News

Final September 24 (Sun)　

⦿ Men's singles
Viktor AXELSEN（Denmark）　VS　 LEE Chong Wei（Malaysia）

＊win-loss record: LEE Chong Wei 9 win and 1 losses

This is the finals which any badminton fan is excited to see. 7th victory and 2nd consecutive victory is at stake for super star LEE Chong Wei（WR 7th）who will be facing 23-year-old Viktor AXELSEN (WR 4th）, World Champion who is having his momentum now.

Until the quarterfinals, LEE Chong Wei seem to be not in a good shape with extended games or playing 3 full games. However, semi-finals match against SHI Yuqi（China）was a straight win and seems that he got back on his feet completely.

Especially at the first game of semifinals, he was scored by opponents 4-11 and 9-15, big points differences but we could not see any impatience on him. He just kept rallying patiently until opponent made a mistake. This is a dignity of true battle master.

"I feel that I am getting better day by day. Tomorrow I will do my best play."（LEE Chong Wei）

Meanwhile, Viktor AXELSEN aiming for more than the runner-up in 2015 said, "I respect LEE Chong Wei who has won numerous titles so far. I have only defeated him once so today I will get some rest and then make a strategy. "

By the way, the victory that AXELSEN mentioned is about the Super Series Finals held at the end of last year. In qualifies, AXELSEN defeated Chong Wei in a 72-minute battle with score of 14 - 21, 21 - 14, 21 - 19, eventually winning the Super Series for the first time.

Finals match will be their first match since then. For the 34-year-old Chong Wei, the match against fast growing AXELSEN should be tenser than with anyone else.

Are we going to witness change of generation, or will last year's champion acquire his 7th victory? No matter which player wins, we are all excited to see this historic match.

⦿Check Viktor AXELSEN profile and racket.
http://www.yonex.co.jp/badminton/players/post-5.html

⦿ Check LEE Chong Wei profile and racket.
http://www.yonex.co.jp/badminton/players/post.html

 

⦿ Women's singles
Carolina MARIN（Spain）　VS　 HE Bingjiao (China)

＊win-loss record: MARIN 1 wins and 0 losses

The final match will be a left-handed confrontation between the Rio Olympics gold medalist Carolina MARIN (WR 5th) and HE Bingjiao (WR 7th), for whom if she wins, this will be second consecutive victory.

After learning about OKUHARA's withdrawal from semi-finals, MARIN commented, "It is very regrettable. Although it doesn't feel good to win without a battle, I want to move on and change my focus on getting ready for the upcoming game".

Meanwhile, HE Bingjiao had to go through the fierce 53 minutes battle in the semi-finals. She defeated World Championship the bronze medalist and National Games of China champion CHEN Yufei (China). A 19-year-old who won this prestigious Chinese competition is considered as powerful opponent to anyone.

HE Bingjiao defeated this growing star and commented with a smile, "Although it was rather easy to defeat her in the past, now it is not that easy. I am happy that she became stronger now, and of course I am also happy that I could win today."

HE Bingjiao who keeps smiling gently tells that she gained confidence since winning this competition last year. "There were some tough moments today, but I won the championship last year so I should be fine! I came to think like this."

For tomorrow 's MARIN game, she was speaking frankly and unique manner.

"There is a word "contradiction", in Chinese, it is written " Arms and Shield". As in this word, tomorrow I would like to become a "shield" that nothing can go through. MARIN is a type of player who's power is in smashes. I want to stop all of her attacks."

At the finals, will MARIN's arm go through HE Bingjiao's shield? Or will HE Bingjiao's shield stop MARIN? Let's watch the outcome together.

⦿Check Carolina MARIN profile and racket.
http://www.yonex.co.jp/badminton/players/post-8.html

⦿ Men's doubles
Marcus Fernaldi GIDEON ／Kevin Sanjaya SUKAMULJO（Indonesia）　VS　 Takuto INOUE／Yuki KANEKO（Nihon Unisys）

＊win-loss record: GIDEON / Sanjaya 2 win and 0 losses

"Did you enjoy your match?"

This was the first thing the GIDEON ／Sanjaya（WR 2nd） pair was saying during the interviews after defeating Boe /Mogensen (WR 1st) in semifinals. The two were the best tricksters to keep delivering the feints at a fast pace.

The Danish pair, which was not easily caught up in Indonesia pair's various tricks, is a great rival for GIDEON / Sanjaya pair. "I think it became a great game than score numbers 15 and 14 can describe". As GIDEON says, this semifinals game was very thrilling one that badminton fans surely were delighted with.

Japan 's INOUE／KANEKO（WR 17th） will challenge GIDEON ／Sanjaya who show us such fun side of badminton. It is the first time for Japanese pair to advance into the men's doubles finals.

INOUE／KANEKO（WR 17th）, 22 years old and 23 years old, started playing as a pair from 1st year in Saitama Sakae Junior High School. Although they have remarkable achievements such as inter-high victory or world junior runners-up, they did not have any remarkable results in the world since becoming senior players.

However, as the Rio Olympics players, HAYAKAWA／ENDO, the senior pair from same Nihon Unisys resolved their pair, INOUE／KANEKO's play has changed because they became more aware of their positioning as a leader. They wanted to become stronger players, their receiving techniques improved which lead to the results this time. INOUE explains this.

"Especially KANEKO has improved his receiving, now he can join me at the net front. We both come one step forward. This one step forward is a big improvement for us, we can attack more than before."

As we won Grand Prix Gold YONEX US OPEN this year, more and more people started coming up and telling us that our condition seems to be good this year. However, he wanted to reply that "the results are not because of the condition, but rather a product of our hard work and accumulated experience."

Advancing to finals this time has proved their "true" abilities and potential. Hidden behind SONODA / KAMURA (Tonami Transportation) and HOKI / KOBAYASHI (Tonami Transportation), those two didn't stand out. Finals is a place to appeal their strength.

⦿ Check GIDEON profile and racket.
http://www.yonex.co.jp/badminton/players/post-29.html

⦿ Check Sanjaya profile and racket.
http://www.yonex.co.jp/badminton/players/post-30.html

⦿ Check Takuto INOUE profile.
https://www.unisys.co.jp/com/sponsors/badminton/team/m/inoue.html

⦿ Check Yuki KANEKO profile.
https://www.unisys.co.jp/com/sponsors/badminton/team/m/kaneko.html

⦿ Women's doubles
Ayaka TAKAHASHI／Misaki MATSUTOMO（Nihon Unisys）　VS　KIM Ha Na／KONG Hee Yong （Korea）

＊First Match

In the semifinals, TAKAHASHI／MATSUTOMO pair（WR 1st ）showed the dignity of the Olympic gold medalist. They won straight over the world championship Bronze medalist FUKUSHIMA／HIROTA pair（WR 5th）who defeated them in two consecutive games.
After the match, MATSUTOMO's comment made us feel the greatness of the Olympic Medalist player.

"I did believe in our victory if we could play our way."

What she is saying may mislead listeners but we see her absolute confidence when needed. They were serious about wining and won as planned.

It is Korean KIM Ha Na / KONG Hee Yong (WR 122nd) that will compete against TAKAHASHI / MATSUTOMO in the finals. Although there is difference of over 100 in World Ranking, KIM is a skillful player who has won second place in the mixed doubles last year. She is 172 centimeters and 27-year-old player with gorgeous looks, once 1st place in the world rankings.

It is only 3rd championship for KIM and 20-year-old KONG. "It is uncertain whether we will continue the pair the future" (KIM), as you can see from their win over the Japanese FUKUMAN / YONAO in the semi-finals, they are a pair one should be taking very seriously.

KONG wishing to succeed in the world, says about KIM with smile that " KIM is skillful player who can lead shuttle to me to attack. It is a great learning experience for me. Well, I am often scolded when I don't do well."

KIM in her turn says about KONG, "We defeated Chinese pair in qualifies. I think this gave her a lot of confidence", praising the growth of her partner player.

When talking about the final game, KIM answered with ease.
"I am not worried at all. Any pressure? Not at all" she said with smile.

Matsutomo commented excitedly, "It has been a while to play against KIM Ha Na and her young partner seem to be very energetic. I am looking forward to our game tomorrow. We will make sure to play the game our way ".

Recently formed pair will challenge the Rio Olympics gold medalist pair. This pair who don't put too much pressure on themselves may be the one to give the Olympic medalists a hard time. If TAKAHASHI／MATSUTOMO win, it will be their second victory since 2014.

＊Check Ayaka TAKAHASHI profile.
https://www.unisys.co.jp/com/sponsors/badminton/team/w/takahashi.html

＊Check Misaki MATSUTOMO profile.
https://www.unisys.co.jp/com/sponsors/badminton/team/w/matsutomo.html

 

⦿ Mixed doubles
Takuro HOKI／Sayaka HIROTA（Tonami Transportation／Saishunkan）　VS　 WANG Yilyu／HUANG Dongping（China）

＊First match

HIROTA is 23 years old and HOKI and 2 of China players are 22 years old. Whichever pair wins, it will be the first victory at Super Series for these fresh young pairs.

Both of them have short career as a pair. China pair (WR 9th) only started from the end of last year and HOKI / HIROTA pair (WR 146th) formed a pair from the Australian Open in July and this is the third official competition for them to play.

For that reason, HOKI is frankly saying "I am happy if we win" but we can see that he is bewildered by these great outcomes as mixed doubles, more than men's doubles which is his major event. Actually, they only practiced 3 times, 20 minutes each time.

On the court, they will do their best.

In the semifinals with India pair, no lobbing strategy not to hit shutter high, was not successful and they lost 1st game. However, encouraged by the Japan national team head coach Park Joo-bong who advised, "Even if you send the shuttle to back of the opponent's court, you will be able to receive, so be confident." By changing strategy to create attack chance from receives, they defeated their opponent pair.

Hoki talks about the reason for this "surprisingly" good results, "I think that there is a momentum because we have just started competing as a pair".

Their opponent WANG (China) said, "Both myself and my partner have played against them for men's doubles and women's doubles, but this will be the first time to compete as a mixed pair". I think that the audience at the venue will be on Japanese pair's side at the finals, but we will try hard to fight for our first victory. "

He added his determination.

"This is not about techniques, we will just keep attacking."

We are surely to see fierce battle between two young pairs.

＊Check Takuro HOKI profile.
http://www.tonami-badminton.jp/players/takurou_hoki.html

＊Check Sayaka HIROTA profile.
http://www.saishunkan-badminton.jp/archives/member/317