DUBAI // Carolina Marin, the reigning women’s singles Olympic champion, faces a battle to qualify from her Dubai World Superseries Finals group after losing her opening match at the Hamdan Sports Complex to China’s Sun Yu on Wednesday.
India’s PV Sindhu, who Marin beat to win gold at the Rio Games, avoided a similar fate, battling her nerves and a doughty opponent to open her first Superseries Finals campaign with a 12-21, 21-8, 21-15 win over Akane Yamaguchi, the Japanese 19-year-old 2013 and 2014 world junior champion.
“It was a good match and a long match, I am really happy that I won because this is my first time here,” said Sindhu, who won 13 points from 7-7 in the second game to put the brakes on Yamaguchi’s challenge before outhitting her in the third.
“I could have played a lot better. In the first game, I did a lot of negatives. I was a bit nervous and not really very patient, but then I came back and finished it off.”
Both Sindhu and Marin have been drawn in the same Group B of the women’s singles category and the Indian will meet Marin’s conqueror Sun Yu in her second group match on Thursday before their Olympic final rematch.
“I played against Sun Yu recently at the China Open and I know it is not going to be an easy match,” Sindhu said. “We know each other’s game, so it really depends on our strategy for the day and whoever can implement it on the court, and change and adapt when necessary, will be the winner.”
Marin, meanwhile, will be hoping she can start against Yamaguchi on Thursday the way she ended her defeat to world No 6 Sun Yu. Trailing 10-21, 13-20, the Spaniard roared into life, saving eight match points before Sun Yu eventually closed the second game and the match 24-22.
The defeat means Marin, who lost here in the semi-finals last year, cannot afford any more slips, but the world No 2 already knew how difficult her task in Dubai would be.
“I’m the player everyone wants to defeat,” Marin, 23, said on Tuesday. “So, for me, it is really difficult because I broke the Asian wall. I’m the only European at the top of the world rankings and it is like one against 15 or 20 in the world.
“It is really difficult, but it is also amazing that I can be there at the top of the world rankings and it is an amazing feeling for me.”
There was a minor upset on the men’s side as well when Lee Chong Wei, the silver medallist at the Rio Olympics, lost 21-10, 21-16 to Korean Son Wan Ho. The Malaysian, however, was not at his best, perhaps still recovering from the hamstring injury he suffered in October.
However, Denmark’s Jan O Jorgensen, who finished at the top of the 2016 Superseries rankings, becoming the first non-Asian to win the China Open, faced few problems, cruising to a 21-8, 21-15 win over Hong Kong veteran Hu Yun.
RESULTS
Men’s Singles
Group A: Tian Houwei (CHN) beat Marc Zwiebler (GER) 21-15, 21-7; Jan O Jorgensen (DEN) beat Hu Yun (HKG) 21-8, 21-5.
Group B: Son Wan Ho (KOR) beat Lee Chong Wei (MAS) 21-10, 21-16; Viktor Axelsen (DEN) beat Ng Ka Long An (HKG) 21-13, 21-17.
Women’s Singles
Group A: Sung Ji Hyun (KOR) beat Ratchanok Inyanon (THA) 21-19, 21-12; Tai Tzu Ying (TPE) beat He Bingjiao (CHN) 21-16, 21-13.
Group B: Sun Yu (CHN) beat Carolina Marin (ESP) 21-18, 24-22; PV Sindhu (IND) beat Akane Yamaguchi (JPN) 12-21, 21-8, 21-15.
Men’s Doubles
Group A: Marcus Fer Gideon/Kevin Sanj Sukamuljo (INA) beat Angga Pratama/Ricky Kara Suwardi (INA) 21-18, 17-21, 21-14; Mads Conrad-Pet/Mads Piele Kolding (DEN) beat Takeshi Kamura/Keigo Sonoda (JPN) 21-15, 21-17.
Group B: Chai Biao/Hong Wei (CHN) beat Li Junhui/Liu Yuchen (CHN) 21-18, 16-21, 21-15; V Shem Goh/Wee Kiong Tan (MAS) beat Mathias Boe/Carsten Mogensen (DEN) — Walkover.
Women’s Doubles
Group A: Misaki Matsutomo/Ayaka Takahashi (JPN) beat Naoko Fukuman/Kurumi Yonao (JPN) 21-19, 21-19; Chang Ye Na/Lee So Hee (KOR) beat Luo Ying/Luo Yu (CHN) 21-19, 21-15.
Group B: Kamilla Ry Juhl/Christinna Pedersen (DEN) beat Vivian Hoo/Khe Wei Woon (MAS) 21-7, 21-17; Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan (CHN) beat Jung Kyung Eun/Shin Seung Chan (KOR) 21-18, 21-13
Mixed Doubles
Group A: Praveen Jordan/Debby Susanto (INA) beat Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir (INA) 21-11, 21-12; Joachim Fischer Ni/Christinna Pedersen (DEN) Ko Sung Hyun/Kim Ha Na (KOR) 21-14, 21-23, 21-16
Group B: Chris Adcock/Gabrielle Adcock (ENG) beat Kenta Kazuno/Ayane Kurihara (JPN) 21-15, 21-9; Zheng Siwei/Chen Qingchen (CHN) beat Lu Kai/Huang Yaqiong (CHN) 21-18, 13-21, 21-14
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