The Hindu : Sport / Badminton : China in Uber Cup final

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 14, 2004

Sport

Sport - Badminton

China in Uber Cup final

JAKARTA, MAY 13. Defending champion and top seed China showed its dominance on Thursday, trouncing five-time champion Japan 3-0 and advancing to the finals of the women's Uber Cup badminton championships.

World No. 1 Ruina Gong opened the contest with an easy win against Japanese shuttler Kanako Yonekura in a 22-minute battle before some 500 spectators at Jakarta's indoor Bung Karno Senayan Sports Palace.

After trailing 3-0 in the first set, Gong caught up and allowed 27th-ranked Yonekura to collect only two points before winning the set 11-5. Gong needed only nine minutes to win the second set, showing superb crossings and drop-shots to lead 9-0.

Yonekura tried to fight back and collected two points in a row before Gong smashed her out 15-2.

It was Gong's fifth victory against Yonekura in their five encounters.

Second-ranked Ning Zhang assured a Chinese victory and maintained an unbeatable record for her team in the tournament by smashing out 13th-ranked Kaori Mori of Japan 11-7, 11-7.

The Chinese duo of Gao Ling and Huang Sui defeated the Japanese pair of Shizuka Yamamoto and Seiko Yamada 15-3, 15-2.

China won the Uber Cup a record five consecutive times from 1984 to 1992 before losing out to Indonesia in 1994 and 1996.

But China won the cup again in 1998 and holds it until now.

Fifth-seeded Japan won the coveted women's trophy five times from 1966 to 1972 and 1978 to 1971, before it was changed from a triennial to a biennial tournament beginning in 1984. Indonesia won it in 1975. Semifinals for the men's Thomas Cup are to be played Friday, with defending champion Indonesia pitted against Denmark, and favourite China facing South Korea.

The results: Uber Cup: Semifinals: China 3 beat Japan 0 (Ruina Gong bt Kanako Yonekura 11-5, 11-2; Ning Zhang bt Kaori Mori 11-7, 11-7; Gao Ling and Huang Sui bt Shizuka Yamamoto and Seiko Yamada 15-3, 15-2).

Thomas Cup: Quarterfinals: Indonesia bt Malaysia 3-1; Denmark bt Germany 3-1; China bt Japan 3-0; South Korea bt Thailand 3-1. — AP

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