THAILAND INT’L – Chae takes one of two

Former World Junior Champion Chae Yoo Jung one of her two finals today at the Granular – Thailand International Challenge in Bangkok while 17-year-old Supanida Katethong took her second international title and helped prevent a Korean sweep.

Photo: Badmintonphoto (archives)

2013 World Junior Champion Chae Yoo Jung came into the finals of the Granular – Thailand International Challenge looking for not one but two titles as Korea had a finalist in all five events and looked strong for a sweep.  In the end, she was not able to finally took a senior title with her World Junior girls’ doubles partner Kim Ji Won.

Long before their win today in Bangkok, two-time Asian Junior mixed doubles champions Chae Yoo Jung and Choi Sok Kyu (pictured) had already made a name for themselves on the senior tour, winning the Vietnam Open Grand Prix and reaching the final of the Macau Open Grand Prix Gold.  Choi took a little detour to win the Korean Grand Prix this past autumn with another World Junior Champion in girls’ doubles, Shin Seung Chan but he is back with Chae to start off the new year.  Choi was withdrawn from the tournament’s men’s doubles competition when partner Kang Ji Wook was not selected for the national team for 2015.

Their opponents Tan Chee Tean / Shevon Jemie Lai gave the Koreans their biggest challenge of the week, winning the first game before top seeds won it in three games, just under the hour mark.  The Malaysians will now be gearing up for a much bigger test, as they go home to the Malaysia Grand Prix Gold, where they must again face off against the top seeds but in that first round encounter, it will be the mighty Danes Joachim Fischer Nielsen / Christinna Pedersen.

Speaking of might, Chae and Kim Ji Won were stopped in the final by none other than former top ten pair Duanganong Aroonkesorn / Kunchala Voravichitchaikul (pictured).  For the Thais, it was their first international title since the 2011 Dutch Open Grand Prix.

The big surprise was that women’s doubles was not the first title of the day for the home team.  However, 17-year-old Supanida Katethong had some experience winning finals, as she won the Singapore International Series last summer.  She held her nerve against Macau Open runner-up Kim Hyo Min and won the women’s singles final in two games.

Kim was not the only Macau Open runner-up to come up short again in Bangkok.  Indonesia’s Angga Pratama / Ricky Karanda Suwardi could not find a way past Osaka International runners-up Jun Bong Chan / Kim Duck Young.  As expected, Lee Hyun Il won his sixth title since making his third comeback from retirement in 2013.

Final results
XD: Choi Sol Kyu / Chae Yoo Jung (KOR) [3] beat Tan Chee Tean / Shevon Jemie Lai (MAS) [2]  18-21, 21-19, 21-12
WS: Supanida Katethong (THA) beat Kim Hyo Min (KOR) [3]  21-16, 21-16
MD: Jun Bong Chan / Kim Duck Young (KOR) beat Angga Pratama / Ricky Karanda Suwardi (INA) [4]  21-14, 13-21, 21-14
MS: Lee Hyun Il (KOR) [1] beat Suppanyu Avihingsanon (THA) [2]  21-13, 21-10
WD: Duanganong Aroonkesorn / Kunchala Voravichitchaikul (THA) [1] beat Chae Yoo Jung / Kim Ji Won (KOR)  21-17, 21-19

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