2009 YONEX Australian Open

However, shuttlers from India continued to dominate the doubles with pairs through to the last four. In fact, Rupesh Kumar-Thomas Sanave and Kona Tarun-Vishnu Arun assured India of at least one pair in the final as they will meet in the semi-final.

But the day belonged to Australia’s Huang-Tan.

Back in training for a mere two months, the Australian pair showed that pure class and natural ability are two things that don’t fade with time as they steadily worked over the opposition, taking the match 21-13, 18-21, 21-16, to storm into the semi-finals.

The Australians will meet unseeded Indian pair of Anjali Kalita-Jyotshna Polavarapu who eliminated the New Zealand pair of Amanda Brown- Susannah Leydon- Davis 21-14, 21-7.

Top seeds Danielle Barry-Donna Haliday (NZL) comfortably progressed to the semi-finals, defeating the Australian combination of Leanne Choo-Karyn Velez 21-11, 21-11. Barry-Halliday will play India’s Aparna Balan-Shruti Kurian who beat Australia’s Eugenia Tanaka-Kate Wilson-Smith 21-11, 21-11.

In the mixed doubles, Australia’s unseeded pair of Benjamin Walklate- Kate Wilson-Smith upset the more experienced K. Yogendran-Anita Raj 21-16, 21-17 to book their place in the last four against New Zealand’s Henry Tam-Donna Halliday (2) who earlier knocked compatriots Oliver Leydon-Davis-Emma Chapple (5) out of the tournament 21-14, 21-10.

Hong Kong top seeds Yohan Wiratama- Chau Hoi Wah decimated Indian pair Kona Tarun-Shruti Kurian 21-4, 21-11 and will meet third seed Joe Wu-Danielle Barry (NZL) in the other semi-final after defeating Australian sibling combination Raj Veeran-Renuga Veeran 21-17, 21-16.

In the men’s singles, Alamsyah Yunus and Andreas Adityawarman will meet in all-Indonesia semi-final while Hong Kong’s Chan Yan Kit takes on Indonesia’s Hayum Rumbaka in the second semi-final.

Hong Kong will also be represented in the women’s singles with top seed Yip Pui Yin edging Fransiska Ratnasari from Indonesia 25-23, 21-16 while third seed Kristina Ludikova of the Czech Republic stopped Australia’s Renuga Veeran 21-9, 21-19.

The second semi-final will feature Malaysia’s Anita Raj against Indonesia’s Maria Febe Kusumastuti , the No 2 seed.

In the men’s doubles, three Indian pairs will have a shot at the title with Rupesh Kumar-Thomas Sanave and Kona Tarun-Vishnu Arun squaring off against each other while Akshay Dewalkar-Sanyal Jishnu will take on Malaysia’s Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen.

Pictures and article courtesy of Badminton Australia.