Saturday, June 20, 2009

Time for Revenge

Jakarta - Korean Lee Yong-dae and Lee Hyo-jung can take revenge on China's Zheng Bo and Ma Jin. The world number one pair subjugated Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen of Denmark 21-13, 21-13 in just 36 minutes.

When Lee/Lee reached 17 in the second set, Lee Yong-dae accidentally hit Lee Hyo-jung's face with his racket. Lee Hyo-jung asked for time out. Fortunately, she could continue and maintained the lead. She and Lee Yong-dae won 21-13.

Zheng/Ma, who had beaten Lee/Lee in Singapore Open semi-final last week, won over another Danish players, Thomas Laybourn/Kamilla Rytter Juhl in rubber sets, 18-21, 21-17, and 21-11.

In the men's doubles, Lee Yong-dae and Jung Jae-sung can avenge China's Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng. The Chinese pair, who had beaten Lee and Jung in Sudirman Cup 2009 final, made nightmare to third-seeded Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong with a 18-21, 21-11, 21-15 win.

Meanwhile, Lee Yong-dae/Jung Jae-sung sent out local favorites, Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan in an easy match. They crushed the top seeds 21-19 and 21-17 in 39 minutes.

Tomorrow (6/21) fixtures:
5-Zheng Bo/Ma Jin (CHN) vs. 2-Lee Yong-dae/Lee Hyo-jung (KOR)
3-Wang Lin (CHn) vs. 6-Saina Nehwal (IND)
1-Wong Pei Tty/Chin Eei Hui (MAS) vs. 2-Cheng Shu/Zhao Yunlei (CHN)
1-Lee Chong Wei (MAS) vs. 5-Taufik Hidayat (INA)
6-Lee Yong-dae/Jung Jae-sung (KOR) vs. 5-Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng (CHN)

Other results:

Women's singles
3-Wang Lin (CHN) def. 8-Xie Xingfang (CHN) 21-19, 21-13
6-Saina Nehwal (IND) def. 7-Lu Lan (CHN) 25-23, 21-19

Women's doubles
1-Wong Pei Tty/Chin Eei Hui (MAS) def. Cheng Wen Hsing/Chien Yu Chin (TPE) 21-17, 21-17
2-Cheng Shu/Zhao Yunlei (CHN) def. 4-Ha Jung-eun/Kim Min-jung (KOR) 12-13, 21-12

Men's singles
1-Lee Chong Wei (MAS) def. 6-Chen Jin (CHN) 21-15, 22-20
5-Taufik Hidayat (INA) def. 4-Sony Dwi Kuncoro (INA) 21-17, 21-14

Lin Dan Crashes Out, Lee Yong-dae Progresses

Jakarta (6/19) - Former world number one Lin Dan only reached Indonesian Open quarter-final in his first appearance in Jakarta after 2004. The Chinese star lost to teammate Chen Jin 21-18, 17-21, 4-21. Chen Jin will face Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia who conquered Park Sung-hwan 21-9, 21-13.

The other men's singles semi-final contenders are local Sony Dwi Kuncoro and Taufik Hidayat. Both downed their opponents in rubber sets. Fourth seed Sony defeated Hong Kong's Chan Yan Kit 18-21, 21-17, and 21-10 while Taufik beated Peter Gade of Denmark 21-19, 8-21, 22-20.

In the mixed doubles, Second seeds Lee Yong-dae and Lee Hyo-jung advanced to the semi-final after easily overpowering Robert Blair/Imogan Bankier 21-12 and 21-18 in just 30 minutes. The Korean pair will play against Danish Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen. Fourth seeded Nielsen/Pedersen had won a tough 20-22, 21-17, 21-16 match over another Korean pair, Han Sang-hoon/Jang Ye-na.

20-year-old Lee Yong-dae also succeeded in the men's doubles, pairing with Jung Jae-sung. The All England 2008 champions did not find any trouble as they prevailed over Malaysia's Zakry/Tazari 21-10 and 21-15 in just 29 minutes.

In the semi-final, they will face world number one Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia. The top seeds who lost in Singapore Open semi-final last week surmounted another Indonesian pair Alvent Yulianto/Hendra Aprida Gunawan 21-19 21-11 in 21 minutes.

Third seed Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong moved to the semi-final with a 21-11, 17-21, 21-11 over Indonesia's Luluk Hadiyanto/Joko Riyadi. They will take on Chinese Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng.

Lee Hyo-jung's success in mixed doubles was not continued in the women's doubles. She and Lee Kyung-won were stunned by top seed Wong Pei Tty/Chin Eei Hui in a tough match, 14-21, 21-9 and 18-21.

Quarter-final results:

Mixed Doubles
2-Lee Yong-dae/Lee Hyo-jung (KOR) def. Robert Blair (ENG)/Imogen Bankier (SCO) 21-12, 21-18
7-Joachim Fischer Nielsen/Christinna Pedersen (DEN) def. Han Sang-hoon/Jang Ye-na (KOR) 20-22, 21-17, 21-16
4-Thomas Laybourn/Kamilla Rytter Juhl (DEN) def. 6-Xie Zhongbo/Zhang Yawen (CHN) 21-11, 21-16
5-Zheng Bo/Ma Jin (CHN) def. 1-Nova Widhianto/Lilyana Natsir (INA) 21-17, 21-18

Men's Doubles
1-Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan (INA) def. Alvent Yulianto/Hendra Aprida Gunawan (INA) 21-19, 21-11
3-Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong (MAS) def. Luluk Hadiyanto/Joko Riyadi (INA) 21-11, 17-21, 21-11
5-Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng (CHN) def. Howard Bach/Tony Gunawan (USA) 21-14, 21-14
6-Lee Yong-dae/Jung Jae-sung (KOR) def. M Zakry Abdul Latif/M F Tazari (MAS) 21-10, 21-15

Women's Doubles
4-Ha Jung-eun/Kim Min-jung (KOR) def. Petya Nedelcheva (BUL)/Anastasia Russkikh (RUS) 21-19, 21-19
1-Wong Pei Tty/Chin Eei Hui (MAS) def. 7-Lee Hyo-jung/Lee Kyung-won (KOR) 21-14, 9-21, 21-18
3-Cheng Wen Hsing/Chien Yu Chin (TPE) def. Chang Hsin Yun/Chou Chia Chi (TPE) 21-11, 19-21, 21-12
2-Cheng Shu/Zhao Yunlei (CHN) def. 6-Zhao Tingting/Zhang Yawen (CHN) 21-17, 10-21, 21-13

Men's Singles
1-Lee Chong Wei (MAS) def. Park Sung-hwan (KOR) 21-9, 21-13
4-Sony Dwi Kuncoro (INA) def. Chan Yan Kit (HKG) 18-21, 21-17, 21-10
6-Chen Jin (CHN) def. 3-Lin Dan (CHN) 18-21, 21-17, 21-4
5-Taufik Hidayat (INA) def. 2-Peter Gade (DEN) 21-19, 8-21, 22-20

Women's Singles
3-Wang Lin (CHN) def. Maria Febe (INA) 21-11, 21-10
6-Saina Nehwal (IND) def. Hwang Hye-youn (KOR) 21-7, 13-21, 21-15
7-Lu Lan (CHN) def. 2-Wang Yihan (CHN) 21-10, 11-21, 22-20
8-Xie Xingfang (CHN) def. Sayaka Sato (JPN) 22-20, 21-13

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Zhou Mi Regains World Number One

Top seed Zhou Mi of Hong Kong won 2009 Singapore Super Series after beating eight seed Chinese Xie Xingfang 21-19, 18-21, and 21-10. This victory makes Zhou women's singles world number one, replacing Danish Tine Rasmussen who did not play in Singapore due to injury. Zhou defeated her former compatriot Xie in 1 hour 1 minute.

In the men's singles, Boonsak Ponsana failed to repeat his 2007 success as the Thai fell to Bao Chunlai in rubber sets, 19-21, 21-16, and 15-21.

China grabbed two more titles from the women's doubles and the mixed doubles. Zhao Tingting/Zhang Yawen downed unseeded Indonesian pair, Greysia Polii and Nitya Krishinda. The fifth seeds won 21-14 and 21-13.

Fifth-seeded Zheng Bo and Ma Jin overcame teammates Xie Zhongbo and Zhang Yawen in a tough match, 19-21, 21-19, and 21-11. In the semi-final, Zheng/Ma had defeated world number two Lee Yong-dae and Lee Hyo-jung of Korea while Xie/Zhang had surpassed 2008 Olympic silver medalists, Nova Widhianto/Lilyana Natsir of Indonesia.

Indonesia did not get a title after the world number one pair Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan was subdued easily by England's Nathan Robertson/Anthony Clark 12-21 and 11-21 in just 25 minutes.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

First French Open Title for Federer

Paris - Roger Federer of Switzerland proves that he is still the best in tennis even though he is ranked number two. He crushed 23rd seed Robin Soderling 6-1, 7-6 (7/1), and 6-4 in 115 minutes.


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Roger tied Pete Sampras' record of winning 14 Grand Slams in his career. However, Sampras never won French Open.

Roger

Roger

Roger

pictures from reuters and rogerfederer.com