Kim/Kong Outplay Compatriots – Korea Open: Finals
Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong prevailed in a match of fluctuating fortunes to win the Korea Open 2019, outwitting compatriots Lee So Hee and Shin Seung Chan 13-21 21-19 21-17 in the women’s doubles final.
· DEV SUKUMAR
The title was their fourth this year from six finals and won them bragging rights over their higher-ranked teammates.
It required tenacity from the eighth seeds as they trailed all the way in the second game after losing the first. Having overhauled their compatriots late to force a decider, fortunes reversed in the third, and it was Lee and Shin who pulled themselves level at 17-all from a deficit of 7-13.
Sensing blood and closing in for the kill, their eagerness let them down. Shin blew a straightforward kill and Lee overhit a smash on the next shot, destroying their momentum, and giving Kim and Kong enough of a cushion to make it safely home.