Source:REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
[Saba Sports News] Recently, the third day of competition concluded at the Hong Kong China Badminton Open, which saw a major upset in women’s doubles as world No. 1 pair Liu Shengshu/Tan Ning unexpectedly stumbled, losing 1-2 in a full three-game match after being reversed by a Japanese pair, failing to reach the quarter-finals. The “Sheng Tan” combination has become the leading pair for Chinese badminton women’s doubles; they are the new world No. 1 and are in great form this year after winning their first World Championships title. However, in the round of 16 at the Hong Kong China Badminton Open, the “Sheng Tan” pair was thwarted by Rui Hirokami/Sayaka Hobara. On the day of the match, the Chinese pair seemed slightly fatigued. Although they took the first game 21-12, they lost the next two 19-21, 16-21, ultimately losing 1-2 by reversal. Nevertheless, the loss is somewhat acceptable for the “Sheng Tan” pair. After winning the World Championships, they had already secured direct qualification for the World Tour Finals, so participating in a Super 500 level tournament was optional. Next, the “Sheng Tan” pair will have plenty of time to prepare for the higher-level China Masters next week.