Good day for Japan badminton with three pairs making the finals in Japan Open
Japan's hopes of seeing their newly crowned world champion Nozomi Okuhara playing in the USD325,000 Daihatsu Yonex Japan Open final did not materialise when she was forced to concede a walkover to Spain's Carolina Marin in the women's singles semi-final on Saturday.
The Spaniard earned a free ride into Sunday's title match - thanks to a knee injury to Okuhara - and will face defending champion He Bingjiao who ousted her compatriot Chen Yufei 21-14, 25-23 in a 53-minute match.
Still there will be plenty for Japanese supporters to cheer for in the finals with three pairs featuring in the men's and women's doubles and the mixed doubles.
Japan's Olympic champions and world No 1 women's doubles pair of Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi get the chance to regain their home title they last won in 2016. The top seeds defeated teammates Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota 21-11, 21-15.
The Japanese will take on Korea's Kim Ha-na-Kong Hee-yong in the final. The Koreans denied an all-Japan final when stopped Naoko Fukuman-Kurumi Yonao 21-19, 21-11.
In the men's singles defending champion Lee Chong Wei is in line for his seventh Japan Open title after demolishing China's Shi Yuqi 21-19, 21-8 in 39 minutes. It was an inspiring performance from the Malaysian who had somewhat struggled in his earlier matches.
Chong Wei, who was knocked in the first round in last month's World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, will face newly crowned world champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark. The Dane ousted world number one and top seed Son Wan-ho 21-16, 21-16 in 46 minutes.
The home fans will also be rooting for Takuto Inoue-Yuki Kaneko in the men's doubles final. The Japanese pair made the final with a hard fought 12-21, 21-18, 21-19 win over Russians Vladimir Ivanov-Ivan Sozonov in a 65 minute battle.
Their opponents in the final are Indonesians Marcus Fernaldi Gideon-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo who dumped last week's Korea Open champions Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen 21-15, 21-14. And victory for the Indonesian was sweet revenge for they had lost to the Danes in the Korea Open final.
The third Japanese pair to feature in Sunday's final will be in the mixed doubles. Takuro Hoki-Sayaka Hirota made the final after knocking out India's Pranaav Jerry Chopra-N. Sikki Reddy 14-21, 21-15, 21-19. They will face Wang Yilyu-Huang Dongping for the title. The Chinese upset fourth seeds Praveen Jordan-Debby Susanto 21-14, 21-19.
RESULTS
(All Semi-Finals)
Men's singles
Lee Chong Wei (Mas) beat Shi Yuqi (Chn) 21-19, 21-8
Viktor Axelsen (Den) beat Son Won-ho (Kor) 21-16, 21-16
Men's doubles
Takuto Inoue-Yuki Kaneoko (Jpn) beat Vladimir Ivanov-Ivan Sozonov (Rus) 12-21, 21-18, 21-19
Marcus Fernaldi Gideon-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (Ina) beat Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen (Den) 21-15, 21-14
Women's singles
Carolina Marin (Spn) w/o Nozomi Okuhara (Jpn)
He Binjiao (Chn) beat Chen Yufei (Chn) 21-14, 25-23
Women's doubles
Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi (Jpn) beat Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota (Jpn) 21-11, 21-15
Kim Ha-na-Kong Hee-yong (Kor) beat Naoko Fukuman-Kurumi Yonao (Jpn) 21-19, 21-11
Mixed doubles
Takuro Hoki-Sayaka Hirota (Jpn) beat Pranaav Jerry Chopra-N. Sikki Reddy (Ind) 14-21, 21-15, 21-19
Wang Yilyu-Huang Dongping (Chn) beat Praveen Jordan-Debby Susanto (Ina) 21-14, 21-19
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