PROTON-BWF THOMAS & UBER CUP FINALS 2010: China wary of Korean threat
News 3:41 PM
China's doubles specialist Cai Yun warned today South Korea are holding back ahead of Wednesday's Thomas Cup quarter-finals.
Cai and his partner Fu Haifeng thrashed Jung Jae-sung-Shin Baek-cheol 21-11, 21-12 at Putra Stadium on Tuesday as China ran out 4-1 winners to top Group A. Despite the defeat, South Korea qualified for the last eight after they and China beat Peru 5-0 in three-team group.
Cai said: "I could see from the way the Koreans were playing that they were not trying all that hard. Perhaps they are keeping something in reserve for the knock-out stages."
The draw for the quarter-finals will be made on Tuesday night with the group winners placed in one pot and runners-up in another pot. As it is an open draw, China and South Korea could meet again in the last eight.
"Maybe they know there is a possibility we could be meeting in the quarter-finals and that is why they didn't reveal all their strenghts today," said Cai.
"That is why, despite the convincing victory today, I'm still wary about facing the Koreans. They are probably keeping a lot more in reserve."
China's other points came from Lin Dan, Chen Jin and Bao Chunlai. Lin struggled to overcome Park Sung-haw 21-18, 25-23, Chen outplayed Shon Wan-ho 21-14-21-13 while Bao beat veteran Lee Hyun-il 21-18, 21-15. South Korea's lone point came
from Yoo Yeon-seong-Ko Sung-hyun who fought tooth and nail to edge Guo Zhendong-Chen Xu 19-21, 21-19, 19-21.
"Yes, it was a tough encounter today but I was not worried, even when I was trailing in the second game," said Lin.
"In fact, I sensed that Park was very nervous in the second game when he took the lead. He made a mistake when it was 23-23 and I managed to capitalise to seal victory."
THOMAS CUP
GROUP A
China vs South Korea
Lin Dan bt Park Sung-hwan 21-18, 25-23; Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng bt Jung Jae-sung-Shin Baek-cheol 21-11, 21-12; Chen Jin bt Shon Wan-ho 21-14, 21-13; Guo Zhendong-Chen Xu lost Yoo Yeon-seong-Ko Sung-hyun 19-21, 21-19, 19-21; Bao Chunlai bt Lee Hyun-il 21-18, 21-15)
GROUP D
India 4 Australia 1 (Kashyap Parupalli bt Jeff Tho 21-8, 21-10; Arvind Bhatt bt Chad Whitehead 21-6, 21-12; R.M.V. Gurusaidutt bt Stuart Gomez 21-15, 21-13; Sanave Thomas-Rupesh Kumar lost Glenn Warfe-Ross Smith 20-22, 18-21; Diju Viliyaveetil-Akshay Dewalkar bt Raj Veeran-Chad Whitehead 21-12, 21-17)
UBER CUP
GROUP B
Indonesia 5 Denmark 0 (Adriyanti Firdasari bt Camilla Sørensen 21-11, 21-11; Greysia Polii-Nitya Krishinda Maheswari bt Kamilla Rytter Juhl-Christinna Pedersen 13-21, 21-15, 21-13; Maria Kristin Yulianti bt Karina Jørgensen 21-9, 21-6; Shendy Puspa Irawati-Lilyana Natsir bt Lena Frier Kristiansen-Marie Røpke 21-17, 21-17; Lindaweni Fanetri bt Line Kruse 21-6, 21-12)
GROUP C
Japan 5 Russia 0 (Eriko Hirose bt Ella Diehl 21-18, 21-10; Satoko Suetsuna-Miyuki Maeda bt Valeria Sorokina-Nina Vislova 17-21, 21-10, 21-16; Ai Goto bt Olga Golovanova 21-16, 21-10; Mizuki Fujii-Reika Kakiiwa bt Anastasia Russkikh-
Ksenia Polikarpova 21-14, 21-18; Sayaka Sato bt Natalia Perminova 21-13, 21-10)
Cai said: "I could see from the way the Koreans were playing that they were not trying all that hard. Perhaps they are keeping something in reserve for the knock-out stages."
The draw for the quarter-finals will be made on Tuesday night with the group winners placed in one pot and runners-up in another pot. As it is an open draw, China and South Korea could meet again in the last eight.
"Maybe they know there is a possibility we could be meeting in the quarter-finals and that is why they didn't reveal all their strenghts today," said Cai.
"That is why, despite the convincing victory today, I'm still wary about facing the Koreans. They are probably keeping a lot more in reserve."
China's other points came from Lin Dan, Chen Jin and Bao Chunlai. Lin struggled to overcome Park Sung-haw 21-18, 25-23, Chen outplayed Shon Wan-ho 21-14-21-13 while Bao beat veteran Lee Hyun-il 21-18, 21-15. South Korea's lone point came
from Yoo Yeon-seong-Ko Sung-hyun who fought tooth and nail to edge Guo Zhendong-Chen Xu 19-21, 21-19, 19-21.
"Yes, it was a tough encounter today but I was not worried, even when I was trailing in the second game," said Lin.
"In fact, I sensed that Park was very nervous in the second game when he took the lead. He made a mistake when it was 23-23 and I managed to capitalise to seal victory."
THOMAS CUP
GROUP A
China vs South Korea
Lin Dan bt Park Sung-hwan 21-18, 25-23; Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng bt Jung Jae-sung-Shin Baek-cheol 21-11, 21-12; Chen Jin bt Shon Wan-ho 21-14, 21-13; Guo Zhendong-Chen Xu lost Yoo Yeon-seong-Ko Sung-hyun 19-21, 21-19, 19-21; Bao Chunlai bt Lee Hyun-il 21-18, 21-15)
GROUP D
India 4 Australia 1 (Kashyap Parupalli bt Jeff Tho 21-8, 21-10; Arvind Bhatt bt Chad Whitehead 21-6, 21-12; R.M.V. Gurusaidutt bt Stuart Gomez 21-15, 21-13; Sanave Thomas-Rupesh Kumar lost Glenn Warfe-Ross Smith 20-22, 18-21; Diju Viliyaveetil-Akshay Dewalkar bt Raj Veeran-Chad Whitehead 21-12, 21-17)
UBER CUP
GROUP B
Indonesia 5 Denmark 0 (Adriyanti Firdasari bt Camilla Sørensen 21-11, 21-11; Greysia Polii-Nitya Krishinda Maheswari bt Kamilla Rytter Juhl-Christinna Pedersen 13-21, 21-15, 21-13; Maria Kristin Yulianti bt Karina Jørgensen 21-9, 21-6; Shendy Puspa Irawati-Lilyana Natsir bt Lena Frier Kristiansen-Marie Røpke 21-17, 21-17; Lindaweni Fanetri bt Line Kruse 21-6, 21-12)
GROUP C
Japan 5 Russia 0 (Eriko Hirose bt Ella Diehl 21-18, 21-10; Satoko Suetsuna-Miyuki Maeda bt Valeria Sorokina-Nina Vislova 17-21, 21-10, 21-16; Ai Goto bt Olga Golovanova 21-16, 21-10; Mizuki Fujii-Reika Kakiiwa bt Anastasia Russkikh-
Ksenia Polikarpova 21-14, 21-18; Sayaka Sato bt Natalia Perminova 21-13, 21-10)
Posted by Lucas Liau
on 3:41 PM.
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