Defending champions Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk and Lee Yong Dae/ Ko Sung Hyun crashed out of the Universiade Gwangju 2015 today.
Home stars Lee/Ko, expected to retain their Men’s Doubles gold, were toppled by China’s Zhang Wen and Wang Yilv (below) in the quarter-finals. After a comfortable first game victory for Lee/Ko, the Chinese turned it around, stunning their opponents 12-21 21-12 21-17. Saensomboonsuk, defending Men’s Singles titlist, met the same fate as he fell to Jeon Hyeok Jin, 21-18 21-19.
However, Lee/Ko’s compatriots Kim Gi Jung/Kim Sa Rang kept the nation in the hunt, stopping Nikita Khakimov/Vasily Kuznetsov (Russia), 21-14 21-9.
Other winners in the category included Thailand’s Bodin Issara/Nipitphon Puangpuapech and Malaysia’s Juan Shen/Mohamad Arif Abdul Latif.
Saensomboonsuk’s conqueror Jeon Hyeok Jin will face Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen; Jeon’s compatriot Son Wan Ho, who cruised past Thailand’s Suppanyu Avihingsanon 21-14 21-16, faces another Chinese Taipei player, Hsu Jen Hao (featured image). Hsu outplayed China’s Gao Huan, 21-14 21-14.
However, the Women’s Singles defending champion Sung Ji Hyun faced no problems in progressing to the semi-finals. The Korean cruised past Japan’s Miyuki Kato, 21-10 21-17, and takes on another Japanese, Shiho Tanaka, who surprised China’s Hui Xirui in a close match, 21-16 16-21 22-20.
The other semi-final will pit Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying and Thailand’s Porntip Buranaprasertsuk (below).
In Women’s Doubles, local hopefuls Lee So Hee/Shin Seung Chan had to dig themselves out of trouble against Thailand’s Chayanit Chaladchalam/Phataimas Muenwong. The Koreans lost a close first game but returned strongly in the second and third to triumph 21-23 21-16 21-12.
Lee/Shin take on Japan’s Miki Kashihara/Miyuki Kato, while the other half will feature China’s Yu Xiaohan/Ou Dongni against another Korean pair, Go Ah Ra/Yoo Hae Won.
Chinese Taipei assured themselves of a place in the Mixed Doubles final. Chiang Kai-Hsin/Lu Ching-Yao surprised Ko Sung Hyun/Yoo Hae Won 21-16 16-21 21-18 to set up a semi-final against compatriots Tseng Min Hao/Hsieh Pei Chen, who outplayed Japan’s Akira Koga/Shiho Tanaka.
The second semi-final will be an all-Korean affair as it features Kim Sa Rang/Go Ah Ra against Kim Gi Jung/Shin Seung Chan.
For the day’s results, click here.
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