SINGAPORE LADIES CELEBRATE UNPRECEDENTED WIN
The Singapore leg of the 2010 Super Series will go down in history as a special event in the sequence of the Series for a number of reasons, all of which speak glowingly for the continued development and promotion of the sport. Primary among them the fact that all five disciplines produced champions from five different countries, none of the winners had ever won the event in Singapore before, host nation Singapore won its first ever Super Series title and an Indian picked up a title at the Open for the first time in its history.
The major spoils of the Open were shared among entries from Indonesia, India, Taipei, Singapore and Denmark.
For India’s Saina Nehwal and Singapore’s Shinta Mulia Sari & Yao Lei, their win was the second title in two weeks. They had won the Singles and Doubles respectively at the Indian Open a week earlier.
The biggest cheer on Sunday evening was deservedly reserved for the home duo of Shinta & Yao who rewarded the home crowd’s partisan support with an upset victory over the fifth-seeded Koreans Kim Min Jung & Lee Hyo Jung. The 21-17, 22-20 pulsating finish to the Ladies Doubles was a fitting reward to the Singapore girls who had been consistent in their strong performance throughout the series.
For 20-year old Saina, the Singapore success was her second Super Series title, coming in the wake of the first she won in Jakarta a year ago. She is the only Indian player, male of female, to have won a Super Series event. She also achieved a ‘first’ for India when she qualified to the quarter-finals at the Beijing Olympics two years ago.
Saina’s success at the Singapore Open was more creditable when it is recalled that on the way to the title, she beat four ‘Chinese’ players, two of who were from mainland China, including World Champion Lu Lan. In the first round, it was Mew Choo of Malaysia, after which she saw off China’s young sensation Li Xuerui in the last four, then Lu Lan in the semi-final before the young Indian went on to complete her journey with a comprehensive victory over Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying in the final.
In the Indonesian Open which started yesterday with the qualification matches, Saina Nehwal is again top seeded in the absence of the main Chinese contingent. If she is able to hold on to the form she displayed in Singapore, there is all likelihood of her retaining the title she won last year.
Indonesia’s Sony Dwi Kuncoro, who had outlasted the Malaysian world top-ranked Lee Chong Wei in the quarter-finals was not seriously challenged by the Thai ace Boonsak Ponsana in the final, winning 21-16, 21-16. But the Indonesian was stretched to bring out his best against India’s Kashyap Parupalli in the last four.
Kashyap, ranked only 3rd in India and 32 in world ranking, was a revelation, playing a fast, attacking style interspersed with powerful smashes, not often seen from Indian players. Like Saina, if he is able to maintain the form, he could be a name to reckon at the Indonesian Open.
The United States’ former World champions Howard Bach & Tony Gunawan failed to impress in the Men Doubles and surrendered the title to Taipei’s Fang Chieh Min & Lee Sheng Mu, 21-14, 21-15.
Denmark picked up the only title to escape Asia when Thomas Laybourn & Kamilla Rytter Juhl ran into an off-form pairing of Nova Widianto & Lilyana Natsir, winning their first Super Series title, 21-12, 21-15.
RESULTS OF THE SINGAPORE OPEN
MEN SINGLES
Sony Dwi Kuncoro (INA) beat Boonsak Ponsana (THA)
21-16, 21-16
LADIES SINGLES
Saina Nehwal (IND) beat Tai Tzu Ying(TPE)
21-18, 21-15
MEN DOUBLES
Fang Chieh Min & beat Howard Bach &
Lee Sheng Mu (TPE) Tony Gunawan (INA)
21-14, 21-15
LADIES DOUBLES
Shinta Mulia Sari & beat Kim Min Jung &
Yao Lei (SIN) Lee Hyo Jung (KOR)
21-17, 22-20
MIXED DOUBLES
Thomas Laybourn & beat Nova Widianto &
Kamilla Rytter Juhl (DEN) Liliyana Natsir (INA)
21-12, 21-15