Chinese netters reign supreme

China re-staked its claim to badminton supremacy in the region as it ruled three of the five finals matches, including a sweep of the singles events, at the close of the $150,000 JVC Asian Badminton Championships at the Philsports Arena yesterday.

Zhang Ning, a tall, sprightly lass from Liao Ning who won the recent Singapore Open, sparked the Chinese romp with a surprising 11-1, 11-3 win over top seed Wang Chen of Hong Kong, whom the third-ranked player caught in her worst form following a series of emphatic victories in the elims up to the semis.

"We used to be playing partners on China’s national team so I am familiar with her (Wang’s) style. Her being seeded higher than I did not bother me at all," said the 20-year-old Zhang, who pounced on Wang’s lackluster, if lethargic game to fashion out the one-sided, 30-minute victory worth $7,500.

Wang settled for $4,700.

Xia Xuan Ze delivered the second crown for China as he foiled compatriot Lin Dan’s bid to cap his run of upset victories as the third seeded bet scored a 15-10, 15-9 victory in the men’s singles.

Xia, ranked No. 3 here, overcame a poor start as he battled back from a 2-9 deficit to seize a 13-10 lead although he had to endure the pressure from Taufik Hidayat’s tormentor before pounding out the victory in the opener.

The second game, however, proved to be Xia’s show as he rattled off winners after winners, throwing Lin on the defensive and then coasting to the victory worth $11,000 in the event sponsored by Japanese electronic giant JVC and organized by IMG, the Philippine Badminton Association in coordination with the Asian Badminton Confederation.

Then the world-rated ladies doubles tandem of Gao Ling and Huang Sui stopped the Indon pair of Deyana Lomban and Vita Marissa, fighting back from a 12-15 loss in the first game by winning the last two in overpowering fashion, 15-4, 15-6.

Gao and Ling blew a 6-1 lead in the opener and cracked up in the face of the big surge by the Indons, whose tenacious play and gallant stand drew cheers from the big Sunday crowd.

But after stealing the game, highlighted by a long exchange of rallies, Lomban and Marissa succumbed to Gao and Ling’s power game as the Chinese duo piled up points after points through smashes, kills and unforced errors.

They won the top purse of $7,500 while the Indons brought home $5,000 on top of earning the respect and admiration of the local crowd.

But Indonesia took the biggest purse of $13,000 staked in the event as the tandem of Bambang Suprianto and Trikus Haryanto won the men’s doubles by beating the pair of Tony Gunawan and Chandra Wijaya, 8-15, 15-13, 15-13.

Korea made the most of its lone stint in the finals as the world-rated tandem of Kim Dong Moon and Ra Kyung Kim captured the mixed doubles crown by turning back Bambang Suprianto and Minarti Timur of Indonesia, 11-15, 15-4, 15-3.

Kim, ranked fourth in the world, and Ra, last year’s Swiss, English and Korean Open winner, sized up the erstwhile defending champions in the opening game but flaunted the kind of game expected of them as they won the next two games with relative ease.

They won $7,500, while the Indons settled for $5,000 in the event backed by Casino Filipino, Yonex, Manila Galleria Suites, 96.3 DW Rock, 103.5 K Lite and The Philippine Star.