In men’s singles, Jan O. Jorgensen (VOLTRIC Z-FORCE II , SHBSC6iEX) faced fellow member of Team YONEX, BWF World Championships bronze medallist and last year’s runner-up Tommy Sugiarto (ARCSABER 11, SHB-87EX). While the world No. 3 Dane took some time getting used to the conditions of the venue, he managed to gain the advantage over his Indonesian opponent. As Jan gradually worked himself into his element, he rocketed up from a two-point deficit to 18-13 with seven consecutive points. The second game proved to be a more one-sided affair, with the Dane grabbing a staggering nine points in a row after being tied 5-5. The final score was 21-15, 21-9. He faces Japan’s Kento Momota (VOLTRIC Z-FORCE II) on Day 2.
Maintaining the strong Danish presence, men’s doubles pair Mathias Boe (ARCSABER 11, SHBSC6iEX)/Carsten Mogensen (ARCSABER 11, SHB87LTD) boasted dominance over Lee Sheng Mu/Tsai Chia Hsin of Chinese Taipei. Despite a tense first game for the Danish pair, the duo managed to win by a healthy margin. The second game was in the duo’s favor, refusing to drop their lead over the opposing pair. The final score was 21-16, 21-16. They face Japanese pair Hiroyuki Endo (VOLTRIC Z-FORCE II )/Kenichi Hayakawa next.
Coming off of a confident win at the recent China Open Superseries Premier, 2011 Superseries Finals runner-up Saina Nehwal (NANORAY 900) impressed in her opening match against former world No. 1 Wang Shixian. The two had been tied head-to-head at 5-5, with the two’s rivalry materializing in fierce exchanges as game 1 got underway. Saina dominated with speed, tiring out her opponent. She managed to grab 10 points in a row, jumping to an 18-10 lead; taking the first game with a comfortable four-point margin. The second game proved to be a tighter outing, with the lead bouncing between the two shuttlers. However, it was Saina that proved stronger once again, taking advantage of her opponent’s unforced errors and boasting keen performance around the net. The arena reached a fever pitch as Indian fans cheered for their national shuttler, but Chinese fans also came in with strong cheers for Saina’s opponent. Saina was un-phased and managed to force a number of errors upon her opponent. The end of the match saw Saina victorious at 21-17, 21-18. She faces Korea’s Sung Ji Hyun in day 2.
YONEX at the World Superseries Finals
As an official sponsor, the YONEX booth is out in full force at the tournament’s Hamdan Sports Complex venue. Along with the current line-up of YONEX gear, this year’s booth features an extensive display on the history of YONEX, right from the very beginning. The YONEX Stringing Team is also present, offering their high level of service and support to competitors.
BWF Destination Dubai World Superseries Finals Tournament Results
Men’s Singles (Round Robin)
Chen Long (CHN) def. Kenichi Tago (NANORAY Z-SPEED)(JPN) 21-1, 21-14
Jan O. Jorgensen (VOLTRIC Z-FORCE II , SHBSC6iEX)(DEN) def. Tommy Sugiarto (ARCSABER 11, SHB-87EX) 21-15, 21-9
K. Srikanth (IND) def. Kento Momota (VOLTRIC Z-FORCE II)(JPN) 21-15, 16-21, 10-21
Women’s Singles (Round Robin)
Saina Nehwal (NANORAY 900)(IND) def. Wang Shixian (CHN) 21-17, 21-18
Tai Tzu Ying (TPE) def. Ratchanok Intanon (VOLTRIC 70 E-tune, SHBF1NLX)(THA) 21-13, 18-21, 21-10
Akane Yamaguchi (VOLTRIC 80)(JPN) def. Wang Yihan (CHN) 21-16, 17-21, 21-15
Men’s Doubles (Round Robin)
Chai Biao/Hong Wei (CHN) def. Mohammad Ahsan (NANORAY 900, SHB87LTD)/Hendra Setiawan (NANORAY 900, SHBF1NLTD)(INA) 11-7 ret.
Hiroyuki Endo (VOLTRIC Z-FORCE II )/Kenichi Hayakawa (JPN) def. Liu Xiaolong/Qiu Zihan (CHN) 21-7, 21-12
Mathias Boe (ARCSABER 11, SHBSC6iEX)/Carsten Mogensen (ARCSABER 11, SHB87LTD) def. Lee Sheng Mu/Tsai Chia Hsin (TPE) 21-16, 21-16
Women’s Doubles (Round Robin)
Ayaka Takahashi (VOLTRIC 80)/Misaki Matsutomo (JPN) def Kamilla Rytter Juhl (NANORAY 900)/Christinna Pedersen (NANORAY 800, SHB-01LX)(DEN) 14-21, 21-16, 21-9
Reika Kakiiwa (VOLTRIC 80)/Miyuki Maeda (VOLTRIC 70 E-tune)(JPN) def. Greysia Polii (NANORAY 900)/Nitya Krishinda Maheswari 18-21, 22-20, 6-8 ret.
Mixed Doubles (Round Robin)
Ko Sung Hyun/Kim Ha Na (KOR) def. Chris Adcock (VOLTRIC Z-FORCE II, SHB01LTD)/Gabrielle Adcock (VOLTRIC Z-FORCE II , SHBSC4LX)
Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei(CHN) def. Michael Fuchs (VOLTRIC 80, SHBSC6iEX/Birgit Michels (NANORAY 700FX, SHBSC4LX) 21-18, 21-10
Christinna Pedersen (NANORAY800, SHB-01LX)/Joachim Fischer Nielsen (DEN) def. Sudket Parapakamol/Saralee Thoungthongkam (THA) 21-5, 24-22
*Photos of Mathias, Carsten and Saina taken at the 2014 YONEX French Open