BELGIAN INT'L - New Faces for Doubles Glory

Both Yao Jie in the women’s singles and men’s doubles pair Ruud Bosch / Koen Ridder were able to take trophies back to the Netherlands. Further on, there were victories for Japanese teens Misaki Matsutomo / Ayaka Takahashi in the women’s doubles, Heather Olver / Marcus Ellis in the mixed and Marc Zwiebler in the men’s singles.

By Elm Vandervorst, Badzine Correspondent, live in Mechelen. Photos : Fons Vandervorst (headine photo), Yohan Nonotte (Badmintonphoto)

The afternoon started out with the women’s doubles, with new faces from the far east – Japan’s teenagers Matsumoto and Takahashi (photo) taking on England’s Samantha Ward and Scotland's Emma Mason. What looked to be a very one-sided match after the first game in women’s doubles, turned out to be a terrific three-game battle. Mason/Ward had no answer for the varied type of play in the first game, which their Japanese opponents Matsutomo/Takahashi won easily 21-8. The English-Scottish pair started off far more aggressively in the second game and won 21-18. At 11-11 in the final game, the Japanese took a decisive lead claiming the victory 21-13 and with it, their second international challenge title of the year after their win at home in Osaka in April.

Emma Mason was disappointed, but happy with their level of play. “I’m right-handed and Samantha is a lefty. As this is our first tournament together that sometimes works against you. And that’s what happened in the first set. At the end of the third set they picked up their level and we didn’t really find an answer.”

First seeds Ruud Bosch and Koen Ridder were the clear favourite against their opponents, Marcus Ellis and Peter Mills from England. But things were not working as planned in the first game. Both teams had a lot of chances to take it, but the Dutchmen had to wait for their sixth game point to finally win 30-28. Although Ridder was troubled by an injury in the second game, he and Bosch cruised to victory 21-12.

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Marc Zwiebler (photo) and Christian Lind Thomsen had to decide who the best in the men’s singles was. The Dane had no response for Zwiebler’s well executed smashes and drop shots in the first game. But things changed in the second, with Lind Thomsen taking control. But the German shuttler had his mind set on a second triumph and was in charge the whole third game, eventually winning 21-13, 16-21, 21-15.

“I needed to play at 100% all the time and I couldn’t do that today,” explained Zwiebler. “I sometimes lost my focus and that’s why I lost the second set. Now I’ll be heading to the Bittburger Open.”

Could the 17-year old Matsutomo also win here second final of the day? The Japanese had already played six matches in the women’s singles so far and here seventh one was likely to be the most difficult. Her opponent Yao Jie, a former top ten player, doesn’t need an introduction and steamed to a simple 21-14 in game one. But her far younger opponent had still some energy left and took game two, also by a 21-14 score. At 10-10 in the third, nothing was yet settled, but the experience of Yao Jie assured her of success in Belgium and she took it 21-16.

The best was saved for last, at least according to the opinion of the home crowd. Belgium’s top pair in the mixed doubles, Nathalie Descamps / Wouter Claes, were up against Heather Olver and Marcus Ellis (pictured below). The 19-year old Ellis was ready to take revenge for his lost final earlier that day. The supporters went silent after the English twosome slaughtered Descamps / Claes in the first game 21-9. The Belgian pair changed tactics and at 20-20, the second game could still have gone either way. But by finishing off their sixth match point, Heather Olver and Marcus Ellis won, winning the first tournament they ever played together.

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Final results :

MS: Marc Zwiebler (GER) beat Christian Lind Thomsen (DEN): 21-13, 16-21, 21-15
WS: Yao Jie (NED) beat Misaki Matsumoto (JAP): 21-14,14-21, 21-16
MD: Boesch/Ridder (NED) beat Ellis/Mills (ENG): 30-28, 21-12
WD: Matsumoto/Takahashi (JAP) beat Mason/Ward (SCO/ENG): 21-8, 18-21, 21-13
MX : Ellis/Olver (ENG) beat Claes/Descamps (BEL) : 21-9, 25-23

All results HERE

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