Holders China to face South Korea in Sudirman Cup final
XIAMEN - Defending champions China advanced to the final of badminton's Sudirman Cup with an unassailable 3-0 lead over Japan on Saturday, setting up a final clash with South Korea as the hosts close in on a record-extending 14th title.
The Koreans, who are four-times champions, overcame fierce resistance from Indonesia to secure a 3-2 win in the second semi-final in the evening session.
China's world number two mixed doubles pair Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping beat Hiroki Midorikawa and Arisa Igarashi 21-11 21-17 in the opener. Top seed Shi Yuqi then crushed eighth-ranked Kodai Naraoka 21-8 21-16 in the men's singles.
Japan showed resilience in the women's singles, where Akane Yamaguchi, who had won 21 of her previous 33 encounters with Chen Yufei, pushed the Tokyo Games champion to three games but Chen held her nerve to prevail 17-21 21-9 21-16.
"I did feel that Akane's pace was very high in the first game and she consumed a lot of energy," Chen said. "After we changed ends, she was against the drift, and so it was harder for her.
"The most important thing for me, although I don't know if I'll play the next match, is that I have to ensure my best condition and have the best mental state to prepare for the final ... both teams will be under pressure."
South Korean mixed doubles pair Chae Yu-jung and Seo Seung-jae had little trouble beating Indonesia's Dejan Ferdinansyah and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti 21-10 21-15 in the opener.
Indonesia's 19-year-old tournament debutant Alwi Farhan then overcame Cho Geon-yeop 16-21 21-8 21-8 in the men's singles to level the contest, before Paris Olympic Games champion An Se-young beat Putri Kusuma Wardani in the women's singles to restore South Korea's lead.
But Indonesia bounced back in the men's doubles, with Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Bagas Maulana winning a close match.
It was the women's doubles pair of Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee who came to South Korea's rescue with a decisive win to secure their country's place in the final for the ninth time.
China are in their 16th straight final of the biennial mixed team championship, having won 13 of the last 15. But South Korea, who lost to China in the 2023 final, beat them in the showpiece clash in 2003 and 2017. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Italy rocked in Oslo as Spalletti hints at crisis talks
Soccer Football - World Cup - European Qualifiers - Group I - Norway v Italy - Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway - June 6, 2025 Italy coach Luciano Spalletti reacts Lise Aserud/NTB via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. NORWAY OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN NORWAY. Coach Luciano Spalletti admitted Italy are going through a difficult patch after their humbling loss in Norway and said he would speak with the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) about the situation. Italy have not reached a World Cup since 2014 — a painful drought for a nation that once stood proudly among football's elite with four world titles to their name. With an abysmal start to the qualifying campaign, after being dominated by Norway in a 3-0 loss in Oslo on Friday, Spalletti is already under pressure. His side were constantly punished by a Norwegian team that dominated on the counterattack and they were clearly second best on a rainy night at Ullevaal Stadium. "We need a bit more enthusiasm, as individuals. We need to add something more, otherwise something has got to change," Spalletti told reporters. "This is not who we are, because in terms of individuals, we can do more, but you can also see this is a difficult moment. A few things did happen to us, but this is the squad I chose and will continue with," he added. When asked about his position as the manager of the Italian national team, Spalletti admitted that there would be difficult conversation coming up with the FIGC. "I need to talk to President (Gabriele) Gravina about their intentions, their view on the decision I make," Spalletti said. "I chose this group because I thought there was quality, but if we are so fragile that we don't keep an offside trap, we don't chase down opponents, then there is a lack of confidence. "Quality isn't enough without that." Spalletti was also asked if he is worried that the World Cup might be already out of reach after the Norway loss. "There are always worries, because after a performance like that, you clearly have to ask yourself questions and realise there are problems, but you have to face them, because there is no other possibility," he said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Kenya's Chebet nears 5000m world record at Rome Diamond League
Rome - Kenyan Beatrice Chebet came close to breaking the women's 5000 metres world record on Friday at the Rome Diamond League when she clocked 14:03.69, a meeting record that was just 2.5 seconds shy of Gudaf Tsegay's 1997 world mark of 14:00.21. Chebet, who recorded the second-fastest ever time in the women's 3000 metres – running 8:11.56 in Rabat last month behind Wang Junxia's 8:06.11 set in 1993 – appears determined to shave further seconds off her times. "I can see that my body is in good shape and that I am capable of achieving the world record. Now I am going home to prepare for it. Everything is possible," the 25-year-old said after the race. Jamaica's Andrenette Knight dominated the women's 400m hurdles, finishing in 53.67 seconds, while American Anavia Battle won the women's 200 metres in 22.53 seconds. Irish Sarah Healey triumphed in the 1500 metres with a time of 3:59.17. THRILLING VICTORIES The men's 110m hurdles produced the evening's closest finish, with Swiss athlete Jason Joseph clocking 13.14 and snatching victory from American Cordell Tinch, who finished in the same time. There was also a nail-bitting race in the men's 400 metres, with American Quincy Hall finishing in 44.22 seconds, just a hundredth of a second ahead of South Africa's Zakithi Nene. "I have been working hard. We are coming there. I want to be the best. It is coming down. You do not know about the time, but it is coming down this year," Quincy said. In the men's 1500 metres, France's Azeddine Habz surged in the closing stages to beat former world champion Kenya's Timothy Cheruiyot. Habz won by three-hundredths of a second with a time of 3:29.72, while Cheruiyot finished in 3:29.75. American Trayvon Bromell claimed victory in the 100 metres, finishing in 9.84 seconds, while Tokyo Olympics high jump gold medallist Gianmarco Tamberi failed to reach the podium as South Korea's Woo Sanghyeok took the win with a jump of 2.32 metres. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Sinner says rivalry with Alcaraz just the tonic sport needs
Sinner says rivalry with Alcaraz just the tonic sport needs PARIS - Jannik Sinner believes his battle for supremacy with fellow French Open finalist Carlos Alcaraz could become the defining rivalry of their era and is something the sport needs with its golden generation of players calling time on their careers. Sinner beat Novak Djokovic 6-4 7-5 7-6(3) in a generational battle on Court Philippe Chatrier to deny his Serbian opponent a record 25th Grand Slam and leave him unsure whether he will ever return to Roland Garros, where he has won three major trophies. The 23-year-old Italian, who is seeking his fourth Grand Slam title, booked a mouth-watering meeting with his main rival Carlos Alcaraz, who will aim to retain his crown at Roland Garros and add a fifth major crown to his trophy cabinet. With Djokovic now the only active member of tennis' Big Four that also included Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray and yielded a collective 69 major titles in more than two decades, Sinner sensed an opportunity for himself and Alcaraz. "It takes time to compare us with the Big Three or Big Four, no? Only time can tell, to be honest," Sinner told reporters. "For sure, from my point of view, he's a player who makes me a better player. He pushes me to the limit. We try to understand where we have to improve, for the next times I play against him. "I believe that tennis or every sport needs rivalries. This could be potentially one of them, but there are amazing players coming up. There can be so many different and other players joining or one drops. You never know." Sunday's clash on Court Philippe Chatrier will mark only the 12th time that Sinner and Alcaraz have faced off, with the 22-year-old Spaniard looking for a fifth straight victory over his opponent to successfully defend his title. Djokovic said the pair would have to keep going to match the rivalry that he had with Federer, Nadal and Murray. "At the moment, that's hard, because they need to play against each for at least 10-plus years non-stop in order to be part of the same discussion," Djokovic added. "But they're definitely great for tennis, both of them. I think their rivalry is something our sport needs." Sinner said he and Alcaraz had a similar aura and could get more fans interested in the sport. "He's a player with charisma, with that aura," Sinner said. "The moment he steps on court, you can feel his presence. In the end, that's exactly what tennis needs. The more people like that, the more players like that, the better. "In the end, it's exactly those players who bring people closer to the sport and make them want to watch tennis." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
