All England title raises gold hopes for Korean pair

All England title raises gold hopes for Korean pair

Lee Yong-dae, left, and Jung Jae-sung hold their trophies after defeating Yun Cai and Haifeng Fu of China in the men’s doubles final at the All England Open Badminton Championships at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England, Sunday. With the victory, the Koreans have raised hopes for a gold medal at the London Olympics. / AFP-Yonhap By Kang Seung-woo Korean shuttlers Lee Yong-dae and Jung Jae-sung reclaimed All England Open men’s doubles title Monday (KST) four years after winning it, showing the world they could be the pair to beat at the London Olympics. In the final, Lee and Jung rallied after a close first set to defeat world No. 1 Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng of China 21-23, 21-9, 21-14 in Birmingham, England. Since its establishment in 1899, the prestigious 113-year-old tournament had been referred to as the unofficial world championships until the International Badminton Federation (IBF) introduced an official version in 1977. Four months ahead of the Summer Games, the competition featured top-echelon players trying to take advantage of it as an Olympic tune-up. Lee and Jung, ranked second in the world, lived up to expectations to face the top-seeded Cai and Fu. In lifting the trophy, the Koreans have taken a big step to becoming gold-medal favorites for London, with an 11-10 record against their Chinese rivals. Jung, who had been out with a shoulder injury for two months, showed no signs of rust, quickly gelling with Lee. It was also revenge for losses the Korean pair suffered in November in Hong Kong and in Seoul two months ago. “It is a great achievement to top the tournament featuring high-profile players ahead of the London Olympics,” Korean head coach Sung Han-kook said. “Given that Lee and Jung lost to Cai and Fu in the last two meetings, this victory will help them rebuild confidence (for the Olympics).” However, Sung said that Lee and Jung need to keep dominating opponents, taking advantage of their physical superiority. In the opening set in the championship match, despite a big lead at 9-3, the Korean duo allowed their opponents to rally to beat them. “They struggled against Cai and Fu in net play between the first and third exchanges. As Lee and Jung have a physical advantage over them, they are required to make the most of it (at the Olympics),” said the head coach. Lee and Jung will participate in a local event in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, starting on March 22.