Quarter-Finals Serve up World Class Badminton

Quarter-Finals Serve up World Class Badminton

Quarter-finals night at the SKYCITY New Zealand Badminton Open proved a delight for the enthusiastic and large crowd at the North Shore Events Centre, with a host of world class badminton on display throughout the evening.

And tomorrow’s semi-finals will see one of the most anticipated badminton matches ever played in New Zealand, with former world number one and legend of the game Lee Hyun Il (KOR) facing top seed Hsu Jen Hao (TPE) in the men’s singles.

35 year old Hyun Il turned back the clock with a vintage quarter-final performance that had the crowd totally engaged throughout as the former world number one defeated Huang Yuxiang (CHN) in three thrilling games.

The number 3 seed played the big points better, in particular during the closing stages of the third and deciding game.

“This is my third time in New Zealand, but last year I could not play after injury. I am here to give my best performance each time, to start I was struggling but now I am feeling good and this was a good match. My opponent is younger than me and is physically strong so I focused on defence at the beginning, but he was very fast today.”

The win for the 35 year old sets up that mouth-watering clash in the semi-finals against top seed Hsu Jen Hao (TPE), an opponent he has played many times.

Hsu was typically focused in his performance, grinding out a straight games win over Angus Ng (HKG).

“I had a really long match yesterday so today I was already tired, but I played well and in the second game had the willpower to see it through, this was the main reason for my win.”

Hsu reciprocated the respect for his semi-final opponent and is wary of Lee Hyun Il, taking no notice of his age.

“Le Hyun has been around for a while but despite his age he is very very good and always mentally is on top of the game. This will be very tough tomorrow but I will try my best and see how the game pans out.”

The second semi-final will be played out between 25 year old Qiao Bin (CHN) and number 7 seed Boonsak Ponsana (THA). Qiao has been impressive throughout the week dropping just one game and won his quarter-final 21-15, 21-16 over the 12th seed, Mohamad Abdul Latif (MAS). Ponsana was even more clinical in his dismissal of Malaysian 16th seed Soon Huat Goh, also in straight games.

The women’s singles semi-finals will feature two Japanese players, one from Hong Kong China and one from the People’s Republic of China.

Ngan Yi Cheung (HKG) won a grueling quarter-final against Maria Febe Kusumastuti (INA), with the game coming down to who could keep a level head under pressure and maintain their fitness, with Cheung in no doubt that her superior conditioning played a part in deciding the match.

“I won the game because I was tough enough to chase back after lagging behind in the second game. Her fitness seemed to slow down a bit in the last game so I used this to my advantage and kept pushing by playing at a faster speed,” she said.

With a semi-final against Saena Kawakami (JPN) now her focus, Cheung sees keeping a strong mental state throughout the whole game as an area she can improve in. Kawakami turfed out the final Aussie in the competition in Wendy Chen, winning 21-15, 21-10 to ease into the weekend.

It was a different story for Kawakami’s fellow Japanese player Aya Ohori (JPN) though, as she came through a tough and drawn out match against Li Yun (CHN), eventually winning the third and deciding game by a large margin after Li had taken the first and looked in control.

Ohori was happy with the win, but not necessarily how she did it.

“My performance today was not very good. I got really tired during the match and it was a hard game. I got really frustrated because the umpire made the wrong call on whether the shuttle was in or our four times. After that, I couldn’t contain myself,” she said.

Ohori’s match habit of circling on the court also cost her a yellow card warning from the umpire, as she held up the match play considerably with her loud shoe-shuffling.

“I always walk around on the court then the umpire told me off. I’ve never had that happen before.”

The men’s doubles will often produce the greatest matches, and so it proved if the noise of the crowd on quarter-finals night was anything to go by with some amazing shot making and court coverage on display.

It was youth over experience winning through when the 7th seeded Indonesian combination of Fajar Alfian (20) and Rian Ardianto (19) overcome the pairing of Ruud Bosch (NED) and Huang Po Jui (TPE) in the Barfoot & Thompson Match of the Day, winning 19-21, 23-21, 21-18 in a thriller.

“We tried to play a little more relaxed, if we play fast and rushing we make more mistakes, tonight we tried to make it more safe and only attack when a real chance was there,” said Aridanto. “We must improve again in the semi-final though, we must keep getting better to win again. We are playing quite good but we must play much better tomorrow.”

If anything the noise levels were raised even higher as 6th seeded Malaysians Thien How Hoon and Khim Wah Lim became the next opponents for the Indonesians, upset the 3rd seeds from China Junhui Li and Yuchen Liu in three close games, edging away to win 21-19 in the third.

The second semi-final will be fought out between Huang Kaixiang and Zheng Si Wei (CHN) and Markis Kido and Agripinna Putra (INA). The Chinese demolished their opponents from Chinese Taipei, winning 21-10, 21-8 while the Indonesians were equally business like in a straight games win over Goh and Tan from Malaysia.

The women’s doubles semi-finals also produced some great quality, with Vita Marissa and Komala Dewi (INA) displaying some expert moves in their win over Australians Leanna Choo and Setyana Mapasa, their 27 years of combined experience overcoming the fact this is their first tournament as a pairing.

They play the number 4 seeds from China in the semi-finals, with Huan and Zhong dispatching Tam and Wu from Australia 21-8, 21-7 in a cakewalk of a quarter-final.

The second semi match up features the number 3 seeded Japanese pairing or Fukushima and Hirota, the pair were businesslike in their victory over Cheng and Shuai from Chinese Taipei, easing away in straight games.

Their opponents are something of a surprise though, with Shiho Tanaka and Koharu Yonemoto (JPN) upsetting the top seeds Pia Bernadeth and Amelia Pradipta (INA) in a match that looked destined to end in two. The Japanese fought off match points in the second game and eventually won over the tiring Indonesian pair 21-15 in the decider.

The semifinals of the mixed doubles at the SKYCITY New Zealand badminton Open will feature two pairings from the People’s Republic of China against two from Indonesia and both promise to be classic encounters with the young Chinese team taking on the experienced Indonesians.

Only just out of the junior ranks, Zheng Si Wei and Chen Qingchen (CHN) are standing out at the SKYCITY NZ Badminton Open both for their impressive play on court but also for their bright pink outfits and loud exultations with each winning point as they dismantled Lu and Cheng (TPE) in straight games.

There was no hesitation in describing why they are so bright in clothing and loud on court.

“We want to show that we are very strong and also very young and full of energy. And yes, we are very confident that we can win.”

They will be up against formidable opponents in top seeds Riky Widianto and Pupita Dili (INA) though, with the Indonesians flexing their considerable muscles in a straight games win over Chayut Triyachart and Shinta Sari (SIN).

Another young Chinese combination will be up against one of the most experienced players in the world in the semifinals with Yu Xiaoyu and Huan Xia winning a tight match against Adistia and Marissa (INA),18-21 21-13 21-15 and now face the number 3 seeds Markis Kido and Pia Bernadeth (INA) for a place in the final.

Bernadeth and Kido breezed through their quarter-final match against fellow Indonesian players Fran Kurniawan and Komala Dewi, playing with a quiet confidence, with years of experience on their side making the pair a winning combination.

Semifinals in all events will commence at midday on Saturday at the North Shore Events Centre, with tickets available from the door for the BWF Gold Status Grand Prix event that carries prize money of US$120,000.

SKYCITY NZ Badminton Open
Results - Quarter-finals

Quarter Finals

Men’s Singles: Lee Hyun Il (KOR) def Huang Yuxiang (CHN) 16-21, 21-18, 21-15; Hsu Jen Hao (TPE) def Ng Ka Long Angus (HKG) 21-19, 21-18; Qiao Bin (CHN) def Mohammed Arif Abdul Latif (MAS) 21-15, 21-16; Boonsak Ponsana (THA) def Goh Soon Huat (MAS) 21-18, 21-13

Women’s Singles: Cheung N (HKG) def Maria Febe Kusmastuti (INA) 15-21, 21-19, 21-11; He Bing Jiao (CHN) def Natsuki Nidaira (JPN) 21-19, 22-20; Aya Ohori (JPN) def Li Yun (CHN) 15-21, 21-18, 21-11; Saena Kawakami (JPN) def Hsuan-Yu Wendy Chen (AUS) 21-16, 21-11

Men’s Doubles: F Alfian/ M Ardianto (INA) def R Bosch(NED)/ Huang P(TPE) 19-21, 23-21, 21-18; T H Hoon/ K W Lim (MAS) def Junhui Li/ Yuchen Liu(CHN) 21-15, 14-21, 21-19; Huang K/Zheng S (CHN) def Lu C.Y/Tien T(TPE) 21-10, 21-8: M Kido/A Putra (INA) def V Goh/ W Tan (MAS) 22-10, 21-13

Women’s Doubles: Huan X/Zhong Q(CHN) def J Tam/ A Wu(AUS) 21-8, 21-7: Y Fukushima/S Hirota (JPN) def Cheng W/Shuai P (TPE) 22-20, 21-17: K Dewi/V Marissa (INA) def L Choo/S Mapasa (AUS) 21-17, 21-14: S Tanaka/ K Yonemoto (JPN) def P Bernadeth/R Pradipta (INA) 25-27, 24-22, 21-15

Mixed Doubles: Zheng S/Chen Q (CHN) def Lu C /Cheng W (TPE) 21-8, 21-19; Yu X/ Huan X (CHN) def A Adistia/V Marissa (INA) 18-21, 21-13, 21-15; M Kido/P Bernadeth (INA) def F Kurniawan/K Dewi (INA) 24-22, 21-11; R Widianto / P Dili (INA) def C Triyachart / S Sari (SIN) 21-14, 21-19

Semi-final Schedule
North Shore Events Centre
Saturday May 2, from midday

Men’s singles
(1) Hse Jen Hao (TPE) v (3) Lee Hyun Il (KOR)
(7) Boonsak Ponsana (THA) v Qiao Bin (CHN)

Women’s singles
Saena Kawakami (JPN) v (5) Cheung Ngan Yi (HKG)
He Bing Jiao (CHN) v Aya Ohori (JPN)

Women’s doubles
(4) Huan Xia/Zhong Qianxin (CHN) v Komala Dewi/Vita Marissa (INA)
(3) Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota (JPN) v ????
Men’s doubles
(7) Fajar Alfian/Rian Ardianto (INA) v (6) Thien Hoon/Khim Lim (MAS)
Huang Kaixiang/Zheng Si Wei (CHN) v Markis Kido/Agripinna Putra (INA)

Mixed doubles
(5) Zheng Si Wei/Chen Qingchen (CHN) v (1) Riky Widianto/Puspita Dili (INA)
Yu Xiaoyu/Huan Xia (CHN) v (3) Markis Kido/Pia Bernadeth (INA)

SKYCITY NZ Open

Date: April 28 to May 3

Prize money: USD$120,000

Venue: North Shore Events Centre

TV broadcast: Sky Sport NZ and globally through IMG to over 50 countries and an estimated viewing audience of 220 million

Sponsors: SKYCITY, One Pure – official water supplier, X-TRM – official equipment and apparel supplier, ATEED

Website: www.nzbadmintonopen.com

ENDS

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