Olympic bronze medallists Jens Eriksen and Mette Schjoldager of
Denmark?won the China Open badminton mixed doubles after a
marathon final against China's Chen Qiqiu and Zhao
Tingting.?
?
The Danes took three sets to subdue the home favorites in the
well-matched final between the world's third and second-ranked
pairings.
The Chinese pair threw away an 11-6 lead in the first set before
coming back to take the second. However, they faded in the final
set to lose 15-8.
In the men's singles semi-finals, China's Lin Dan and Bao
Chunlai went through to the finals.
Lin, the current world number one, downed seventh-seeded Kenneth
Jonassen of Denmark 15-1, 14-17, 15-6. Bao survived a close game
10-15, 15-3, 15-12 against Indonesia's Taufik Hidayat.
In the women's singles semi-finals, the sole Chinese
semi-finalist Xie Xingfang outshone her overseas compatriot Pi
Hongyan of France 11-1, 3-11, 11-7.
She will meet Hong Kong's Wang Chen in the final after Wang
defeated Denmark's Tine Rasmussen 11-9, 11-5.
In the men's doubles, Malaysia's Chew Choon-Eng and Choong
Tan-Fook, who will meet Indonesia's Candra Wijaya and Sigit
Budiarto in the final, edged out Chinese Sang Yang and Zheng
Bo.
(CRI November 14, 2004)