All England: Fukushima/Hirota Assert Their Class
In their 21-13 21-15 vanquishing of Du Yue and Li Yin Hui in the final of the YONEX All England on Sunday, Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota made an emphatic statement – of attacking intent and ability.
· DEV SUKUMAR
Their performance was in keeping with recent trends in the discipline moving toward a more attacking style. Contrary to image, women’s doubles is no longer purely long-drawn battles of attrition testing the contestants’ consistency and endurance; the play has become sharper, and this was very much in evidence on Sunday, with Fukushima and Hirota outgunning Du and Li, another attacking pair.
Interestingly, the Japanese dropped just one game on their way to the title, against Korea’s Baek Ha Na and Jung Kyung Eun in the second round. There was no such trouble against Du and Li, as Fukushima and Hirota were too strong on every count – they defended well and attacked with verve – to be troubled for any significant period.
Hirota in particular was outstanding, with her hard smashes causing plenty of damage at the other end.