HONG KONG OPEN 2017 Finals – Tasty revenge for Lee Chong Wei

The swan song resounded loudly today in Hong Kong as an era is to have its curtain closed for a very last chapter in a few weeks in Dubai. While the BWF is still launching a new competition format for 2018, the Superseries will no longer be so named and the format is set to undergo many changes. It is a fitting farewell for the Superseries as it is its biggest earner, Lee Chong Wei,  managed to grab one more Superseries title despite having spent the last months struggling to find his former shape.

By Tarek Hafi. Photos: Yves Lacroix / Badmintonphoto (live)

46^th Superseries!

It was an astonishing result for the legendary player that is Lee Chong Wei (pictured above), who was already officially the biggest Superseries title earner since 2007. After several months of difficulties and early losses, the Malaysian finally found back his talent to outplay the current Olympic champion, Chen Long.

The encounter was highly awaited as it was their first match since the historical Olympic final in Rio. However, Chen Long was not in charge today and had to concede the title to the former world #1, who showed some of his best badminton in Hong Kong. The superstar sealed the encounter in only two games 21-14, 21-19, rushing towards Dubai where he will be fighting to grab a 47^th title before we close the Superseries book forever.

Invincible Tai Tzu Ying

The world’s top women’s singles player, Tai Tzu Ying (pictured right) of Chinese Taipei, once more confirmed her domination on the badminton circuit, as she gave Pusarla Venkata Sindhu a lesson in their final match. The top seed from Taiwan controlled every rally while looking simply too good for her opponent from the beginning.

She confirmed her status as title-holder, winning her second Hong Kong Open Superseries in a row, while engraving a bit more her name in the badminton history books. The Indian never really managed to find the loophole to get the edge, as Sindhu was forced to capitulate in two games that both ended 18-21.

The Minions!

Nicknamed the Minions by their team-mates, Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (pictured left) came equals with Korean stars Lee Yong Dae and Yoo Yeon Seong, enjoying a sixth men’s doubles Superseries title in this calendar year, beginning with the All England 2017. Exhibiting superb form since the beginning of the year, the two extra talented friends swept away Denmark’s Mads Conrad-Petersen and Mads Pieler Kolding. The extra boost of confidence probably made the difference, but the pair once more showed excellent commitment to win the title in only straight games 21-12, 21-18. The Indonesian pair is now ready to beat the record and get a 7^th title in Dubai in few days.

Revenge is best served hot

Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan certainly had in mind their awful Parisian performance against Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu, where they were harshly beaten 21-5, 21-10. But the Chinese top seeds do not give up easily and gave their very best to beat the up and coming Indonesian pair.

Quickly labelled as the hardest-fought match of the day, it saw the Chinese pair having to go the long distance to lift the trophy, after a 14-21, 21-16, 21-15 success. Chen and Jia also belong to the ones going to Dubai where, for once, it won’t be a Chinese but a Japanese armada to beat in order to win the final trophy.

The new pair to beat?

It seems like mixed doubles has found its new pair to beat, in the name of Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong (pictured left).  With incredible ease, the two compatriots – still ranked #1 and #2 in the world with their respective former partners – won a second Superseries trophy in a row, or a third consecutive title if we count the Macau Open Grand Prix Gold two weeks ago.

For a second time, they bested the similarly newly formed Danish pair of Mathias Christiansen and Christinna Pedersen. The three-week-old Chinese pair presented another flawless performance to get the Hong Kong Open Superseries title 21-15, 21-13 against a frustrated Danish pair, unable to display any sort of tactics.

Final results:
XD:  Zheng Siwei / Huang Yaqiong (CHN) [5] beat Mathias Christiansen / Christinna Pedersen (DEN)  21-15, 21-13
MD:  Marcus Fernaldi Gideon / Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (INA) [1] beat Mads Conrad-Petersen / Mads Pieler Kolding (DEN) [6]  21-12, 21-18
WS:  Tai Tzu Ying [1] beat Pusarla Venkata Sindhu (IND) [2]  21-18, 21-18
WD:  Chen Qingchen / Jia Yifan (CHN) [1] beat Greysia Polii / Apriyani Rahayu (INA)  14-21, 21-16, 21-15
MS:  Lee Chong Wei (MAS) [8] beat Chen Long (CHN) [5]  21-14, 21-19

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