HONG KONG OPEN 2010 Day 4 – Twentysomethings’ twist of fate

23-year-old Indonesians Ahsan and Septano settled a score today at the 2010 Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open, finally beating Koo/Tan of Malaysia.  Also the Indonesian’s peer Yip Pui Yin is through to the last eight, as she overcame Bae Youn Joo 21-16, 21-9.

By Elm Vandevorst.  Photos: Badmintonphoto (live)

Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong (pictured) were on a mission at the Hong Kong Open, trying to kill two birds with one stone by finally defeating Korean pair Ko Sung Hyun / Yoo Yeon Seong in the quarters, going all the way to win their second Super Series title of the year. However, Mohammad Ahsan and Bona Septano, who had already missed out some opportunities in the past to beat the Malaysians, had a different idea. The Indonesian twosome, who secured a bronze medal at the 2009 Southeast Asian Games, were beaten in the semi-final of those Games by their Malaysian opponents. Also at the Japan Open this year, Koo and Tan overcame their adversaries in two sets.

And once again the second-seeded Malaysians took the best start with a first set win 21-14. Septano, who’s Markis Kido’s brother, and Ahsan didn’t hang one’s head and obtained the second game 21-18. With a small lead at 11-9 in the third, a surprise seemed to be in the making. The talented Indonesians took revenge for their previous defeats, prevailing 21-19. Can they now defeat their opponents’ nemeses in the quarters?  Ko/Yoo, for their part, dismissed two other former world #1’s from much farther back, Indonesia’s Candra Wijaya / Luluk Hadiyanto in two quick games.

The home players dropped like flies in the starting round and this continued in the second.  Yip Pui Yin was the exception that proved the rule today, beating seventh seeded Bae Youn Joo 21-17, 21-10.  It was her second consecutive victory against a Korean shuttler, after she already had overcome Bae Seung Hee in her opening match. In addition, Korea’s last participant in the women’s singles, Sung Ji Hyun, lost too. Yip Pui Yin won’t worry about that, as she has to brace herself for her quarter-final against Saina Nehwal.

Together with Poon Lok Yan / Tse Ying Suet, Yip is the only player able to keep at least one title in Hong Kong. The local women’s doubles pair had no problems whatsoever with American’s Iris and Rena Wang 21-11 21-15. In their quarter-final they face a serious test with China’s Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang.

Besides these home players, Europe also has some possibilities to take a trophy to “the old continent”. German Juliane Schenk (pictured above) is their first participant left in the game, the 28-year-old shuttler needed to play a deciding rubber opposed to Aprilia Yuswandari but won 13-21, 21-14, 21-19. Also Pi Hongyan (photo) from France, Christinna Pedersen in both the mixed as women’s doubles and Russians Valeri Sorokina and Nina Vislova are playing a Super Series quarter-final in Hong Kong. However, Europe’s best chance should be Polish titleholders Robert Mateusiak / Nadiezda Zieba, who’ll join in an all-European battle with Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen.  The Poles won a nail-biter against China Open winners Tao Jiaming / Tian Qing, in which they saved 3 match points before prevailing 21-14, 18-21, 24-22.

For complete results, CLICK HERE