World champion and top seed Chen Long of China suffered an embarassing straight set 21-19 21-16 defeat in 55 minutes at the hands of South Korean veteran Son Wan-ho in the USD 350,000 Yonex Hong Kong Open final on Sunday.
The sixth seeded Korean played a cool and calculated game to pocket USD 26,250 in prize money to end a 13-year wait for his second super series title in four finals. And it was third time lucky for the Korean who had lost to Chen Long twice this year.
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu Ying took the women’s singles title with a 21-19, 21-11 win over unseeded Nozomi Okuhara. Nozomi who stunned reigning world champion Carolina Marin of Spain the semi-finals, was a pale shadow of herself – probably affected by the strong 6.2 magnitude earthquake which struck Central Japan, including Nagano Prefecture from where she comes from.
While the 20-year Tzu Ying, a former world junior champion and reigning Malaysian Open champion, was richer by USD 26,250 by winning the Hong Kong title, Nozomi took home USD 13,300 for her efforts.
The men’s doubles title was won by Indonesia’s Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan. The second seeded Indonesians took 61 minutes against China’s Liu Xiaolong-Qiu Zihan (seeded 6th) before carving out a 21-16, 17-21, 21-15 win for the USD 27,660 prize money.
Japan’s Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi, the current world No 1 and top seeds in Hong Kong were beaten by China’s Tian Qing-Zhao Yunlei who won 21-13, 21-13 in 53 minutes in the women’s doubles final. For the reigning world and Olympic champions it was their third Super Series title this year.
In the mixed doubles top seeds and favourites Zhang Nan-ZhaoYunlei defeated compatriots Xu Chen-Ma Jin 21-14, 21-9 in an all-China final.
RESULTS (ALL FINALS)
Men’s singles
Son Wan-ho (Kor) beat Chen Long Long (Chn) 21-19, 21-16
Men’s doubles
Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan (Ina) beat Liu Xiaolong-Qiu Zihan (Chn) 21-16, 17-21, 21-15
Women’s singles
Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe) beat Nozomi Okuhara (Jpn) 21-19, 21-11
Women’s doubles
Tian Qiang-Zhao Yunlei (chn) beat Misaki Matsutomoto-Ayaka Takahashi (Jpn) 21-13, 21-13
Mixed doubles
Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) beat Xu Chen-Ma Jin (Chn) 21-14, 21-19
