Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino (R) of Japan after a missed shot against Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong of China during their mixed doubles final match at the World Badminton Championships in Tokyo on August 28, 2022. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)
PETALING JAYA: Japan’s top mixed doubles pair Yuta Watanabe-Arisa Higashino are out to capture their home Open title after ending China’s Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong’s long unbeaten run this year in the semi-finals at the Maruzen Intec Arena in Osaka yesterday.
The hard-fought 21-17, 12-21, 23-21 victory was sweet revenge for world No. 3 Watanabe-Higashino who had been denied the World Championships title by the Chinese pair ranked one rung higher in Tokyo recently.
It also ended Siwei-Yaqiong’s long unbeaten run from the end of April which had seen them capture seven titles in a row.
While many others before them tried and failed to stop the formidable Chinese pair, Watanabe-Higashino looked determined to make up for their tame 13-21, 16-21 loss to them in the world meet final.
Roared on by their huge home support, the Japanese pair, coached by former Malaysian mixed doubles trainer Jeremy Gan, played brilliantly from the start.
Despite conceding the second game, Watanabe-Higashino raised their game again in the third and stayed composed to edge past their opponents in the end.
They will now be looking to win their second title of the year after the All-England in March when they take on Thailand’s world No. 1 Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai in the final today.
The Thai pair beat another Chinese pair, reigning Olympic champions Wang Yilyu-Huang Dongping 21-18, 21-18 in the other last-four tie.
Meanwhile, the women’s doubles final will be an all-South Korean affair after Baek Ha-na-Lee Yu-lim set up a meeting with teammates Jeong Na-eun-Kim Hye-jeong.
In the men’s doubles, China’s Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang will take on either Denmark’s Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen or South Korea’s Kim Gi-jung-Kim Sa-rang in the final.
In the men’s singles, Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen will battle homester Kenta Nishimoto for the title.
World No. 6 Tien-chen came from behind to dash the hopes of China’s Shi Yuqi (No. 22), winning 15-21, 21-19, 21-12 in 82 minutes.
Nishimoto (No. 21) had stunned Denmark’s Anders Antonsen (No. 3) 22-20, 21-19 to reach his first final of the year and will be bidding to end his individual title drought today.
The women’s singles final will see home favourite and newly crowned world champion Akane Yamaguchi (No. 2) face South Korea’s An Se-young (No. 4).
In a repeat of the World Championships final, Yamaguchi had overcome China’s Chen Yufei (No. 3) 15-21, 21-16, 24-22 in the last four.
An Se-young had stunned Taiwan’s top seed Tai Tzu-ying 21-12, 14-21, 21-13 in the other semi-final.
SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
Men’s singles: Chou Tien-chen (Tpe) bt Shi Yuqi (Chn) 15-21, 21-19, 21-12; Kenta Nishimoto (Jpn) bt Anders Antonsen (Den) 22-20, 21-19.
Men’s doubles: Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang (Chn) bt Choi Sol-gyu-Kim Won-ho (Kor) 21-16, 21-16;
Women’s singles: Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn) bt Chen Yufei (Chn) 15-21, 21-16, 24-22; An Se-young (Kor) bt Tai Tzu-ying (Tpe) 21-12, 14-21, 21-13.
Women’s doubles: Baek Ha-na-Lee Yu-lim (Kor) bt Chen Qingchen-Jia Yifan (Chn) 12-21, 21-18, 21-19; Jeong Na-eun-Kim Hye-jeong bt Kim So-yeong-Kong Hee-yong 21-10, 23-21.
Mixed doubles: Yuta Watanabe-Arisa Higashino (Jpn) bt Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong (Chn) 21-17, 12-21, 23-21; Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Tha) bt Wang Yilyu-Huang Dongping (Chn) 21-18, 21-18.
