Chong Wei sets up final clash against Christensen
News 3:41 PM
PETALING JAYA: It will be a mouth-watering rematch today when Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei and Peter-Gade Christensen of Denmark clash for the Korean Open men’s singles crown.
And world No. 1 and top seed Chong Wei, who was beaten by the Dane in three games in last year’s final, is determined to show who’s boss this time.
In the semi-finals yesterday, Chong Wei and Christensen defeated their opponents from China in contrasting fashions.
Chong Wei steamrolled Chen Jin, scoring one of his easiest victories over the second ranked Chinese in the 21-11, 21-13 win over 37 minutes.
Step forward: South Korea’s Lee Yong-dae stretching for a return as team-mate Jung Jae-sung looks on during their men’s doubles semi-final victory over China’s Zhang Nan-Chai Biao yesterday. Veteran Christensen, however, had to fend off a fiery challenge from two-time world junior champion Chen Long before prevailing 21-13, 10-21, 21-17 in 62 minutes.
An in-form Chong Wei was clearly delighted to be just one step away from winning the title.
“I had anticipated a tough fight against Chen Jin today but it was easier than usual. All my homework in assessing his game was worthwhile,” said Chong Wei in a telephone interview yesterday.
“I took the lead from the start and applied the right tactical game. Chen Jin has played better than this and I would assume that he will bounce back stronger at the Malaysian Open next week.”
On the man who dashed his hopes to win the Korean Open for the first time last year, Chong Wei said: “Peter played well to get out of trouble during crucial stages against Chen Long.
“He has maintained his game to a high level and he will not give up without a fight. But I think I have the best chance to win the Korean Open this year.
Among the stars in today’s final are Dane Peter-Gade Christensen (left). — Reuters “I am in better condition after taking some time to recover from an injury that kept me out of the SEA Games (in Laos last month).
“I have not won this title before and I will go all out to nail it. I want sweet revenge over Peter.”
The men’s doubles final also promises to be an exciting affair with South Koreans Jung Jae-sung-Lee Yong-dae up against China’s Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng.
Their last encounter in he final of the world championships in Hyderabad last August went down to the wire with the Chinese trooping out as the winners.
Men’s singles: Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Chen Jin (Chn) 21-11, 21-13; Peter-Gade Christensen (Den) bt Chen Long (Chn) 21-13, 10-21, 21-17.
Men’s doubles: Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng (Chn) bt Endo Hiroyuki-Hirobe Yoshiteru (Jpn) 21-15, 21-14; Jung Jae-sung-Lee Yong-dae (Kor) bt Chai Biao-Zhang Nan (Chn) 21-16, 22-20.
Women’s singles: Sung Ji-hyun (Kor) bt Bae Seung-hee (Kor) 21-18, 17-21, 21-9; Wang Shixian (Chn) bt Kim Moon-hi (Kor) 21-17, 22-20.
Women’s doubles: Fujii Mizuki-Kakiiwa Reika (Jpn) bt Jung Kyung-eun-Yoo Hyun-young (Kor) 14-21, 21-17, 21-14; Cheng Shu-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) bt Ha Jung-eun-Lee Kyung-won (Kor) 21-5, 21-14.
Mixed doubles: He Hanbin-Yu Yang (Chn) bt Hirata Noriyasu-Maeda Miyuki (Jpn) 21-8, 21-14; Tao Jiaming-Zhang Yawen (Chn) bt Flandy Limpele-Cheng Wen-hsing (Tpe) 21-12, 21-17.
Posted by Lucas Liau
on 3:41 PM.
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