Home Pairs Dominate – Korea Open: Day 5
Korea’s women’s doubles pairs showed their prowess on home soil as they ensured an all-Korea face-off in the Korea Open final for the first time in over two decades at the event.
· DEV SUKUMAR
Kim So Yeong/Kong Hee Yong and Lee So Hee/Shin Seung Chan will meet in the title clash of the Korea Open 2019 tomorrow after both outplayed upcoming Japanese pairs.
Sixth seeds Lee/Shin beat Nami Matsuyama/Chiharu Shida 15-21 21-19 21-15, before Kim/Kong powered past Ayako Sakuramoto/Yukiko Takahata 21-13 13-21 21-5.
Both were long affairs, going over 70 minutes, but the conclusions were in contrast. Lee/Shin surged ahead from 17-15 in the third, while Kim/Kong decimated their opponents after Sakuramoto/Takahata had fought their way back in by taking the second game. The decider saw the Koreans pulverising their opponents with their attacking game, allowing the Japanese no leeway for a recovery.