World Superseries Finals: Tai Topples Sung, Lee/Yoo Wins Again

2014-12-21

2014 BWF Destination Dubai World Superseries Finals | December 17-21 | Dubai, the United Arab Emirates

Final day notes & results
It was an all-VICTOR final in Women’s Singles in Dubai’s year-end Superseries Finals. Tai Tzu Ying made it one step further than a runner-up finish last year to win first Superseries Finals title for Taiwan. Sung Ji Hyun also made another Korea’s first with the final showing. Here’s the final results:
  Event WINNER Scores RUNNER-UP
  MS Chen Long CHN 21-16, 21-10 DEN Hans-Kristian Vittinghus  
  WS Tai Tzu Ying TPE 21-17, 21-12 KOR Sung Ji Hyun  
  MD Lee Yong Dae KOR
Yoo Yeon Seong KOR
19-21, 21-19, 21-16 CHN Chai Biao
CHN Hong Wei
 
  WD Misaki Matsutomo JPN
Ayaka Takahashi JPN
21-17, 21-14 CHN Tian Qing
CHN Zhao Yunlei
 
  XD
Zhang Nan  CHN
Zhao Yunlei CHN
21-15, 21-12 CHN Liu Cheng
CHN Bao Yixin
 
 

"Victory Number": 3
Tai Tzu Ying, following her victory in Hong Kong Open Superseries, conjured up a match of her life in a near-perfect display to upset Sung for first Superseries Finals win. This is the 3rd time a Taiwanese player/team takes a prize in the year-end showdown after Cheng/Chien winning bronze medals in Women’s Doubles in 2009-2010.
 
Tai Tzu Ying, Sung Ji Hyun, Superseries Finals
Tai (right) was crowned the Superseries Finals champion, winning in straight games over Sung.

Player of the week
Lee Yong Dae, after his last Superseries Finals victory with Jung Jae Sung back in 2009, finished 2015 on a high with the crown with his World No.1 partner Yoo Yeon Seong. The pair was tested on Sunday in phases by Chinese duo Chai/Hong but ran away in the decider with an impressive 10-0 charge.
 
Lee Yong Dae, Yoo Yeon Seong, Superseries Finals
World No.1 Lee Yong Dae (right) and Yoo Yeon Seong finish the season on a high. © Badmintonphoto

Battle of the week
Japanese Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi gave China their first defeat in a major final in Women’s Doubles for over a year with a straight-game win over Tian Qing/Zhao Yunlei. The match was highlighted by a 130-stroke rally that saw the Japanese displaying stern defense and patience to shift the momentum.

VICTOR STAR of the week: Tai Tzu Ying
Tai built a 7-1 lead to open the final against Sung and had not face any trouble as she would expect from the familiar opponent till match point. Tai, with her signature crafty hands, allowed Sung few attacking options from the first point on and never trailed behind throughout. It was Tai’s fourth major triumph of career.
 
Superseries Finals, Tai Tzu Ying
Tai Tzu Ying  becomes the first Taiwanese to win in the year-end event.
 
Tai Tzu Ying, Superseries Finals
It is Tai’s fourth major triumph of career, and second in a row after Hong Kong Open.
 
 

( Edit by VICTOR Badminton )