Chinese players dominated the finals at the $300,000 Yonex
Korean Badminton Open at Seoul Olympic Park - winning four out of
five matches.
The men's singles, women's singles, mixed doubles and women's
doubles all went the way of China, with a South Korean pairing
picking up the men's doubles title.
Xie Xingfang won the women's title in front of a barely
half-full arena.
It was an easy victory for the two-time world champion, who
barely broke into a sweat in the 34 minutes it took to defeat
compatriot Zhu Lin 21-14, 21-7.
The shots that the world number six produced were simply too
accurate for Zhu, who was never allowed to settle on the court.
Zhu, perhaps feeling the effects of winning the Malaysia Super
Series title seven days previously, looked laboured around the
court compared to the graceful Xie.
Xie has been romantically linked with the world number one and
winner of the men's singles, Lin Dan.
The world champion, dressed all in black, started slowly against
Chen Jin but took the match 21-14, 21-19.
"I really played hard at the Korea Open because I didn't do well
in Malaysia," Lin said through an interpreter after the game.
"Besides, the prize money here is bigger," he said with a
smile.
Lin had been sent packing early in the Malaysian Open by an
unseeded South Korean, leaving the way open for Denmark's veteran
Peter Gade-Christensen to take the title.
The Dane withdrew from the Korea Open because of a stomach
problem.
"I look forward to a match-up with him," Lin said.?
The first match of the day saw Gao Ling and Zheng Bo of China
defeat Kamilla Rytter Juhl and Thomas Laybourn of Denmark in the
mixed doubles final 22-20, 21-19.
In the women's doubles final, Gao Ling and Huang Sui made it
four titles for China after coming back from a game down to take
the match against compatriots Yang Wei and Zhang Jiewen 12-21,
21-14 and 21-16.
An all-Korean match gave the local fans something to cheer. Jung
Jae-sung and Lee Yong-dae triumphed in straight games 21-16, 21-15
over Lee Jae-jin and Hwang Ji-man.
(China Daily via AFP and Agencies January 29, 2007)