First round of the German Open 2013－Schenk shows her determination to take the title

In the first round of the German Open 2013, South Korea’s Ko Sung Hyun/Lee Yong Dae beat Dutch pair Ruud BOSCH/Koen RIDDER 21-13.21-19. Top seeded South Korean women’s singles player Sung Ji Hyun brushed Germany’s CAROLA aside with ease. Chinese Taipei’s Lee Sheng Mu/Tsai Chia Hsin took out the tournament’s fourth seeds Hashimoto/ Hirata by a wide margin and have a chance of being the tournament dark horses. In the women’s singles,Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying had a tough match against Busanan Ongbumrungpan of Thailand but was still able to proceed to the next round after taking the match two games to one.

Ko Sung Hyun/Lee Yong Dae

Fancied home player Juliane Schenk claimed an impressive win 21-16,21-8 against top South Korean player Bae Youn Joo and will play France’s IGNES WARAN in the next round. Unless there is an upset she will make it to the quarter finals.  

South Korea’s Ko Sung Hyun/Lee Yong Dae seemed to take time to get used to the court, needing more time than expected to dispose of their opponents; they will face Japan’s Takeshi KAMURA/Keigo SONODA in the last 16......Full Article

2013 German Open G.P Gold－Pre-tournament forecast

The German Open has always been seen as a skirmish before the All-England Open and many players who aim to do well at the latter tournament use the German Open as a “warm-up.” South Korea’s Ko Sung Hyun/Lee Yong Dae, Sung Ji Hyun, China’s Chen Long and Li Xue Rui, Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying, Tsai Chia Hsin/Lee Sheng Mu, Malaysia’s Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying  and the women’s singles player who the local fans have high hopes for, Juliane Schenk, will all compete in the tournament.

Ko Sung Hyun/Lee Yong Dae

With regards the South Korean team, Ko Sung-hyun/Lee Yong Dae are the top seeds and can be expected to have a smooth ride until the quarter final stage where they will face China Liu Xiao Long/Qiu Zi Han......Full Article

VICTOR sponsors Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir and many Indonesia players

After signing a contract with South Korea, one of the top teams in world badminton, on the same day, February 22, 2013, VICTOR once again showed its determination to increase its presence at the top of international badminton by signing a sponsorship contract with Indonesia’s Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir; under the contract, from the All-England Open 2013, the Indonesian pair will use VICTOR products when they play.

VICTOR is the biggest sponsor in Indonesia badminton team !!

During the signing ceremony, Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir both said that they were very pleased to sign with VICTOR and believe that it has been very professional in recent years with respect to products, marketing and player service. They have no worries at all about being managed by the VICTOR team. The pair had a very good year in 2012; in addition to taking the All-England Open Super Series Premier, Swiss Open and India Open Super Series in succession, they reached the semi-finals at the London Olympics. They believe that they will perform even better this year with the use of VICTOR products and are “ready to win.”

VICTOR General Manager Jeff Chen and Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir

As well as sponsoring Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir, VICTOR also signed sponsorship deals Indonesia’s men’s singles player Wisnu Yuli Prasetyo, women’s doubles players Meiliana Jauhari and Anggia Shita Awanda, 24 players in all, making VICTOR the Indonesian team’s biggest sponsor........Full Article

Happy Birthday to Cheng Wen Hsing

Cheng Wen Hsing is one of the top badminton player and VICTOR Star. She represented Chinese Taipei to compete in badminton at the 2012 London Olympics in women's doubles and mixed doubles. She’s famous of her great attack at net.

2/24 is her birthday, so… “Happy Birthday to Cheng Wen Hsing !”

Cheng Wen Hsing Profile

Genderl：Woman

Height：166 (cm)

Birthday：1982-02-24

Birthplace：Taiwan

Team：Taiwan

Plays：Right

Events：Women's Doubles, Mixed Doubles

Achievements

BWF World Ranking

Women's Doubles：15

Mixed Doubles：15

Woman's Doubles

12 AUSTRALIAN OPEN : RUNNER-UP

11 JAPAN SUPER SERIES：RUNNER-UP

10 HONG KONG SUPER SERIES：RUNNER-UP

10 MACAU GRAND PRIX GOLD：WINNER

10 U.S. OPEN GRAND PRIX GOLD：WINNER

Mixed doubles

12 SINGAPORE OPEN : WINNER

12 AUSTRALIAN OPEN : WINNER

11 JAPAN SUPER SERIES：WINNER

11 Hong Kong Superseries: SEMI-FINALIST

11 Macau open : RUNNER UP

VICTOR and South Korea aim to continue dominating badminton

On February 22 VICTOR and the South Korean badminton team completed the contract-extension ceremony at the country’s national training center. This means that the team’s player will use VICTOR equipment as they go into battle and slay all-comers in international badminton until 2017!

Group photo taken after the VICTOR-South Korea team contract extension ceremony

VICTOR signed a contract with the South Korean team to sponsor the team and provide all equipment in February 2009. Since being sponsored by VICTOR, the South Korean team has achieved an impressive string of results—taking second place in the Sudirman Cup in 2009, winning the Uber Cup in 2010, winning the Thomas Cup and coming second in the Uber Cup in 2012. Such excellent results have made the South Korean team fully understand the professionalism of VICTOR in the field of badminton and led to the signing of an extension to the contract, both sides hoping that the continuing cooperation between VICTOR and the South Korea team will lead to further success!

BWF rankings for early February 2013

Lee Chong Wei took his ninth successive Malaysian Open title and remains firmly at No.1 in the world rankings

Lee Chong Wei took the title at the two major tournaments in January, the Korea Open Super Series Premier and the Malaysian Open Super Series; he didn’t even come under too much pressure in either final, taking the crowns with ease. For Lee, claiming his ninth Malaysia Open men’s singles title in a row might just be the fruit of his hard work but, for his fans, he is legendary player and a world No. 1 who is incomparable.

According to the latest BWF rankings released on February 7, the top ranked players in the five disciplines are:
Men’s singles: Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia)
Women’s singles: Li Xue Rui (China)
Men’s doubles: Boe/ Mogensen (Denmark)
Women’s doubles: Tian Qing/Zhao Yun Lei (China)
Mixed doubles: Xu Chen/Ma Jin (China)

Ko Sung Hyun/Lee Yong Dae

 

Ko Sung Hyun/Lee Yong Dae took the title at the Korea Open and move into No. 3 spot in the world rankings

Offering the most prize money of any tournament this year, the Korea Open Super Series Premier attracted a host of top players, serving up a feast of high level play and intense competition for fans. Local favorites Ko Sung Hyun/Lee Yong Dae and Sung Ji Hyun didn’t let their supporters down, respectively beating world number one pair Boe/ Mogensen of Denmark and China’s Wang Shi Xian to keep the men’s doubles and women’s singles titles in South Korea.

The large number of ranking points they also bagged shot them up the rankings to third. If they do well at the German Open, All England Open Super Series and the Swiss Open, their points tally can be expected to take them close to Malaysia’s Koo Kean Keat/Tan Boon Heong......Full Article

Happy Chinese New Year !!

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VICTOR 2013 Spring/Summer Catalog

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BWF World Superseries 2014-2017 To Be ‘Better Than Ever’

(Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - Text by Gayle Alleyne | BWF)

The Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) World Superseries tour is becoming increasingly popular and successful and the upcoming third cycle will likely exceed its preceding phases.

Lee Yong Dae / Jung Jae Sung

Speaking to representatives of hosts for the 2014-2017 tournament series on Monday in Kuala Lumpur, BWF Deputy President Paisan Rangsikitpho noted there has been significant and consistent growth in key areas such as media and sponsorship revenues and broadcast viewership – both in terms of television distribution and viewership via the  BWF’s online channel (http://badmintonworld.tv).

The five top-tier World Superseries Premier tournaments – China (Guangzhou), Denmark, England, Malaysia and Indonesia – promise to be more lucrative, each with minimum prize money of US$500,000 (2014; 2015); US$550,000 (2016); and US$600,000 (2017). This is a significant boost from US$350,000 for 2011 and 2012 and US$400,000 for this year.

World Superseries – Australia, France, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea and Singapore – prize money will start at US$250,000 in 2014, rising as follows: US$275,000 (2015); US$300,000 (2016); US$325,000 (2017)......Full Article

Malaysia Open : Day 5 - Lee Chong Wei and Tai Tzu Ying take the titles

In the finals of the 2013 Malaysian Open, Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying fought off the challenge of young Chinese player Yao Xue, taking the match 21-17,21-1 and the women’s singles title. “Savior” in the eyes of the home fans, Lee Chong Wei, took his ninth Malaysian men’s singles title in a row, setting a record that is unlikely to ever be broken.

Tai Tzu Ying

In the final of the women’s singles, Tai Tzu Ying faced a dark horse, Yao Xue. In the first game, against the wind, Tai played cautiously, doing her best to avoid errors;this approach, and her excellent skills in front of the net, let her take the first game 21-17. After changing sides, Tai changed her tactics and went on the attack; this paid off as she took the second game 21;14 and with it the match, happily pocketing US$30,000 in prize money, 

After the match Tai said her victory was the result of the efficacy of her coach‘s strategy of using different tactics on different courts and breaking the opponent’s rhythm. She said she was really happy to win the title.

In the men’s doubles final, Ko Sung Hyun/Lee Yong Dae were up against Indonesia’s Ahsan/Setiawan. The Korean’s were put under pressure when serving and receiving from the start and were on the back foot throughout the match,having to defend constantly;in the end they went down in straight games 15-21,13-2, having to settle for second place.

In the mixed doubles, Denmark’s Pedersen/Nielsen shot down Goh/Chan on their home turf;Goh’s knee injury definitely was one of the main reasons the Malaysian pair lost. Despite their loss, Goh’s willingness to take to the court and put up a fight won the applause and affirmation of the audience.

Roared on by the home crowd, Lee Chong Wei put in a majestic show, crushing his Indonesian opponent Sony Kuncoro 21-7,21-8, and taking the host country’s only title. After the match Lee modestly said: “Although the score seems to show it was an easy win, it wasn’t;Sony (Kuncoro) was attacking right until the end, forcing me to lob the shuttlecock to the back of the court to give me time to predict his next move and find the space to attack.”

The understanding between China’s women’s doubles pair Tian Qing/Bao Yi Xin is getting better all the time. Although their Japanese opponents, Matsumoto/Takahashi played some good shots, the Chinese took the match in straight games.

The 2013 Malaysian Open Super Series has ended. To find out the latest badminton news and the BWF rankings keep a close eye on VICTOR’s official website at www.victorsport.com

Malaysia Open : Day 4 - Tai Tzu Ying calmly sees off the challenge of Nehwal!

In the semi-finals of the 2013 Malaysian Open, local favorite Lee Chong Wei defeated Denmark’s Jorgensen without much trouble and will play Indonesia’s Kuncoro in the final. In the women’s singles semi-finals, Tai Tzu Ying overcame a strong opponent, Saina Nehwal of India, to move one step closer to talking her first Super Series title of 2013. The men’s doubles final will be a battle between Ko Sung Hyun/Lee Yong Dae of South Korea and Indonesia’s Ahsan/Setiawan.

Tai Tzu Ying

In the semi-final of the men’s single the Danish player tried his best but could not shake Lee’s determination to take his ninth Malaysian Open title in succession; Jorgensen fought hard, managing to pull back a game after going one down, and even went into a 4-0 lead in the deciding game, however, Lee was still able to prevail 21-13,17-21,21-12. Jorgensen summed it up in the post-match press conference: “I tried my best but he was just too strong!

In the women’s singles semi-finals, Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying played outsandingly!Facing world ranked No.2 Saina Nehwal of India, Tai took the initiative more than in her quarter-final match. Although Nehwal’s control of tactics was more mature, Tai’s skills in front of the net and speed around the court gave her the upper hand; Nehwal’s morale was also sapped by several instinctive saves by Tai; the second game was basically controlled by Tai and she triumphed in straight games 22-20,21-14. Tai will face new Chinese star Yao Xue in the final and attempt to claim her first super series title of the year.

With regards to the South Korean team, Ko Sung Hyun/Lee Yong Dae were unstoppable again. Facing local pair Goh/Lim, the Koreans kept their opponents constantly under pressure. The game was probably a disappointing one for the home spectators. The home pair started off well in the first game, but Ko/Lee were able to take the match quite easily in two games. In the final they will face Ahsan/Setiawan of Indonesia and seem well set to claim their fifth title in succession.

The 2012 Malaysian Open is nearing its close. To find out the details of the exciting finals and who the title winners are, keep a close eye on VICTOR’s official website at www.victorsport.com

Malaysia Open : Day 3 -Child’s play for Lee Chong We, Ko Sung Hyun/Lee Yong Dae as they stroll into the semifinals

In the quarter finals of the 2013 Korean Open Lee Chong Wei brushed aside Hu Yun 21-12, 21-9 to move into the semi-finals where he will face Denmark’s Jan O Jorgensen. Lee has claimed the Malaysian Open men’s singles title eight times since 2004 and will set a new record if he can claim it the ninth time in succession.

lee yong dae/ko sung hyun

As expected, the home team’s top men’s mixed doubles pair Chan Peng Soon/Goh Liu YIng beat their team mates in straight games to go through and they will play Poland’s Robert Mateusiak/Nadiezda Zieba in the semi-finals.

As for the South Korean team, Ko Sung Hyun/Lee Yong Dae put on a master class as they crushed the fourth seeds, Hashimoto/Hirata of Japan, 21:14, 21:7, moving closer towards achieving their goal of a fifth straight tournament win. After putting her teammate, Sung Ji Hyun, to the sword, Bae Yeon Ju continued to play well and knocked out Japan’s Mitani Mitatsu in the quarter finals in two games; in the next round she will face China’s new star Xiu Yao Xue.

Chinese Taipei’s young hope in the women’s singles, Tai Tzu Ying, faced Tine Baun, a Danish player much taller than her. Tai played calmly throughout the match and, after a fierce battle lasting 43 minutes, won in two games, 22-20,21-15, to go into the semis where she will play India’s Saina Nehwal; the pair have met five times before and Tai has lost four times, these past results seeming to make her the underdog; however, last week’s Korean Open performance showed that Nehwal isn’t playing well at present; if Tai can attack at every opportunity the result is by no means a foregone conclusion.

The 2013 Malaysian Open has reached the semi-final stage. To find out if Ko Sung Hyun/Lee Yong Dae can claim another title, keep a close eye on VICTOR’s official website at www.victorsport.com

Malaysia Open : Day 2 - Tan Boon Heong pulls out with a high fever leaving the home team struggling

The 2013 Malaysian Open reached the last 16 stage yesterday (Jan.17). With regards to the home team, Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong had to withdraw from the match after Tan suffered a high fever, allowing their teammates Goh/Lim to go through without playing a shot; their opponents in the next round will the South Korean pair, Kang/Lee who disposed of the fifth seeds Hoon Thien How/Wee Kiong Tan in the last 16.

Lee Yong Dae/Ko Sung Hyun

As for the Koreans, Bae Yeon Ju caused an upset by knocking out her teammate Sung Ji Hyun in straight games, 21-17,22-20, putting an end to her result period of poor results; she will play Japan’s Mitani in the next round, a player who has been on good form recently.Top men’s doubles pair Ko Sung Hyun/Lee Yong Dae once again showed how formidable they are, easily taking out Thai pair Patiphat Chalardchaleam/Nipitphon Puangpuapech in straight games, 21-14,21-13. They will play the 4th seeds, Japan’s Hashimoto/Hirata in the quarter final.

Tai Tzu Ying to play BaunYoung Chinese Taipei female talent “Little Tzu” is playing outstandingly again at the Malaysian Open. In the last 16 she faced Hong Kong’s Chan Tsz ka and played brilliantly throughout the match, taking it 21:17, 21:13 in just 27 minutes. She will face Baun, “Denmark’s “goddess of war” in the quarter finals; judging from past results of matches between the two they are evenly matched; in each of the three matches they have played three games have been required to decide the winner each time. Tai Tzu Ying will have to be at the top of her game to overcome Baun.

The Malaysian Open has reached the quarter final stage. Can Tai Tzu Ying defeat a player she calls “a female giant”? Keep a close eye on VICTOR’s official website www.victorsport.com

Malaysia Open : Day 1 - Ko Sung Hyun/Lee Yong dae cruise through to the next round

The 2013 Malaysian Open Super series has begun; with regards to South Korean payers, Ko Sung Hyun/Lee Yong Dae, who are looking for their fifth tournament win in succession, made it though the first round almost without breaking a sweat, brushing aside their opponents 21-17, 21-7; they will play Thailand’s PATIPHAT/NIPITPHON in the next round and can be expected to go through to the quarter finals with relative ease. Sung Ji Hyun beat a stubborn opponent, Malaysia’s CHEAH Lydia Li Ya, 21-19,21-18, and will play teammate Bae Joun Yoo in the next round.

Lee Yong Dae/Ko Sung Hyun

6th seed, Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying, faced Ireland’s Magee in the first round. The Irish player staged a comeback in the second game but Tai still took the match in straight games, 21-15, 23-21, to go through to the second round;in the next round she will play Hong Kong’s Chan Tsz Ka;in five past meetings Tai has won every time so definitely has the upper hand;as long as she plays to her normal level she has a very good chance of going through to the quarter finals.

In other matches, Indonesia’s veteran Taufik knocked out 3rd seed, Vietnam’s Nguyễn Tiến Minh, 10-21,21-7,21-9; India’s top female singles player Saina Nehwal, took out Singapore’s Gu Juan in straight game, 21-12,21-15, and will face one of Hong Kong’s top singles players, Yip Pui Yin, in the next round.

The 2013 Malaysian Open has reached the quarter final stage. To find out if Ko/Lee can claim another title and the latest news about how players from each country have fared, keep a close eye on VICTOR's official website www.victorsport.com

Forecast for the Malaysia Open Super series

The 2013 Malaysia Open is set to begin on January 16th. With regards to South Korean players, Sung Ji Hyun can be expected to cruise through the first round as she prepares to claim another title; she will probably play her teammate Bae Youn Joo in the last 16.

Cheng Wen Hsing/Hsieh Pei Chen

In the men’s doubles, Ko Sung Hyun/Lee Yong Dae have a relatively easy path ahead of them and won’t meet any seeded opposition if they proceed,as expected, smoothly through the rounds; however, if they reach the semi-finals they will face Malaysia’s top men’s doubles pair, Tan Boon Heong/Koo Kien Keat.

Chinese Taipei are represented by women’s singles player Tai Tzu Ying, Chou Tien Chen in the men’s singles and Cheng Wen Hsing/Hsieh Pei Chen in the women’s doubles. Chou and Cheng/Hsieh will face seeded players in the first round and are in for a tough battle.

Chou Tien-chen will play well-known Danish player Jorgensen;the two met in 2009, with Chou losing in straight games;can he take revenge four years on? Let’s wait and see. As for Tai Tzu Ying, if she plays to her normal standard she will go through and play Denmark's “badminton queen,” Baun in the quarter finals.Cheng/Hsieh are still getting used to playing with each other and have been encouraged by their coach to take part in tournaments to speed up the process of familiarization.

The 2013 Malaysia Open is about to start. For the latest tournament information please keep a close eye on VICTOR’s official website at www.victorsport.com

Lee Yong Dae/Ko Sung Hyun Take Their Fourth Title in Succession!

At the 2013 VICTOR Korean Open Super Series Premier, South Korea’s Ko Jun Hyun/Lee Yong Dae beat Denmark’s BOE/MOGENSEN to take their fourth title in a row. Their female compatriot Sung Ji Hyun beat China’s Wang Shi Xian in straight games to claim a second title for the home team.

Lee Yong Dae/Ko Sung Hyun

In the men’s doubles final Ko/Lee faced the diverse attacking play of the Danes; the South Koreans made quite a few errors in the first game, going down 19:21. In the second game there were fierce to and fro exchanges from the middle of the court as the two pairs presented a high class match for the audience to savor. Ko/Lee successively defended against the Danes’ attacks and took back the initiative, taking the second game 21:13 to level the match. In the deciding game, Ko/Lee really found their groove while the Danes gradually lost their rhythm, Ko/Lee taking the game with relative ease, the score 21:10, to take the match and their fourth title in succession, an impressive feat indeed.

After the match, Lee said they faced a lot of pressure before the match and he and his partner are really pleased to have been able to win the title in front of a home crowd. Their serving and receiving was done quite well today he said, and this was the key to their victory. Ko said that he is, of course, really pleased to have won four titles in a row but he will celebrate for just one day as the next day they will fly to Malaysia for the Malaysian Open Super Series where they hope their winning streak can continue!

Sung Ji Hyun finds self-confidence in victory

In the final of the women’s singles Sung Ji Hyun faced one of China’s top players, Wang Shi Xian. At the 2010 final Sung was beaten by Wang 10-21, 23-25 and was determined not to be defeated again. At the start of the match, Wang stormed into a 6:2 lead but Sung kept her head and put the pre-match strategy of putting her opponent under pressure at the back of the court to exploit Wang’s relative attacking weakness into practice; this strategy was intended to, on the one hand, lower the quality of her opponent’s returns and, on the other, create attacking opportunities for herself. In the end Sung took the match 21:12, 22:20, taking revenge for the loss in 2010.

Sung Ji Hyun

After the match, Sung's coach Chen Gang said that they had focused on a few of Wang’s weak points before the match; Sung had thoroughly implemented their strategy so that Wang’s attacking threat was successfully neutralized and this was the key to Sung’s win; he also said that this match could be a breakthrough point for Sung as she found self-confidence in this match; he expressed the hope that she can put up another outstanding performance at the Malaysian Open to prove that she is a world-class player.

Winners of 2013 VICTOR KOREA OPEN

MS

1	[MAS] Lee Chong Wei
2	[CHN] Du Pengyu
3/4	[HKG] Wong Wing Ki
3/4	[INA] Kuncoro Sony Dwi

MD

1	[KOR] Ko Sung Hyun / Lee Yong Dae
2	[DEN] Boe Mathias / Mogensen Carsten
3/4	[CHN] Hong Wei / Shen Ye
3/4	[MAS] Koo Kien Keat / Tan Boon Heong

WS

1	[KOR] Sung Ji Hyun
2	[CHN] Wang Shixian
3/4	[CHN] Han Li
3/4	[JPN] Mitani Minatsu

WD

1	[CHN] Wang Xiaoli / Yu Yang (F)
2	[CHN] Ma Jin / Tang Jinhua
3/4	[KOR] Jung Kyung Eun / Kim Ha Na
3/4	[DEN] Pedersen Christinna / Rytter Juhl Kamilla

XD

1	[CHN] Zhang Nan / Zhao Yunlei
2	[CHN] Xu Chen / Ma Jin
3/4	[THA] Prapakamol Sudket / Thoungthongkam Saralee
3/4	[DEN] Nielsen Joachim Fischer / Pedersen Christinna

In other disciplines, China’s Yu Yang/Wang Xiao Li beat their teammates Ma Jin/Tang Jin Hua 21-17,21-13 in the women’s doubles;in the mixed doubles, Zhang Nan/Zhao Yun Lei came from behind to beat Xu Chen/Ma Jin 13-21,21-16,21-13;in the men’s singles, Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei beat China’s Du Peng Yu 21-12,21-15 to take the title.

The 2013 VICTOR Korean Open Super Series Premier has come to an end and the next stop is the Malaysian Open Super Series (Jan.15-20). To find out the latest tournament news keep a close eye on the VICTOR official website at www.victorsport.com.tw

Semi Finals of the 2013 VICTOR KOREA OPEN

Next Stop, the Champion!

In the Semi-finals of the 2013 VICTOR Korean Open Super Series Premier, Ko Sung Hyun/Lee Yong Dae defeated the top MD partner Koo Kien Keat/ Tan Boon Heong aside 21-17、21-11. They will play with the NO.1 seed Boe Mathias / Mogensen Carsten. Lee/Ko must use their speed to operate the net’s, then catch the chance to attack!

In the women’s singles, Sung Ji Hyun beated the China’s Han Li, taking the match 21:14, 21:17 to successfully reach the finals. She will play China’s Wang Shixian in the finals. Sung Ji Hyun said that she will try her best to win the Champion for KOREA.

Lee Yong Dae

Quarter Finals of the 2013 VICTOR KOREA OPEN

Ko Sung Hyun/Lee Yong Dae take an easy victory and proceed to the semi-finals of the VICTOR Korean Open

In the quarter finals of the 2013 VICTOR Korean Open Super Series Premier fancied local boys Ko Sung Hyun/Lee Yong Dae didn’t let down the home fans, brushing Goh V Shem/ Lim Khim Wah of Malaysia aside 21:16,21:10 in the men’s doubles. Women’s singles player Sung Ji Hyun showed that recent hard practice has paid off, taking just 30 minutes to send Thailand’s Porntip Buranaprasertsuk packing in straight games and go into the semi-finals.

Ko Sung Hyun

The Malaysians Goh/Lim tried to pin down Ko/Lee by attacking constantly but the excellent defensive play of the Koreans caused their opponents to use up a large amount of energy, allowing the Korean pair to take the match with relative ease, 21:16, 21:10.

After the match, the Korean coach said that Ko is faster around the court than Lee’s previous partner Jung Jae Sung and is not far behind him in terms of power, however, his play is bit inconsistent and easily ebbs and flows with his changing moods;if this weakness can be overcome this pair will be able to achieve an even higher level he said.

In the women’s singles, Sung Ji Hyun came up against a tough opponent, Thailand’s Porntip Buranaprasertsuk, however, Sung remained calmed and showed the bearing of a top player. Using a strategy of dropping the shuttlecock in the four corners and many wrist changes she kept her opponent running all around the court and took the match with ease 21:11, 21:7. She will play China’s Han Li in the semi-finals.

In the women’s doubles, Jung Kyung Eun /Kim Ha Neul faced one if China’s top pairs, Tian Qing/Bao Yi Xin; roared on by the home crowd, they overcame the challenge with an outstanding performance, taking the match 21:11, 21:18 to successfully reach the semis.

The 2013 VICTOR Korean Open Super Series Premier has now reached the semi-final stage; for up to date tournament news please keep a close eye on VICTOR’s official website at www.victorsport.com