OLYMPIC WD PREVIEW : All About China?

As China gears up to extend their streak of Olympic women’s doubles gold to four games, the rest of the world prepares to make it as difficult as possible for them. While in many tournaments, this discipline quickly becomes a case of merely waiting for the all-Chinese final, the draw for the Beijing Olympics should throw up some top-notch action right from the get-go.

By Don Hearn. Photos: Badmintonphoto

Even in a sport so dominated by the world’s most populous nation, the women’s doubles stands out as a special kind of domination. Only one other country has ever won an Olympic medal in this event and ever since Korea’s gold-bronze performance in badminton’s Olympic debut, China has ruled the top of the podium.

This year in Beijing, however, as Yang Wei and Zhang Jiewen (pictured) attempt to duplicate the feat of their predecessors Ge Fei and Gu Jun, who won gold in Atlanta and Sydney, a handful of pairs are set to make that as difficult as possible. As always, the biggest threat to Chinese dominance is likely to come from Korea. Lee Kyung Won and Lee Hyo Jung (pictured below)have recorded 10 wins against the Chinese pairs in the last 4 years while the rest of the field has combined for only 7. The Koreans will start in the same half as the defending champions and will be gunning for their third straight win over Yang/Zhang this year.

The action promises to start much earlier than that, however. In fact, one of the most eagerly awaited match-ups will come in the opening round. Indonesia’s Lilyana Natsir and Vita Marissa (pictured below) have been the talk of the doubles town ever since they were first paired up and beat two Chinese pairs on their home court to win the China Masters last summer. Although Yang/Zhang are the only Chinese pair they have yet to beat and they are winless in four attempts, the crafty Indonesians stretched the defending champions to three games at the recent Uber Cup final and will be hoping to improve on that result this time around.

Whoever survives that first-round brawl will be up against Japan’s number two Maeda/Suetsuna before likely meeting Korea’s Lee/Lee in the semi-finals. Even the Koreans will not have it easy, however. They must face Malaysia’s Wong/Chin in the first round and likely Singapore’s Jiang/Li in the quarter-finals. Neither team has yet to beat the Koreans but they have each managed a win over one of the top Chinese pairs in the past and are not to be disregarded.

How the Other Half Lives

Although the bottom half of the draw features the chief threat from outside of Asia - with the representatives from Oceania and the Americas expected to make quick first round exits - the draw was anything but kind to the top two teams from Europe. In particular, European Championship runners-up Gail Emms and Donna Kellog have drawn, just as both have in the mixed event, a heavy favourite from China in Zhang Yawen and Wei Yili.

Meanwhile, European champions Lena Frier Kristiansen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl (pictured below) are up against Japan’s top team Ogura Kumiko/Shiota Reiko. Although the Danes did win their only match against the Japanese on neutral ground, their second round opponents are likely to be Du Jing and Yu Yang of China and neither of the European pairs have ever beaten any of the top Chinese pairs.

In fact, the biggest threat to the Chinese pairs in the bottom half of the draw is likely to be from Chinese Taipei’s Chien Yu Chin/Cheng Wen Hsing. The ladies from Taiwan are very likely to cruise through to the second round to meet Zhang/Wei, the only Chinese pair they have ever beaten.

Surprise us...please!

The women’s doubles is very likely to end up with the semi-finals on seed. However, a lot of unexpected things have been happening in this area in the last year and even if China scrapes through its home Olympics with a fourth straight women’s doubles gold, the badminton world will be hoping for some surprises along the way. Can Europe’s best women could finally pick the Asian lock? Will Ogura/Shiota rise to the occasion to topple Du/Yu for the first time ever?

Finally, while defending champions Yang/Zhang may seem to be the most under siege in their route to the finals, remember that the last time they came into the Olympics having recently been upset by a Korean pair in the Uber Cup, they were stretched to three games by Indonesia’s best in their first match but held on right to the end to take their first Olympic gold. No matter how things turn out, it will be history in the making.

To see the Olympic Women’s Doubles draw and match schedule, click HERE

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