Japan Open: Hoki/Kobayashi Avenge Sudirman Cup Defeat
Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi avenged a recent painful defeat as they blitzed Liu Yu Chen/Ou Xuan Yi to make the final of the DAIHATSU Japan Open 2023.
· DEV SUKUMAR
The 2021 world champions had blown four match points against the Chinese in the semifinals of the TotalEnergies BWF Sudirman Cup 2023 in May, squandering a historic opportunity to beat the powerhouses at home.
The Japanese were on fire today, piling all the pressure on Ou Xuan Yi, who appeared rattled with the Chinese slipping in the contest. Liu attempted to inspire a revival, and the Chinese saved five match points, but the effort was belated, and the delighted Japanese celebrated their entry into the final in just 37 minutes. Hoki and Kobayashi will attempt on Sunday to come the first home pair to win a Japan Open men’s doubles title in the 47-year history of the event.
They will be up against Olympic champions Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin, who are chasing their own milestone, as they are a win away from their first title after their historic triumph at Tokyo 2020.