NEW ZEALAND OPEN 2015 QF – China Jiayou! Malaysia Boleh!

If the noise of the crowd was anything to go by, the sheer volume indicated the rising number of people playing badminton and learning about their favourite players. China and Malaysia won the war of the decibels, and some battles on court.

By Kira Rin, Badzine Correspondent live in Auckland.  Photos: Badmintonphoto (archives)

Each time a great rally came to an end, or a near impossible shot was performed, there was a large round of applause from the audience. The volume increased steadily during the day as more people filtered into the stadium to watch the players flex their skills.

By far, the biggest noises came when either Chinese or Malaysian players were under pressure: “China Jia you” and “Malaysia Boleh” filled the hall. This peaked during the match between Hoon Thien How / Lim Khim Wah (photo) and Li Junhui / Liu Yuchen. Each time the shuttle hit the floor, cheers of encouragements for both sides ensued. The start of each service added tension to the air, as the crowd watched in silent anticipation as to where the shuttle would end up.

For the players, it was a tiny gap of a split second that determined the difference between winning and losing the point. Hoon and Lim started out strong, leaving the Chinese pair in the dust; however, in the second game, Li/Liu used their quick reflexes and mental strength to second guess their movements and regain the split-second advantage. Badminton’s strategy has always revolved around getting one step ahead of the opponent, and while Li Junhui / Liu Yuchen (photo) momentarily held the edge, Hoon/Lim were already working on a new set of tactics to grab the third game.

Just like yesterday, Cheung Ngan Yi (photo) saw off another opponent bearing a red flag, this time the unfortunate one being Indonesia’s Maria Febe Kusumastuti. Playing yet another 3-game match did not deter Ngan Yi from giving her all in her match, as she played her usual defensive stratagem, forcing Maria into a stamina battle. Impressively, Ngan Yi was able to emerge victorious from her 2^nd stamina battle of the tournament

Just as the spectators were about to leave their seats, the very last match of the day continued to bring last minute thrills. Just as it seemed when Indonesia’s Pia Zebadiah Bernadet and Rizki Amelia Pradipta (photo) were about to wrap up the match at the end of the night, the Japanese pair of Shiho Tanaka and Koharu Yonemoto saved 4 match points to force rubber game.

For the lucky few spectators that stayed on to watch, the Japanese showcased their “iron wall” defence, enduring barrages of attacks to force out mistakes. With their utmost concentration, the iron wall proved immovable, as the Indonesians tried in vain to land the shuttle on their opposite side of the court.  And Japan conquered.

In the men’s singles, Lee Hyun Il – the sole survivor for Korea – will take on Hsu Jen Hao for the semi-final in the upper part of the draw while China’s Qiao Bin will play Boonsak Ponsana.

All results HERE