wins.

“Every tournament is important to me, of course, but I really want to do well in these World University Championships,” said Abian after his quarter-final.

“Last year was my only match against Wen Kai and I would like to play him again, in the finals, but my semi-final against Lee Dong Keun will also be tough because he is a very good player.”

The quarter-final did not go so smoothly for the Spaniard, however, as he lost a one-sided second game before taking the decider convincingly from Chinese Taipei’s Shin Kuei Chun.

“I had a little trouble adjusting to the lights when we changed ends for the second game,” explained Abian.  “I think I should be ready for my match this afternoon once I get stretched and rested.  I’ll do my best to reach the final.”

2011 Universiade silver medallist Wen Kai (pictured above) is playing Velazquez in the other semi-final after the Spaniard beat Shu Wada of Japan in two easy games.

Korea looked dominant in the men’s and mixed doubles with none of the four pairs spending more than half an hour on court.  They look strong to set up a pair of all-Korean finals.

The pair of 21-10 games won by home favourites Kim Ki Jung and especially Lee Yong Dae (pictured left) – who hails from nearby Hwasun – predictably attracted the first crowd of the weekend, even if the stands were dominated by the lime green vests of Gwangju’s legion of volunteers known as ‘Shuttle Friends’.

The morning session ended with two Pai Hsiao-Ma and Tai Tzu-Ying of Chinese Taipei repeating their Friday victory over Japan’s Eriko Tamaki and Saya Yamamoto.  This time, they were separated into singles contests but the result was basically the same, except that both Taiwan women were able to close out their quarter-finals in straight games.

Click here for complete Saturday results