CHINA OPEN 2010 SF – China marks its territory

The home team is determined to keep the 2010 Li Ning China Open for China as it won all its semi-final matches.   The men’s doubles saw the emergence of the sole non-Chinese participants, Korea’s Lee Yong Dae and Jung Jae Sung, coincidentally the only ones who did not face Chinese opponents on Saturday.

By Lee Anne Yabut, Badzine Correspondent.  Photos: Badmintonphoto (live)

Chen Long (pictured) led the Chinese team with an electrifying match-up against new World Champion Chen Jin and as the two fought intensely neck-and-neck until the underdog emerged as the 22-20, 21-18, 21-18 victor.  Chen Long used his smashing and netting capabilities while Chen Jin was still able keep the score mostly even.  Chen finally caught up with Chen Jin forcing a deuce and winning the first game.

In the next game, it was errors that plagued Chen Long, allowing the favourite to manoeuvre with clear winners and came back with a 21-18 victory.  In the end, it was the younger Chen’s combinations of smashes and drop shots that allowed him 8 consecutive points that won him the final game at 21-18.  The whole match lasted 84 minutes.

Meanwhile, Bao Chunlai (pictured) shut down darkhorse Du Pengyu.  In the close first game, Bao played a power game, which allowed him to chase 6 consecutive game points in a come-from-behind 22-20 victory.  He then made a change of tactics as he shifted from power to clever net play.  His patient clear and net winners dictated the match at a crucial time thus sealing the second game at 21-16.

Defending champion Jiang Yanjiao continues on track to hold onto her title as she beat former world number 1, Wang Yihan 21-19, 21-17.  Skilful net play and Wang’s errors kept her alive as these allowed her to win first game.  Later on, it was her clever combinations that dictated the flow having 11 clear winners compared to 2.  It will be a battle of netplays as she will take on Wang Shixian who through double-digit net winners thus won over current number 1 Wang Xin, 21-18 21-16.

In men’s doubles, Ko Sung Hyun / Yoo Yeo Seong offered far less resistance to Lee Yong Dae and Jung Jae Sung than they did last weekend in Gimcheon and the defending champions won 21-10, 21-15 in only 29 minutes.  The number 4 seeds put firepower in double-digit smash winners and at one point in the first game, silenced their compatriots with 7 consecutive points.  They will be going against unseeded Chai Biao / Zhang Nan (pictured below) in the finals.

In women’s doubles, Korean Grand Prix champion Jung Kyung Eun had her first match since junior days against Ma Jin or Zhong Qianxin, who had stopped the Korean en route to their World Junior titles in 2006 and 2007 respectively.  The new Chinese tandem defeated Jung and her more experienced partner Ha Jung Eun and as they aggressively pushed errors from the Korean pair.

At first, Ha/Jung dominated the court with 21-11 using effective combinations of power and net.  However, Ma/Zhong challenged the Koreans’ defensive skills as they powered down the smashes and forced multiple errors which stunned the Korean pair 21-8 in the second.  The final game became a neck-and-neck race as both teams battled with equal power, net and clear play.  The Chinese capitalized on their consistency, though, and took it 21-18.

Ma and Zhong are set to go to the finals against Cheng Shu / Zhao Yunlei who won 21-13, 21-14 over defending champ Tian Qing, who is back with her old partner Pan Pan.  Zhao is thus up for two golds on Sunday in Shanghai.  She has topped the podium three times in mixed this year but she and Cheng, while the highest ranked Chinese pair in women’s doubles, have not won since the first tournament of the year, the Korea Open way back in January.

Finals line-up:

MS: Bao Chunlai (CHN) vs. Chen Long (CHN)
WS: Jiang Yanjiao (CHN) vs. Wang Shixian (CHN)
MD: Chai Biao / Zhang Nan (CHN) vs. Jung Jae Sung / Lee Yong Dae (KOR)
WD: Cheng Shu / Zhao Yunlei (CHN) vs. Ma Jin / Zhong Qianxin (CHN)
XD: Zhang Nan / Zhao Yunlei (CHN) vs. Tao Jiaming / Tian Qing (CHN)

For complete semi-final results from the 2010 Li-Ning China Open, CLICK HERE