Lee/Kim Back on the Big Stage – Malaysia Masters: Day 5
Lee Yong Dae and Kim Gi Jung revived memories of their golden years as they made their first top-tier final since starting their second innings as a pair.
· DEV SUKUMAR
The Koreans, who had both won Superseries with different partners before easing off the circuit for a while in the aftermath of the Rio Olympics, achieved their best result since pairing up in 2018 by beating fifth seeds Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto in the semifinals of the PERODUA Malaysia Masters 2020 today.
Having lost the first, they trailed all through the second game before catching up at the end. With their strong defence and control of the front court, they were able to control the tempo of the decider, pulling ahead 14-21 21-19 21-15.
“It’s great to get back into the final of a Super 500 event,” said Lee Yong Dae, who had retired in 2016, only to come back in 2018. The two titles Lee and Kim won that year were the Macau Open and Barcelona Spain Masters, both Super 300 events.