PETALING JAYA: A two-year title drought is set to end for independent shuttlers Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi if their fiery form is anything to go by.
Yew Sin-Ee Yi stormed into the Australian Open final after staging a brilliant fightback to oust China’s world No. 28 He Jiting-Zhou Haodong 14-21, 21-17, 21-18 in a 72-minute semi-final match at Quay Centre in Sydney yesterday.
World No. 8 Yew Sin-Ee Yi last reached an individual tournament final and tasted success in the 2020 Thailand Masters.
They have an opportunity to end their long wait for just their second World Tour title but it will not be easy.
Standing in Yew Sin-Ee Yi’s way in the final are world No. 14 Liu Yuchen-Ou Xuanyi of China.
Yuchen-Xuanyi also had to dig deep against Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei-Yang Po-hsuan yesterday before prevailing 12-21, 23-21, 24-22 in their last-four tie.
The head-to-head record between Yew Sin-Ee Yi and the Chinese pair stand at 1-1 with the Malaysians coming out on top in their last meeting at the Denmark Open last month.
Rise to the occasion: Ong Yew Sin (front) and Teo Ee Yi will take on China’s world No. 14 Liu Yuchen-Ou Xuanyi in the Australian Open final today.
The Chinese pair, though, had beaten the Malaysians in the first round of the Indonesian Masters in June.
Yuchen-Xuanyi also captured the Indonesian Open (June) and finished runners-up in the German Open (March) and Korean Masters (April).
Doubles coach Chin Eei Hui expressed her delight after seeing Yew Sin-Ee Yi reach the final but acknowledged that her charges face another tough battle for the title today.
“They started a bit slowly in the first game but luckily, they could regain focus in the second and third games,” said Eei Hui.
“I think the match tomorrow (today) will be tough too.
‘‘It’s going to be 50-50. I hope Yew Sin-Ee Yi can win the title.’’
Capturing the title will give Yew Sin-Ee Yi a huge boost ahead of the prestigious World Tour Finals in Bangkok from Dec 7-11.
In the men’s singles, Ng Tze Yong’s hopes of reaching his first World Tour final were dashed when he went down 18-21, 15-21 to China’s Lu Guangzu.
Guangzu will take on compatriot Shi Yuqi for the title after the latter battled hard to narrowly beat Japan’s Kodai Naraoka 21-16, 16-21, 21-19 in the other semi-final match.
Men’s singles: Lu Guangzu (Chn) bt Ng Tze Yong (Mas) 21-18, 21-15; Shi Yuqi (Chn) bt Kodai Naraoka (Jpn) 21-16, 16-21, 21-19.
Men’s doubles: Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi (Mas) bt He Jiting-Zhou Haodong (Chn)14-21, 21-17, 21-18; Liu Yuchen-Ou Xuanyi (Chn) bt Lee Jhe-huei-Yang Po-hsuan (Tpe) 12-21, 23-21, 24-22.
Women’s singles: An Se-young (Kor) bt Pornpawee Chochuwong (Tha) 21-16, 21-11; Gregoria Mariska (Ina) bt Han Yue (Chn) 18-21, 21-16, 21-14.
Women’s doubles: Zhang Shuxian-Zheng Yu (Chn) bt Lee Chia Hsin-teng Chun-hsun (Tpe) 21-15, 21-17; Benyapa Aimsaard-Nuntakarn Aimsaard (Tha) bt Jeong Na-eun-Kim Hye-jeong (Kor) 21-19, 21-18.
Mixed doubles: Kim Won-ho-Jeong Na-eun (Kor) bt Dejan Ferdinansyah-Gloria Widjaja (Ina) 14-21, 21-13, 21-8; Seo Seung-jae-Chae Yu-jung (Kor) bt Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping (Chn) 22-20, 21-14.
