China fills all finals in Indonesia Super Series

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-05-12 19:21

JAKARTA -- For two years in a row, Chinese shuttlers filled all five spots in the Indonesia Open Super Series finals and this time they also assured the women's doubles title.

Mixed double Zheng Bo and Gao Ling overcame teammates He Hanbin and Yu Yang in a quick 21-15, 21-13 win in the semifinals here Saturday, becoming the first to ensure a final place for China.

They will play top seed Nova Widianto and Lilyana Natsir of Indonesia on Sunday.

Zhu Lin, the defending champion of the tournament, was under pressure from France's Pi Hongyan in the first game that she won 21-19 after a fierce battle. She managed to control the second game and quickly defeated Chinese-born Pi 21-12.

Her berth for women's singles final was a great relief of the Chinese squad after the defeats of Xie Xingfang and Zhang Ning, both are the world's No. 1 and 2 respectively, in earlier stages.

Zhu, champion of the Malaysia Open, will play veteran Wang Chen of Hong Kong SAR for her second Super Series title this year.

World top men's doubles pair Fu Haifeng and Cai Yun overcame All England champions Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong of Malaysia in their only rubber-game win so far in Jakarta 17-21, 21-12, 21-10.

Another Malaysian pair, Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif and Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari, will challenge them Sunday.

But it was Bao Chunlai who stole the show at the Bung Karno Indoor Stadium, beating local hero Taufik Hidayat in a very tough win of 21-19, 21-19 in the most awaited semifinal showdown Saturday.

Unaffected by noisy home fans who kept shouting for Taufik, Bao avenged the defeat in last year's Indonesia Open final from the six-time winner of the tournament.

He will take on Malaysia's top shuttler Lee Chong Wei who upset underperformed Chen Hong of China 23-21, 21-10.

In women's singles, Zhao Tingting and Yang Wei grabbed an easy 21-15, 21-11 win over England's Gail Emms and Donna Kellogg to ensure an all-China final.

They will play Du Jing and Yu Yang who earlier beat compatriots Gao Ling and Zhang Jiewen 21-18, 21-14.



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