Culture - Sports

Badminton: Back-to-back win for Minh at Vietnam Open

Vietnam ’s top male badminton player Nguyen Tien Minh won his second Vietnam Open title after defeating Malaysian fourth seed Chong Wei Feng in the men’s singles final in Ho Chi Minh City on October 11.
Vietnam ’s top male badminton player Nguyen Tien Minh wonhis second Vietnam Open title after defeating Malaysian fourth seedChong Wei Feng in the men’s singles final in Ho Chi Minh City onOctober 11.

This victory is the culmination of atriumphant year for the world No. 7, who won the SCG Thailand OpenGrand Prix Gold 2009 in July and the Yonex Chinese Taipei Grand Prix2009 Gold in August.

It is also Minh’s seventh international title. Previous wins includethe Malaysia Satellite in 2004, the Vietnam Satellite in 2006 and in2008 and the Vietnam Open in 2008.

The 26-year-old had to fight hard against the world No. 58, whom he beat 21-7, 19-21, 21-14 in 55 minutes.

Minh will next compete in the Hong Kong Super Series, after which hewill play in the 25 th SEA Games in Laos next December.

Fifth-seeded Fransisca Ratnasari of Indonesia defeated Chinese Taipeigiant killer Tzu Ying Tai in the women’s singles final in three sets –21-19, 15-21, 21-13 – to take the title.

In the men’s doubles, Indonesian seventh seeds world No. 57 LulukHadiyanto and Joko Riyadi clinched the title by defeating Malaysiansixth seeds Thien How Hoon and Soon Hock Ong 21-19, 22-20.

Indonesian top seeds Anneke Feinya Augustine and Annisa Wahyuni easilybeat Savitree Amitrapai and Vacharaporn Munkit of Thailand 21-14, 21-13to take the women’s doubles title.

This year’s tournament did not go according to script, with a number of big names being ousted.

Second seed Andre Kurniawan Tedjono, a semi-finalist last year andfinalist in 2007, failed to make it into the quarter-finals after beingdowned by compatriot eighth seed Tommy Sugiarto, while Indonesian thirdseed Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka exited in the third round after losing tocompatriot Andreas Adityawarnman.

Women’s singles defending champion and second seed Zhang Beiwen ofSingapore was ousted by fifth seed Fransisca Ratnasari of Indonesia inthe quarter-finals, while Indonesian top seed Maria Febe Kusumastutiwas surprisingly eliminated by Chinese Taipei non-seed Tzu Ying Tai.

Defending champions and top seeds Choong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah, whowere once the world No 1, suffered a shock defeat at the hands ofseventh seeds Luluk Hadiyanto and Joko Riyadi. The Indonesian duoneeded just 30 minutes to see off Lee and Choong 21-17, 22-10 in thesemi-final./.
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