HWASUN KOREA INT’L - No Thais to Bind Korea

The Koreans will have finals day all to themselves at the 2009 Hwasun Korea International Badminton Challenge as the home teams were too much for Thailand’s young pairs in the semi-finals. Although four Hwasun natives were active in the semi-finals, Lee Yong Dae was the only one of these to make it to the last day when, as expected, he will be the overwhelming favourite in two finals.

Story and Photos: Don Hearn (live in Hwasun)

World Junior Mixed Doubles Champion Maneepong Jongjit (pictured below) lost a nail-biter of a final last week in Malaysia with partner Isara Bodin. There, they were playing two promising young local stars, as is common at the international challenge level. Unfortunately for the Thais, the Hwasun International this week in Korea is an exceptional case, it being the first international tournament ever held in the hometown of a player who is currently enjoying unprecedented stardom for a badminton player. As it was, the young Thais came up against Lee Yong Dae and Jung Jae Sung (pictured), who were fresh off a pair of Super Series victories.

The Koreans gave their challengers no quarter and while Jongjit and Bodin put on some impressive displays of offense, they came up short in the first game, losing 17-21. Jung/Lee took five quick points to start the second game but one of the most thrilling rallies came moments later when the Thais moved up to 2-5 after some splendid defense and a hail of smashes. When Lee Yong Dae’s last block finally fluttered into the net, the exhausted Thai pair got a glimpse of how hard they would have to work to stay in the match. In the end, they didn’t have it in them and the defending champions came away with the 21-17, 21-12 victory.

The most decisive final scores of the day came in the women’s doubles. 2007 champions Jung Kyung Eun / Yoo Hyun Young dealt Thailand’s top seeds Savitree Amitapai / Vacharaporn Munkit a 21-13, 21-7 defeat. They will meet the new pair of Ha Jung Eun / Lee Kyung Won, who won by identical scores over Eom/Kim.

Ha Jung Eun (pictured below) is the only player other than Lee Yong Dae who is in the middle of a four-week stretch playing both doubles and mixed and she will be featured in both finals in Hwasun. She and Ko Sung Hyun were the only ones troubled by a Thai pair as they had to save a game point from Chalardchaleam/Amitapai in the second that was sandwiched between the Koreans’ two match points. Ko/Ha took their second of those, however, and advanced to the final, where they will take on the mighty Lee Yong Dae / Lee Hyo Jung. Lee/Lee were easy winners over the new pairing of Kim Min Jung / Shin Baek Cheol.

Lee Yong Dae was the only hometown hero to star on Saturday. Kim Dae Eun, who is from a nearby town but got most of his childhood badminton training in Hwasun, came up short in the men’s doubles, despite being the latest partner of veteran Han Sang Hoon. Kim/Han went down to Ko/Yoo in two games. Earlier, Park So Ri lost to 2007 winner Lee Yun Hwa. Lee Cheol Ho, also of Hwasun, was runner-up last year and was a favourite for the title here after the withdrawal of defending champion Park Sung Hwan. He became the latest casualty of the unknown Hwang Jong Soo, who won only one domestic tournament, as a high school student.

Hwang faces Rho Yeh Wook in the men’s singles final, while 2008 runner-up Bae Youn Joo takes on 2007 champion Lee Yun Hwa in the women’s singles.

For complete semi-final results from the 2009 Hwasun Korea International Challenge, CLICK HERE

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