Friday, 17 May 2024

BWF News

Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon inches closer to her first Premier Superseries title as she defeats German Juliane Schenk in the Women’s Singles semi-finals of the Li-Ning China Open. Intanon, a three-time world junior champion, will face off against second seed Li Xuerui of China in the final. China has representatives in four out of the five title battles, except for Men’s Doubles where Lee Yong Dae/Ko Sung Hyun of Korea will aim for their second straight Superseries victory against top seeds Mathias Boe/Carsten Mogensen of Denmark. This presents a good opportunity for Lee Yong Dae to seek revenge as he and former partner Chung Jae Sung were upset in the Olympic semi-finals by Boe and Mogensen.

China’s Ma Jin has a tremendous chance for a sixth consecutive Superseries victory. After winning silver in Mixed Doubles at the London Olympics, the 24-year-old has secured five Superseries titles in a row – two in Women’s Doubles with Tang Jinhua (Denmark Open and French Open) and three in Mixed Doubles with Xu Chen (China Masters, Denmark Open and French Open). Ma Jin and Xu Chen will face Chang Peng Soon/Goh Liu Ying (Malaysia) in the Mixed Doubles final. The Malaysians surprised All England champions Tontowi Ahmad/Lilyana Natsir 21-19 21-14 in the semi-finals.

Out of the five events, only the Men’s Singles will showcase an all-China match. Former world junior champion Wang Zhengming advanced to the final without playing a single match as he received a walkover from senior compatriot Chen Jin. Top seed Chen Long breezed into the final with a comfortable 21-6 21-7 victory over Malaysian Chong Wei Feng.

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All eyes will be on the Women’s Doubles pair of Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli tomorrow. Three months have passed since their disqualification from the Olympics, leading to Yu Yang’s retirement announcement. They now have a chance for a remarkable comeback as they face Miyuki Maeda/Satoko Suetsuna of Japan in the final. In the semi-finals, the Chinese duo had no trouble defeating the Thai pair of Narissapat Lam/Saralee Thoungthongkam 21-9 21-4. Sixth seeds Maeda and Suetsuna, however, faced tough competition from eighth seeds Eom Hye Won/Jang Ye Na. The Japanese team had the opportunity to close the match in straight games after recovering from deficits of 12-17 and 15-18 to take the lead at 19-18, but the Koreans rallied to win the next three points and force a third game.

Maeda and Suetsuna established an early lead in the decider and never let up. The final result of 21-17 19-21 21-13 gives them a shot at a Superseries title.

In the Women’s Singles semi-finals, Intanon, who had previously defeated Schenk at the Olympics, repeated her feat against the in-form German. Schenk narrowly won the first game 21-18, but Intanon displayed her dominance after the score was tied at seven-all in the second game. She took control with five consecutive points and never looked back, sealing her victory at 21-10.

The third game remained close until the halfway mark, but from a 13-all tie, Intanon won the next eight points while Schenk could only muster one. The 17-year-old Thai has beaten Li once in their previous four matches.

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Text by Dev Sukumar | BadmintonPhoto

FAQs

Q: Who will Ratchanok Intanon face in the final of the Li-Ning China Open Women’s Singles?
A: Ratchanok Intanon will compete against Li Xuerui of China in the final of the Li-Ning China Open Women’s Singles.

Q: Which nation has representatives in four out of the five title battles at the Li-Ning China Open?
A: China has representatives in four out of the five title battles at the Li-Ning China Open.

Q: Who are the top seeds in the Men’s Doubles event at the Li-Ning China Open?
A: The top seeds in the Men’s Doubles event at the Li-Ning China Open are Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen of Denmark.

Summary

Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon is on the cusp of winning her first Premier Superseries title after a strong performance in the Women’s Singles semi-finals at the Li-Ning China Open. She will face China’s Li Xuerui in the final. China is well-represented in the tournament, with players competing in four out of the five title battles. The exception is the Men’s Doubles event, where Korea’s Lee Yong Dae and Ko Sung Hyun will try to secure their second consecutive Superseries victory. China’s Ma Jin is also poised for success, having secured five Superseries titles in a row. The Women’s Doubles pair of Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli will make their comeback after being disqualified from the Olympics. They face tough competition in the final against Miyuki Maeda and Satoko Suetsuna of Japan. Overall, the Li-Ning China Open promises thrilling matches and the crowning of new champions.

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