Eei Hui: China still miles ahead in women’s doubles event
Latest News 4:50 PM
KUALA LUMPUR: China will still reign supreme although there are several new faces featuring in the women’s competition, says national doubles shuttler Chin Eei Hui.
At the India Open, which ended on Sunday, it was an all-Japan women’s doubles final with Miyuki Maeda-Satoko Suetsuna beating Mizuki Fujii-Reika Kakiiwa for the title.
Miyuki-Satoko also did well to win this year’s German Open and even ruffled some feathers in the Chinese camp en route to their first-ever appearance in the final of the All-England in March.
Hong Kong’s Lok Yan Poon-Ying Suet Tze are also fast making a name for themselves by taking the top and established pairs to the distance.
Eei Hui said that while it was good to see several new women’s doubles pairs coming to the fore, “it will still be years before they can catch up with the top pairs from China and South Korea”.
“China’s top women’s pairs did not take part in the India Open. In their absence, Japan were dominant. The Japanese pairs have been on the circuit for some time and only became more prominent this year,” said Eei Hui.
“China are still a class above ... but the competition among the chasing pack – Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia – is growning more intense.”
In the absence of Chinese stars at the Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold, which will begin tomorrow in Alor Setar, the Japanese pairs will be the ones to beat.
“Pei Tty and I did not have a good run at the India Open (losing to Meiliana Jauhari-Greysia Polii in the quarter-finals) but we will be happy to reach the last eight in Alor Setar,” said Eei Hui, as she and her partner Pei Tty prepare for an opening round clash against Yan Poon-Suet Tse.
The others in their quarter are China’s second stringers Luo Ying-Luo Yi, second seeds Mizuki-Reika and South Koreans Kyung Eun-jung-Ha Kim-na.
The women’s singles competition in Alor Setar can expect an added twist with reigning India Open champion Porntip Buranaprasertsuk of Thailand ready to slug it out with top seed Saina Nehwal of India and second seed Wang Xin of China
Buranaprasertsuk became her country’s first Super Series winner when she beat third seed Bae Youn-joo of South Korea in the final on Sunday.
Posted by Lucas Liau
on 4:50 PM.
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