YONEX-SUNRISE HONG KONG OPEN 2009 - Yao Jie back to her best
News 11:34 AM
Yao Jie of the Netherlands is finding a second youth after a long career. She beat India’s Saina Nehwal in the first round of the YONEX-SUNRISE Hong Kong Open On a day where the top women players had some difficulties to get past the first round.
Yao Jie was all smiles after her quick 21/16 – 21/12 success over Saina, the No 8 seed. Once again, she had turned the tables on the world ranking and proven she was still to be counted upon.
High clears, then fast drops, and her amazing touch made the difference today against the former World Junior champion, who was clearly not playing her best badminton. Never once was Saina able to trouble the former Chinese citizen, who was playing with a lot of confidence.
Her latest results have been amazing and she now seems to be back in shape, with no major injury left to trouble her.
“Since the Dutch Open, where I won, I felt better and mostly more relaxed. I had decided then that I wanted to play some tournaments for the fun of it, and maybe stop after this year. China Open could be my last tournament, but since I am playing very well, I don’t know exactly what I will be doing,” she explains.
Amongst the reasons why she maybe putting an end to her carrier, the Dutch expresses the need of motherhood. “I have been married to Eric and I feel like maybe it is time to have a baby soon,” she said in a wink.
“But also, it’s not the only reason that pushes me to stop. We have also have had some financial problems with the Dutch Federation. Since this fall, we all travel on our own, at our own expenses. No more sponsor for the team, and the funding was cut after the Olympics because none of us qualified according to their criteria. This means we have little money left and we have to travel on our own, with no coach, nor Physio. It makes it hard,” said Yao. 
Yao was semi-finalist in the Denmark Open and Yonex French Open last month and could very well pull the same trick this week again. “I will be playing a Korean girl, and then, maybe Wang Lin in the quarter-finals. And I think I can beat her,” she said confidently.
On the next court, Judith Meulendijks was coached by a friend – Petr Koukal from the Czech Republic as an illustration of what her teammate was saying about coaches. And the other Dutch was no far from creating an upset against Wang Ling.
The top seed from China was clearly lacking stamina at some points of the game, but it was the Dutch who was making it hard for Wang, playing the four corners, using some impressive touch at the net, and playing her own pace.
It almost worked as it was the Dutch who reached the first game point at 20/19 then again 21/20, but the Chinese, as often, found the resources to clinch the first game. The second one was just as tight, but this time, Meulendijks didn’t let go and clinched it 21/19 before bowing out in the third 21/12.
Wang Lin will play Zhang Beiwen of Singapore in the next round before a possible rematch against Yao in the quarters.
Wang Lin wasn’t the only one struggling to enter the second round. Lu Lan, world champion, took some time to get rid of Thailand’s new jewel of Porntip Buranaprasertsuk – three games as well. Tine Rasmussen didn’t play three games on her end, but the two games she played Wong Mew Choo in were tiring enough and of high quality.
The tall Dane and the Malaysian – back from an injury – provided the fans with some amazing rallies especially in the second game, when the Malaysian was leading most of the game. But she couldn’t convert her lead and finally, it was Rasmussen who took her chances and scored on her first match point for a 21/16 – 21/19 success.
One of the other upsets of the day saw England’s Nathan Robertson and Anthony Clark beat No 5 seeds Mohd ZakryAbdul Latif and Mohamed Fairuzizuan Tazari in quite an easy way. In the state of form that had seen them win in Singapore earlier in the year, the English duo were clinical in their 21/17 – 21/12 win to secure their ticket for the second round where they’ll play local Wong Wai Hong and Yohan Wiratama.
An all-Denmark second round sees Lars Paaske/Jonas Rasmussen take on the newer pair of Anders Kristiansen/Faust Kasper Henriksen after the latter showed some great badminton to beat young Chinese Qiu and Liu.
China had then only one pair left in the draw after both other pairs had withdrawn. Chen Zhiben and Shen Ye were to take on Malaysia’s Choong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah later in the evening for China’s last chance to shine in the draw.
Posted by Lucas Liau
on 11:34 AM.
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