China defends Uber Cup title after men’s setback
Print Edition
A CHARGED-UP China defended its Uber Cup title with a 3-1 victory against Japan in yesterday’s final in New Delhi to find some solace after the same opponent had ended the badminton powerhouse’s decade-old Thomas Cup reign barely 24 hours ago.
World’s top two women players, Li Xuerui and Wang Shixian, won their singles matches in straight games before Zhao Yunlei and Wang Xiaoli joined hands to clinch the second doubles to secure the biennial women’s team championship for the 13th time.
Olympic champion Li would not concede Friday’s Thomas Cup defeat had hurt the entire contingent but world No. 2 Wang was more forthright.
“It did give us some extra motivation,” said Wang, who took 45 minutes to down Japan’s Sayaka Takahashi 21-16, 21-12 at the Siri Fort Complex.
“People are looking into China’s defeat because China does not lose that often,” the shuttler, beads of sweat all over her face and neck, said through a translator.
“We cannot be beaten easily. Four years ago in Uber Cup, China lost to S. Korea. I was in that team and I know that feeling. We were so depressed. The men’s team goes through the same but we will come back.”
World No. 1 Li gave China the perfect start with her 21-15, 21-5 victory against Japan’s No. 1 Minatsu Mitani.
Li began sluggishly, trailing 6-10 before she put her foot down and won the next 12 points to surge ahead never to look back again in the 36-minute contest.
Her dominant display made the second game a completely lop-sided contest but Li, who did not seem very happy despite receiving the Female Player of the Year award from the Badminton World Federation on Friday.
“My name is wrongly spelt on the BWF award. This is the first time I got this award and I want the right one,” she said in mock anger before a BWF official promised to fix it for her.
Japan clawed back into the contest when Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi claimed the first doubles 21-18, 21-9 before Wang put China ahead.
Zhao and Wang then sealed the tie in the second doubles match. They beat Miyuki Maeda and Reika Kakiiwa 21-13, 21-6 amidst loud celebrations in the Chinese enclosure that included men’s world champion Lin Dan,
China, which first won the Uber Cup title in 1984, has now won the championship 13 times, including eight in nine outings since 1998.
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