KOREA OPEN 2013 R16 – Ivanov takes giant step

Once again, Russia proved that they were a big badminton nation by entering a men’s singles in the quarter-finals of a major tournament. Vladimir Ivanov (photo) stunned Jan O Jorgensen to record his career best of entering a quarter-final of a Superseries Premier event.

By Raphael Sachetat. Photos: Yves Lacroix for Badmintonphoto (live)

The man is a giant. And he can play on for hours. He is the only shuttler who can compete in all three events at this level – he did enter the Victor Korea Open in men’s doubles with Sozonov, in mixed doubles with Chervaykova, and men’s singles on his own, of course. If he failed to qualify for the main draw in the mixed, he went on to win a match in men’s doubles – beating none other than Markis Kido / Alvent Yulianto Chandra – and he then secured an impressive quarter-final ticket in men’s singles, beating Denmark’s Jan O Jorgensen (photo) 21-17, 22-20 in 43 minutes, always on top of his game.

After beating Chen Yuekun in straight games in the first round, Ivanov sets his target high, with Du Pengyu as his next opponent, in the quarter-finals. The two shuttlers have never met. Before this year, Ivanov had won one important tournament – the US Open in 2012, but apart from top seed Ueda of Japan, the field was not as strong as at other Grand Prix Gold events.

Ivanov coult even meet Ueda again if the latter beats Sony Dwi Kuncoro in the quarter-final in the same part of the draw, while the two other quarters will feature Lee Chong Wei against Hu Yun and Chong Wei Feng against Wong Wing Ki, who beat Viktor Axelsen in a bad day for Denmark.

In the women’s singles, Denmark’s bad day continued with Tine Baun being sent packing by Japan’s Mitani, who had clinched the French Open last year. Mitani will take on Jindapon of Thailand, surprise winner over Juliane Schenk of Germany, who was beaten in straight games 19-21, 8-21.

Korea places two aces with Sung and Bae, while the other two quarter-finalists are Saina Nehwal, Porntip Buranaprasertsuk, Wang Shixian and Han Li.

The men’s doubles competition was one of the most followed by the spectators in the coldness of Seoul as a good turn out came to watch Lee Yong Dae and Ko Sung Hyun clinch their tickets for the quarters, and then left the stadium. Goh and Lim of Malaysia created the upset of the day in the draw by edging Hayakawa/Endo of Japan.

All results HERE