In-form: Taiwan’s Lee Yang (left) and Wang Chi-lin in action against Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto during the Japan Open semi-final match in Tokyo. — AFP
PETALING JAYA: Taiwan’s Lee Yang-Wang Chi-lin finally showed some of the form that won them the 2020 Olympics title when they stormed into the Japan Open final yesterday.
Lee Yang-Chi-lin had struggled to hit similar heights after their historic gold medal win but rose to the occasion to stun Indonesia’s world No. 1 Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto 21-19, 21-10 in the last four at the Yoyogi Gymnasium in Tokyo yesterday.
It will be the world No. 18 pair’s first final since finishing runners up in their home Open in July last year.
Lee Yang-Chi-lin will be out to capture their first title since winning the Olympics gold medal.
Standing in their way in the final today are home favourites and 2021 world champions Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi.
The world No. 5 Japanese pair claimed a superb 21-10, 21-15 win over China’s world No. 7 Liu Yuchen-Ou Xuanyi in the other semi-final, much to the delight of the home fans.
Based on their head-to-head record, Lee Yang-Chi-lin have the advantage over Hoki-Kobayashi as they have beaten the latter thrice in their four meetings in international tournaments with their latest win coming in the Malaysian Open in January.
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie reached his second World Tour final of the year after a hard fought 21-15, 13-21, 21-16 victory over India’s Lakshya Sen.
World No. 9 Jonatan, who had captured the Indonesian Masters title in January, has a tough task against Denmark’s world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen in the final.
Axelsen was in imperious form in his last-four match against homester Kodai Naraoka, winning 21-11, 21-11.
In the women’s singles, in-form South Korean An Se-young will play China’s world No. 5 He Bingjiao for the title.
Se-young, who is set to move up to world No. 1 for the first time next week, secured a commanding 21-17, 21-12 win over Taiwan’s world No. 4 Tai Tzu-ying.
Bingjiao had a tougher time but managed to come from behind to overcome Indonesia’s world No. 8 Gregoria Mariska 13-21, 21-19, 21-9.
SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
Men’s singles: Viktor Axelsen (Den) bt Kodai Naraoka (Jpn) 21-11, 21-11; Jonatan Christie (Ina) bt Lakshya Sen (Ind) 21-15, 13-21, 21-16.
Men’s doubles: Lee Yang-Wang Chi-lin (Tpe) bt Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto (Ina) 21-19, 21-10; Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi (Jpn) bt Liu Yuchen-Ou Xuanyi (Chn) 21-10, 21-15.
Women’s singles: An Se-young (Kor) bt Tai Tzu-ying (Tpe) 21-17, 21-12; He Bingjiao (Chn) bt Gregoria Mariska (Ina) 13-21, 21-19, 21-9.
Women’s doubles: Chen Qingchen-Jia Yifan (Chn) bt Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota (Jpn) 21-19, 21-18; Kim So-yeong-Kong Hee-yong (Kor) bt Mayu Matsumoto-Wakana Nagahara (Jpn) 14-21, 21-13, 21-10.
Mixed doubles: Yuta Watanabe-Arisa Higashino (Jpn) bt Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong (Chn) 21-18, 21-17; Dechapol Puavaranukroh- Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Tha) bt Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping (Chn) 21-10, 19-21, 21-19.
