FRENCH OPEN 2014 Finals – Boe “beau” in Paris

Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen helped Europe get at least a title after a three-game fight against Hiroyuki Endo and Kenichi Hayakawa and added a Danish flavour to the French capital after Lilyana Natsir and Ahmad Tontowi outplayed their English opponents Gabrielle and Chris Adcock in straight games.

By Tarek Hafi, live from Paris. Photos : Badmintonphoto (live)

Cartsen Mogensen and Mathias Boe helped Europe grab at least one title in these Yonex French Open Superseries finals after a perfectly conducted match against Japan’s Hiroyuki Endo and Kenichi Hayakawa. However, it didn’t go the Danish way in the beginning.  Seriously challenged by the Japanese, Boe and Mogensen trailed early and had to concede the opening game to Endo and Hayakawa 18-21.

“It was a tricky match.  Though we have played many finals, playing again in a final is always very special.  Sometimes you have good legs or not.  In the first game we had difficulties moving but we have lot of experience.  We don’t get scared when we lose the opening game and just think about what we have to do and play hundred percent to win the match,” said Cartsen Mogensen afterward.

And the Danes proved to have plenty of experience in that specific situation as they simply left no chances to the Japanese in the second and third games. The tall players assaulted their opponents with constant lethal attacks, leaving Endo and Hayakawa, frustrated and with no possible replies to fight Boe and Mogensen, forced to concede the last two games.

Lilyana Natsir and Tontowi Ahmad probably expected tougher opposition from a pair only one spot away in the world rankings, but the Indonesian jewels appeared far too solid for England’s Chris and Gabrielle Adcock, taking a well deserved title.

The former World Champions suffocated their opponents from the very beginning, leading 11-2 at the first mid-game interval.

“We were very focused today, we tried to play point by point but we never expected the first game to be that easy,” said Lilyana.

Smashing their way out of the first game 21-9, the English pair, found their strength back with the crowd support, leading at some points, until the Indonesians put on their perfect game, outmanoeuvring their opponents in all aspects of the game.

“In the second game they started to lead, so we talked to each other and said we should remain calm and not panic, because we can be quickly nervous in those occasions,” analyzed Lilyana Natsir, who took her second title in Paris, after she first reached the highest spot in 2009 with Nova Widianto.

Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang finally found the way to beat with ease their compatriot Ma Jin and Tang Yuanting, whose level was below par compared to what they had showed this week.  They couldn’t find any answer to challenge the former World Champions. The world number five took their second title in two weeks, winning 21-15, 21-9.

A second match between two Chinese sides gave the public clear disappointment when current Olympic champion Li Xuerui had to withdraw in the second game from her final match today and gave the win to her compatriot Wang Shixian.

Final results
WD: Wang Xiaoli / Yu Yang (CHN) [7] beat Ma Jin Tang Yuanting (CHN) [5]  21-15, 21-9
MS: Chou Tien Chen (TPE) beat Wang Zhengming (CHN) [5]  10-21, 25-23, 21-19
WS: Wang Shixian (CHN) [2] beat Li Xuerui (CHN) [1]  21-15, 8-3 [Retired]
XD: Tontowi Ahmad / Lilyana Natsir (INA) [3] beat Chris Adcock / Gabrielle Adcock (ENG) [4]  21-9, 21-16
MD: Mathias Boe / Carsten Mogensen (DEN) [1] beat Hiroyuki Endo / Kenichi Hayakawa (JPN) [2]  18-21, 21-9, 21-7

Click here for complete results