AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2015 Finals – Ingredients and recipe makes dish

Spain and China dish out defeats in the singles categories at the Star Australian Open  Superseries.

By Aaron Wong, Badzine Correspondent live in Sydney.  Photos: Badmintonphoto (live)

Troposphere vs. Stratosphere

As it stands, Spain’s Carolina Marin can do what Wang Shixian of China is capable of but with added muscle. That’s not to say it was a power game but the European has the natural edge in a key department. The very experienced former world #1 Wang quickly became aware that she has to recognise key moments within a rally and move quicker than normal to address the shuttle in a sweet spot just to keep pace.  To create options, Wang would need to travel faster on top of that.

Like she did against Bae, Wang scared her opponent by equalising at the end of the first game but Marin isn’t Bae and didn’t drop her quality in the last two points needed to win deuce.  Not only is speed required but balance at the point of impact too in order to hit decent shots.  Case in point is at 18-19 in the second game, Wang leaped forward and overhit her forehand lift by inches because of little time.

Today Wang was not supplied with opportunity to threaten Marin but managed to stay in the match until such time as the Spaniard might break flow which simply never eventuated.  It was women’s singles of two players at full top level capacity. Wang’s always high average level brought Marin to full blossom too and the unshrinking Spaniard soared to a higher altitude to win 22-20, 21-18 in two games.  The 2014 runner-up became the 2015 Australian Open champion.

“My legs became tired but I tried to fight hard especially keep the shuttle in when Wang Shixian caught up in the first game”, explained the winner of how she saw matters.

Taller vs. Tallest

World #1 Chen Long met the only one in men’s singles who can smash sharper than him which is Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen.  The Dane set forth with strong opening intentions but was coaxed into a web of patient stroking which garnered the Chinese the first game 21-12.

If left unchecked the consequences for the Dane would have been the same in the second game.  At 8-10 down in the second, Axelsen cooked up a change of pace that was sufficient to stop being strung along by Chen but not overblown to tempt the dragon out of its lair as Chen overall possesses greater range of shots, strategic vision and experience.  After winning six points straight, Axelsen shifted to employ his natural gifts of extra height on smashes and simply hitting freely.  It works a treat, as it did against Lin Dan, whenever Axelsen is ahead on score as the opponent has turned worried.

There were many patterns and lessons learnt by the commencement of the of the third game.  The main ingredient for the Dane was smashing in between the beats of Chen gravitating back to centre base and the recipe was to not allow pace to be dictated to by the Chinese and simultaneously not going for too much extra on attacking shots too soon.  It would mean sweet victory if Axelson could bring all these to boil.  On the other hand, Chen’s three course menu was to start off with engaging Axelsen in rallies of a constant speed whether it be fast or slow in order to pin down in a predictable flow then catch out the greener younger opponent in a particular skill department.

Chen was willing to match Axelsen in action mode once the decider kicked off.  He played the Dane’s kind of style but superior to gain advantage once more.  Overtaking done, Chen served up main course of returning to the patient game to see whether Axelsen would take a risk again or simply play into his hands.  The Dane did risk going for more to narrow the gap but the concentration required to repeatedly cook up points according to the correct quantities of ingredients specified in the recipe to outchef one as stable as Chen Long is nowadays required too much coordination and concentration that two unforced errors creeped in.  Chen plated up the match on an overturned line call that he challenged.

Final results
XD: Lee Chun Hei / Chau Hoi Wah (HKG) beat Liu Cheng / Bao Yixin (CHN) [4]  21-19, 19-21, 21-15
WD: Ma Jin / Tang Yuanting (CHN) [5] beat Tang Jinhua / Tian Qing (CHN) [6]  21-19, 16-21, 22-20
MS: Chen Long (CHN) [1] beat Viktor Axelsen (DEN)  21-12, 14-21, 21-18
WS: Carolina Marin (ESP) [3] beat Wang Shixian (CHN) [5]  22-20, 21-18
MD: Lee Yong Dae / Yoo Yeon Seong (KOR) [1] beat Liu Cheng / Lu Kai (CHN)  21-16, 21-17

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