Pedersen saves the best for last with three records

KUALA LUMPUR: Danish shuttler Christinna Pedersen has set three new records in the BWF Super Series Finals at the Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium in Cheras.

First, the lanky shuttler teamed up with Kamilla Rytter Juhl to trounce China’s Ma Jin-Tang Jinhua 21-19, 21-12 yesterday to become the first European pair to win the women’s doubles title.

Then, the 27-year-old Pedersen partnered Joachim Fischer Nielsen to nick the mixed doubles crown by beating China’s world No. 1 and reigning Olympic champions Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei 12-21, 21-19, 21-4 in the final. That win sees her becoming the only player to have won two titles in the same year in the Super Series Finals history.

If that is not enough, her mixed doubles win with Nielsen also ensured that the Danes now have three titles in the history of the competition, having also won in 2009 and 2012. They were earlier tied at two with Zhang Nan-Yunlei.

“It’s great feeling. My partners and I have been playing better and better,” said a delighted Pedersen.

“When I woke up this morning, I looked at Kamilla and I knew all we wanted was to win.

“To win with both Joachim and Kamilla marks a really great year ... we’re ready to go home and celebrate Christmas.”

The 35-year-old Nielsen said that the tremendous support from the Malaysian crowd spurred them on to victory.

“I really love the crowd. We wouldn’t have won if we weren’t playing in Malaysia ... the crowd really pushed us on,” said Nielsen.

“We just kept fighting and I can say that we are very proud of our performances.

“To beat the Chinese pair in the final is superb because they’ve had good results against us and we came in as the underdogs.

“At one point, while we were trailing, we just told ourselves to keep fighting because we didn’t want them to have an easy win.

“I guess they cracked a little under pressure.”

Denmark ended the tournament as the biggest winners – with the two titles from the women’s doubles and mixed doubles.

In men’s doubles, world champions Mohd Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia ended the year on a high after crushing South Korea’s Kim Ki-jung-Kim Sa-rang 21-14, 21-16.