South Korea to challenge China in Uber Cup final<\/p>\n
Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Guangzhou, China<\/p>\n
Host and defending champion China cleared its path to the final
\nstage of the women's team Uber Cup after defeating Hong Kong with
\na clean sweep victory of 3-0 in a one-sided match at Guangzhou's
\nTianhe Sports Center on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
South Korea also cruised to the final after a more lively
\nmatch against the new powerhouse the Netherlands through a hard-
\nfought 3-2 win. The final is on Saturday evening.<\/p>\n
Chinese first singles Zhou Mi defeated former compatriot Wang
\nChen 7-0, 7-2, 7-5 at the first match.<\/p>\n
Gong Ruina also won her match against Ling Wan Ting. But the
\nHong Kong-based shuttler managed to take the third game before
\nsquandering 7-0, 7-0, 4-7, 7-1 to set the score 2-0 for China
\nafter the second match.<\/p>\n
China sealed its victory when third singles Dai Yun beat
\nLouisa Wai Chee Koon 7-2, 7-0, 7-2.<\/p>\n
The early victory meant that the remaining two doubles matches
\nbetween Gao Ling and Huang Sui against Li Wing Mui and Ling and
\nbetween Yang Wei and Huang Nanyan versus Koon and Wang Chen did
\nnot have to be played.<\/p>\n
South Korea overcame its early jinx before beating the
\nNetherlands at the first semifinals match earlier in the day.<\/p>\n
First singles Mia Audian Tjiptawan fought from behind before
\nbeating Kim Kyeung-ran 2-3.<\/p>\n
Mia, who was part of the Indonesian Uber Cup team three times
\nin 1994 until 1998, lost the first two games 4-7, 5-7.<\/p>\n
Indonesian-born Mia got her second wind to win the remaining
\nthree games convincingly 7-3, 7-0, 7-0.<\/p>\n
South Korea equalized the point 1-1 when Lee Kyung-won
\ndefeated Judith Meulendijks in the second match 3-1. Lee won the
\nfirst game 7-2 but lost the second 2-7 when Meulendijks held her
\nground with accurate drives and shot placements. Lee then took
\nthe commanding lead and quickened the players' pace to win 7-2,
\n7-3.<\/p>\n
The Dutch chalked up another lead when the second doubles of
\nMia and Lotte Jonathans defeated Ra Kyung-min and Kim Kyeung-ran
\n3-1 in the third match.<\/p>\n
Mia and Jonathans took the first lead by winning 7-3, 7-5 but
\nfailed to win it in a straight set as the Koreans took the third
\ngame 8-6. The Dutch team secured a 2-1 lead with a 7-5 win.<\/p>\n
Third singles Kwon Hee-sook defeated Brenda Beenhakker to
\nlevel the tie 2-2 at the fourth match with a 3-1 win.<\/p>\n
Kwon won the first two games 7-5, 7-4 but gave the third 4-7
\nto Beenhakker. Kwon prolonged Korea's chances for semifinals with
\na 7-3 win in the fourth game.<\/p>\n
In the decider, Lee Hyo-jung and Hwang Yu-mi crushed the
\nDutchwomen's dream for their first ever appearance at the final
\nstage of the Uber Cup by outclassing Meulendijks and Karina de
\nWit 7-5, 7-0, 8-6.<\/p>\n
South Korean manager Kim Dong-soo said he was under amazing
\npressure as their hopes to get the points from the first singles
\nand second doubles matches were dashed when the Netherlands kept
\nthe points.<\/p>\n
\"We luckily had better shuttlers in the other three matches
\nand managed to win the semifinals.\"<\/p>\n
\"As for the final match, China has a better chance to win and
\ndefend the Uber Cup,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Martin van Doormollen said he was pleased with the
\nDutch team although it failed to reach the final stage.<\/p>\n
\"It is such an honor for a little country to reach the
\nsemifinals stage of such a big event,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Thursday will see the first semifinals match of the men's team
\nin the Thomas Cup between host China and Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Defending champion Indonesia is set to face Denmark at the
\nsecond semifinals on Friday. Indonesia is aiming to make history
\nby holding the coveted Thomas Cup for five times consecutively.<\/p>\n
Private television channel Trans TV will air both the Thomas
\nCup semifinals matches at 6:30 p.m. Jakarta time.<\/p>",
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