New Pairs Set Pace – HSBC Race to Guangzhou: Doubles
Mathias Christiansen and Christinna Pedersen’s first title together – the Yonex-Sunrise Dr. Akhilesh Das Gupta India Open 2018 – saw them climb 12 places to No.4 in the HSBC Race to Guangzhou.
· DEV SUKUMAR
The Danes (featured image), who only came together as a pair last October, were in the finals of last season’s Tahoe China Open and the Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open but could not clear the last hurdle. Early this month, however, Christiansen and Pedersen were on target at the India Open, lifting the title without dropping a game. The 9,200 points they gained, after second-round finishes in Malaysia and Indonesia, brought their cumulative tally to 16,400 – 1,480 points behind leaders Goh Soon Huat/Shevon Jemie Lai.
Top-ranked Goh/Lai have emerged from the shadows of their compatriots as Malaysia’s best pair currently; successive semi-final finishes in Malaysia and Indonesia were followed by a quarter-final in India. Not far behind are Indonesia’s new combination of Praveen Jordan and Melati Daeva Oktavianti – semi-finalists in Indonesia and runners-up in India – while the third spot is occupied by China’s Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong, winners of the Daihatsu Indonesia Masters.
The big movers in Mixed Doubles are India’s Pranaav Jerry Chopra/Sikki Reddy, who climbed 34 places to No.12 following a semi-final finish on home turf. Just ahead of them are Indonesia’s new pairing of Ricky Karanda Suwardi/Debby Susanto, who climbed 12 places to No.11.