SUPERSERIES FINALS 2014 Day 3 – Double disappointment for double defender

Last year’s double titleist Christinna Pedersen lost twice on Day 3 of the BWF Destination Dubai World Superseries Finals, her loss to Jung Kyung Eun and Kim Ha Na in the women’s doubles costing her a semi-final berth.

By Tarek Hafi.  Photos: Yves Lacroix for Badmintonphoto (live from Dubai)

Korea’s Jung Kyung Eun and Kim Ha Na (pictured) raised their game to another level, sweeping away the title-holders from Denmark, Kamilla Rytter Juhl and Christinna Pedersen, in straight games.  The withdrawal of the Asian Games champions from women’s doubles Group A, meant that Kim Ha Na and Jung Kyung Eun were vying for the second spot on Friday after Japan’s Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi topped the group.

The Koreans completely outplayed the defending champions 21-5, 21-18.  In the semi-finals, Kim will get another shot at the mighty Zhao Yunlei and her partner Tian Qing.  The twins Luo Ying and Luo Yu will face Matsutomo and Takahashi for a place in the final of the prestigious event.

Despite an inconsistent season, Liu Cheng and Bao Yixin (pictured above) are aiming big in Dubai, earning another third victory, meaning one hundred percent success so far in their road to the final title of the year.  Liu and Bao easily topped their group after a third game win against Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christina Pedersen although both pairs had already secured their places in the last four prior to the start of play on Friday.  They had already left Lilyana Natsir / Tontowi Ahmad and Thailand’s Sudket Prapakamol and Saralee Thoungthongkam deprived of a ticket to the semi-finals.

In mixed doubles Group A, Ko Sung Hyun and Kim Ha Na only had to take one game from the Chinese world #1s Zhao Yunlei and Zhang Nan to clinch a spot in the semis but instead bowed out in straight games to a pair to whom, surprisingly, they had never before lost.

The Koreans’ loss removed the last obstacle in the road of Chris and Gabby Adcock (pictured above), who, despite their two losses, managed to keep their German opponents from taking a game, which could well have put the Koreans in the final four.

Kidambi Srikanth might have lost his match today against Denmark’s Jan O. Jorgensen (pictured), but his perfect first steps in the tournament were still enough for the Indian talent to gain his ticket as well, allowing him to display more of the incredible form he has been showing the last few months.  The top seed and main contender for the title, Chen Long, will now be standing in line for this more than awaited encounter.

The other half will be displaying a hundred percent match with Hans-Kristian Vittinghus and Jan O. Jorgensen, ensuring that there will be a Danish flag floating the arena for finals day on Sunday.

Semi-final line-ups:

Women’s singles
Saina Nehwal (IND) vs.  Tai Tzu Ying (TPE)
Sung Ji Hyun (KOR) vs.  Akane Yamaguchi (JPN)

Men’s singles
Chen Long (CHN) vs.  Kidambi Srikanth (IND)
Jan O.  Jorgensen (DEN) vs.  Hans-Kristian Vittinghus (DEN)

Men’s doubles
Lee Yong Dae / Yoo Yeon Seong (KOR) vs.  Mathias Boe / Carsten Mogensen (DEN)
Hiroyuki Endo / Kenichi Hayakawa (JPN) vs.  Chai Biao / Hong Wei (CHN)

Women’s doubles
Tian Qing / Zhao Yunlei (CHN) vs.  Jung Kyung Eun / Kim Ha Na (KOR)
Misaki Matsutomo / Ayaka Takahashi (JPN) vs.  Luo Ying / Luo Yu (CHN)

Mixed doubles
Zhang Nan / Zhao Yunlei (CHN) vs.  Chris Adcock / Gabby Adcock (ENG)
Joachim Fisher Nielsen / Christinna Pedersen (DEN) vs.  Liu Cheng / Bao Yixin (CHN)

Click here for complete Day 3 results