INDIA GPG 2011 – Taufik in luck now

Taufik Hidayat ended his 13-month title drought in Lucknow, India, for the Yonex – Sunrise Syed Modi Memorial India Open Grand Prix Gold where he beat youngster Varma in the final of the event. In the women’s singles, Thailand pulled a “Chinese trick” on the spectators as the final was not played and Ratchanok Intanon won her final against compatriot Porntip Buranaprasertsuk.

By Raphael Sachetat. Photo: Badmintonphoto (archives)

It was a good Christmas gift for Taufik. After his compatriot Simon Santoso pulled out of the tournament, he was the clear favourite to take the title. And he did. After a tough semi-final against Wong Ki Wing from Hong Kong, the Indonesian was opposed to a new face of the badminton world: India’s Sourabh Varma. This time, it took 2 games for Taufik to beat his opponent of the day, 21-18, 21-15.

Coach Gopichand was proud of his trainee. “Sourabh played superbly. He carried out the plan well, but he was up against the class of Taufik, who had planned the big points so well,” he told the Hindu.

In the women’s singles, Ratchanok Intanon won the title without even playing her final against her compatriot Buranaprasertsuk as the latter withdrew before the match. The tops seeds in the men’s doubles and mixed also won on Sunday (Sato/Kawamae and Prapakamol/Thoungthungkam) but the favourites in the women’s doubles – Japan’s Maeda and Suetsuna – didn’t make it all the way. They were stopped by Singapore’s Yao Lei and Shinta Mulia Sari in straight games 17-21, 18-21.

All results HERE