SS MASTERS FINALS - Pi Leaves already Weak Women's Field

Pi Hongyan of France (pictured) sustained a foot injury in her recent Asian tour that will keep her out of the BWF Super Series Masters Finals to be held next week in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Pi was to be the top seed in an already decimated women's singles draw that had to reach to the depths of the top 20 to come up with its final eight competitors.

By Don Hearn, Badzine Correspondent. Photos: BadmintonPhoto

With the withdrawal of the French star, Indonesia Open champion Saina Nehwal of India will be not only the top seed but also the only repeat qualifier from last year's inaugural event while the favourite will definitely be reigning World Champion Lu Lan of China (pictured below).

China is sending only a smattering of players to Malaysia as they are focusing on the East Asian Games, set to kick off in Hong Kong the following week. Indonesia's similar commitment to the Southeast Asian Games has had a similar effect, although veterans Taufik Hidayat and Yulianti/Gunawan will be in Johor Bahru, along with Sukmawan/Dasuki, who belong to the PB Djarum club.

Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia are sending the maximum number of players. Korea is actually giving all but one of its eight Master Finals entries (All England runner-up Ko Sung Hyun, pictured below) the week off during the East Asian Games while Thailand and Malaysia are putting their best feet forward for both Johor Bahru and Vientiane.

Europe will be well-represented in mixed doubles and in the women's events but the continent's strongest challenge may come in the men's doubles, with Boe/Mogensen and England's Clark/Robertson or men's singles, where Denmark's Peter Gade and Jan O. Jorgensen lead the charge from the West.

BWF Official Qualifier List

Men’s Singles: Lee Chong Wei (MAS), Peter Gade (DEN), Park Sung Hwan (KOR), Bao Chunlai (CHN), Taufik Hidayat (INA), Jan Jorgensen (DEN), Boonsak Ponsana (THA), Hsieh Yu Hsin (TPE)

Women’s Singles: Pi Hongyan (FRA)--injured, Saina Nehwal (IND), Lu Lan (CHN), Salakjit Ponsana (THA), Yao Jie (NED), Nicole Grether (GER), Juliane Schenk (GER), Kim Moon Hi (KOR); Alternate - Judith Meulendijks (NED)

Men’s Doubles: Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (MAS), Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen (DEN), Lee Yong Dae-Jung Jae Sung (KOR), Anthony Clark-Nathan Robertson (ENG), Guo Zhendong-Xu Chen (CHN), Alvent Yulianto-Hendra Gunawan (INA),Rian Sukmawan-Yonathan Dasuki (INA), Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-Mohd Fairuzizuan Tazari (MAS)

Women’s Doubles: Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui (MAS), Ha Jung Eun-Kim Min Jung (KOR), Lee Hyo Jung-Lee Kyung Won (KOR), Cheng Wen Hsing-Chien Yu Chin (TPE), Gabrielle White-Jenny Wallwork (ENG), Duang Anong Aroonkesorn-Kunchala Voravichitchaikul (THA), Lena Frier Kristiansen-Christina Pedersen (DEN), Nicole Grether-Charmaine Reid (GER-CAN)

Mixed Doubles: Lee Yong Dae-Lee Hyo Jung (KOR), Joachin Fisher Nielsen-Christina Pedersen (DEN), Songphon Anugritayawon-Kunchala Voravichitchaikul (THA), Ko Sung Hyun-ha Jung Eun (KOR), V. Diju-Jwala Gutta (IND), Anthony Clark-Donna Kellogg (ENG), Sudket Prapakamol-Saralee Thoungthongkam (THA), Robert Mateusiak-Nadiezda Kostiuczk (POL).

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