India’s V. Diju and Jwala Gutta scored a sensational mixed doubles win yesterday over Poland’s Robert Mateusiak and Nadiezda Kostiuczyk, booking their place in the BWF World Super Series Finals.
The Indians capitalized on a below-par performance by the Polish duo in the semi-finals at the Johor Bahru City Stadium to seal their place in the final with an emphatic 21-19, 21-11 win. They will take on Denmark’s Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl in the final.
First on court, both pairs started off erratically in a match riddled with unforced errors, but the Indians settled down faster and showed greater composure, winning in 30 minutes.
PHOTO: AFP
“Nobody really gave us a chance of coming this far in the tournament, let alone qualifying for the final, but we did it,” Gutta said.
Meanwhile Fischer and Rytter Juhl were in their element, stopping England’s Anthony Clark and Donna Kellogg 21-13, 21-17.
There was more joy for the Danes in the women’s doubles when Rytter Juhl and Lena Frier Kristiansen survived a tough encounter against Taiwan’s Cheng Wen-hsing and Chien Yu-chin to win 21-17, 10-21, 21-16 and ensure their place in the final.
Showing greater hunger for victory, the Danes combined a great game of attacking and defense to nullify the attacking play from Cheng and Chien.
In the women’s singles, Malaysia’s Wong Mew Choo gave the home fans something to cheer when she beat Yao Jie of the Netherlands 21-10, 21-10 to confirm her place in the final.
Wong relied on her solid all-round game, sending Yao Jie scurrying to all four corners of the court to retrieve the shuttle. She will play the winner of the semi-final between India’s Saina Nehwal and Germany’s Juliane Schenk, which was being played late yesterday evening.
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