ASIAN GAMES Day 7 – Title holders sent home

Title holders Zhao Yunlei and Tian Qing will have to settle for a mere bronze medal at the Incheon Asian Games.  For all the wide range of titles they possess, they were still sent packing in a thrilling three-game battle against the on fire Greysia Polii and Nitya Krishinda Maheswari.

By Tarek Hafi, Badzine Correspondent live in Incheon.  Photos: Don Hearn (live)

It was a dream come true for the Indonesians as they toppled the 2010 Guangzhou gold medallists to secure at least a silver medal for their country in the Asian Games 2014.  For Greysia Polii and Nitya Krishinda Maheswari (pictured) – who have made a real name for themselves in the past year, particularly with a couple of wins over two-time World Champions Wang and Yu – this was the first win, despite several attempts, against the current World Champions and Asian and Olympic Games gold medallists, proving once again the upgraded form they have reached.

In this hard-fought match, both pairs were very keen on attacking but it was the Indonesians’ fighting spirit which prevailed in the very end.

“I just can’t describe what I am living right now,” said Greysia Polii (pictured) after the match.  “We have been working hard during so many years and we feel like we finally made it!

“I have learnt one thing while playing with the Chinese and that is that, you can’t win against a pair who never gives up unless you too never give up, so this is what we did, we never gave up, no matter what.”

The ecstatic pair will now meet the top seeds Ayaka Takahashi and Misaki Matsutomo in the first individual gold medal final of these Asian Games.  The Japanese duo finally shut down giant killers Vivian Hoo / Woon Khe Wei.

Toward the end of the day, it was Malayasia’s newly formed pair of Goh Wei Shem and Tan Wee Kiong (pictured) who completely swept aside the third seeds and medal contenders Hiroyuki Endo and Kenichi Hayakawa in a straight-game win.  The Commonwealth Games gold medallists thus secured at least an Asian Games bronze medal to add to their collection but to trade those in for a better colour, they will be taking on world #1 Lee Yong Dae and Yoo Yeon Seong for a place in the final.

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