Silver medallists at the LIEBHERR World Championships earlier in the year in Paris, the host nation’s Lee Sangsu and Park Youngsook climbed one step higher on the evening of Friday 5th July 2013 to spark unbridled celebrations in the city of Busan.
On home soil, the Korean duo won the Mixed Doubles title at the Asian Championships beating Japan’s Koki Niwa and Sayaka Hirano in four straight games at the final hurdle (11-7, 11-9, 11-4, 11-9).
According to seeding it was a shock result, the Korean duo occupied the no.20 seeded position in the draw as opposed to the Japanese outfit who reserved the no.6 seed place.
However, having watched their efforts in the French capital city some six weeks earlier, it was no great surprise.
Furthermore, they emulated their semi-final efforts in Paris.
At the LIEBHERR World Championships they had beaten Wang Liqin and Rao Jingwen, the top seeds, at the penultimate stage; in Busan they overcame Yan An and Zhu Yuling in the same round, likewise from China and likewise the top seeds.
They succeeded in a full distance seven games duel (11-5, 7-11, 11-7, 11-13, 11-8, 10-12, 11-7).
A semi-final defeat for one Chinese partnership, in the corresponding penultimate round duel, it was a semi-final reverse for a second Chinese partnership.
Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, the no.2 seeds, experienced defeat at the hands of Koki Niwa and Sayaka Hirano (11-9, 6-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-7).
Defeats for China in the Mixed Doubles event but there were no such problems for the World’s super power of the sport in either the Men’s Doubles or Women’s Doubles events.
In the Men’s Doubles competition, Ma Long and Xu Xin, the top seeds, beat Korea’s Jung Youngsik and Lee Sangsu, the no.6 seeds (11-5, 11-7, 11-8); whilst Yan An and Zhou Yu, the second seeds, ended the hopes of Japan’s Kazuhiro Chan and Kenji Matsudaira, the no.5 seeds (11-4, 11-9, 11-3).
At the semi-final stage, when matches in all doubles events become best of seven games, as opposed to five in the earlier rounds, Ma Long and Xu Xin face Japan’s Kenta Matsudaira and Koki Niwa, the no.3 seeds; Yan An and Zhou You oppose Singapore’s Gao Ning and Yang Zi, the no.4 seeds.
In the round of the last eight, Kenta Matsudaira and Koki Niwa beat Malaysia’s Muhd Shakirin Ibrahim and Chin Ee Hool (11-4, 11-9, 11-3); whilst Gao Ning and Yang Zi defeated Hong Kong’s Cheung Yuk anf Leung Chu Yan (10-12, 11-7, 8-11, 15-13, 11-9).
Medals await for China in the Men’s Doubles event but the colour is not known; in the Women’s Doubles competition, the colours are known. It is gold silver and bronze.
Ding Ning and Liu Shiwen, the top two seeds duly progressed to the penultimate round as did Zhu Yuling and Chen Meng, the respective fourth and fifth seeds.
Having beaten the host nation’s Seo Hyowon in the fourth round (11-8, 11-4, 11-6, 11-4); Ding Ning received a walk-over against her compatriot, Guo Yue in the semi-finals; injury forcing withdrawal.
A penultimate round place for Ding Ning, it was the same for Zhu Yuling; her incredible level of consistency proving too much for Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yi-Hua in the fourth round (11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-9, 11-6) and for Singapore’s surprise quarter-finalist, Yu Mengyu (11-3, 11-6, 11-8, 11-9).
One round earlier Yu Mengyu had caused an upset of note; she accounted for Japan’s Ai Fukuhara, the no.8 seed, in six games (11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-7, 11-8).
Success for Ding Ning and Zhu Yuling; there was also success for Chen Meng and Liu Shiwen.
Chen Meng beat India’s Ankita Das in the fourth round (11-6, 11-4, 11-3, 11-6), before upsetting the seeding by overcoming Singapore’s Feng Tianwei, the no.3 seed, in the quarter-finals (15-13, 11-6, 4-11, 11-6, 11-4).
An impressive performance and Liu Shiwen was just as impressive.
She overcame Hong Kong’s Lee Ho Ching in the fourth round (11-7, 11-4, 11-3, 11-4), before ousting Japan’s Kasumi Ishikawa one round later (11-5, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7).
At the semi-final stage Ding Ning meets Zhu Yuling, Liu Shiwen confronts Chen Meng.
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