last year’s finalists lee Chong Wei and Chen long meet again in India Open final
lee Chong Wei is one match away from defending his Yonex Sunrise India Open title as the world number one staved off a challenge from Pengyu Du in the semi-final on Saturday and set up a final date with Chen long for Sunday.
In the women’s singles, top seed li Xuerui lived upto her billing and will face Shixian Wang in the summit clash here at the Siri Fort Sports Complex.
In the last match of the day, Malaysian Chong Wei dominated the first game with a sparkling start and won it 21-17. In the second game though, he lost control and allowed world number seven Du to fight his way back into the game. With his big high jump smashes not falling in right places while drop shots also not reaching the mark, the two-time Olympics silver medallist lee looked a bit worried.
At the same time credit also goes to Du for fighting all through and matching Chong Wei’s pace with equal might and winning the second game 21-19. However, Chong Wei, urged on by a good in attendance and supportive crowd, which had a Malaysian contingent, pulled things back in his control.
Focus and concentration on part of Chong Wei was visible in the third game and that helped him in sealing the deal at 21-14. The result improved his career meetings against the Chinese to 12-1.
In the other semi-final, long overcame a stiff fight from world number five Jan o Jorgensen and won the match 21-15, 21-23, 21-19 in a 79-minute encounter. Sunday’s final will be an intriguing affair as world number one Chong Wei faces world number two long.
long has lost 8 times to the Malaysian in 16 encounters. One of his recent losses came in the All England championships final in March but before that match in london, interestingly, he had registered four straight victories against the 31-year Malaysian.
“Today it was a very good game. I lost a bit of control in the second game but came back in the third to win it. Tomorrow will be another good battle against Chen long. I have a good rivalry against him. Hope to entertain the crowd tomorrow as well,” Chong Wei told reporters.
Chong Wei has been in the final of the India Open four times now and has lost once.
Shixian wins battle of Wangs
After the Olympics gold medallist Xuerui marked her entry into the final with an easy victory over Xin liu 21-12, 21-13, all the focus was on the match between world number two Yihan Wang and world number three Shixian where the latter pipped her compatriot 15-21, 21-7, 22-20.
After losing the first game, the reigning All England champion Shixian played with much more accuracy and determination and won the rubber easily in the final game. The 58-minute match which was marked by a haul of long rallies.
The men’s doubles showdown match will be held between Denmark’s Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen and Chinese pair of Xiaolong liu-Zihan Qiu. In the women’s doubles, Korean pair Kyun Eun Jung-Ha Na Kim will take on China’s Yuanting Tang-Yang Yu.
In the mixed doubles final, Denmark’s Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen will be up against Korean pair of Sun Hyun Ko-Ha Na Kim.