Baek Choel, Yeon Seong prove their worth in 2012 Denmark Open – Badminton Feature
Korea amazed everyone by fielding a scratch pair Shin Baek Choel-Yoo Yeon Seong in the Men’s Doubles event of the 2012 Yonex Denmark Open. Almost every top team of the badminton world was gracing the event and it was an uphill task for a newly formed pair
to rise in front of those giants.
However, Baek Choel and Yeon Seong did not disappoint their selectors and proved all the predictions wrong by claiming the crown in a commendable manner. They stamped prime teams like Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Hirokatsu Hashimoto-Noriyasu
Hirata in their race to glory.
The super talented Yeon Seong, who normally joins hands with Ko Sung Hyun, played his given role to the perfection and forged a fruitful chemistry with relatively inexperienced shuttler Baek Choel.
Both partners alarmed all the contestants of this Premier Super Series by smacking the World Number three duo Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng in very first match. Though, the Chinese campaigners hung up rackets due to an unfortunate injury but still the Koreans had established
their grip by claiming opening match point on merit.
This timely win put them against the lower ranked Dutch pair Jorrit De Ruiter-Dave Khodabux in pre quarter-finals of the event. They showed consistency in their performance and reserved a quarter-final spot by sealing a straight-set victory.
In first set of the match, they set the foundation of their supremacy with a respectable score position of 11 and then bagged opening match point by piling up a winning margin of 21-16. Yeon Seong and Baek Choel did not lose this rhythm in the following
game and wrapped this showdown with an overwhelming figure of 21-10.
The quarter-final round saw them facing another higher ranked team but both Korean shuttlers did not show any sign of bewilderment and saved their honour in a splendid manner. They performed exceptionally well against Hirokatsu Hashimoto-Noriyasu Hirata
and emerged as victor with 2-0 win.
They showed their intentions by playing fast badminton in the opening game and then proved themselves superior by outshining the Japanese duo in a nerve-racking tussle. This straight-set victory ensured their presence in the semi-finals where an Indonesian
couple Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan was in high spirits for a final berth.
Yeon Seong and Baek Choel struggled a bit to read their competitors’ strategy in first set but they did not allow the opposing team to make best out of their mistakes. The Korean campaigners mounted pressure by registering 21-17 score at the end of opening
game and then capitalised this early advantage to qualify for the title match.
On judgment day, both partners put their skills to a test and locked horns with the World Number six duo Kien Keat-Boon Heong. The badminton pundits were giving the Malaysian better odds due to their unbeatable run but the underrated partnership of Yeon
Seong and Baek Choel proved all the predictions wrong.
Though, they had to face trouble to continue with their top form in the beginning but they did not take much time to come out of this bad patch. They switched on the best after facing a 19-21 defeat and levelled match score by putting a convincing total
of 21-11 in second set.
The Korean shuttlers played with even more conviction in decider and placed an impressive figure of 21-19 to claim Yonex Denmark Open title.
Now the scratch pair Yeon Seong and Baek Choel is receiving all the admirations and respect but they will be looking to develop a winning habit to make a long lasting impression in the arena. Otherwise, they will disappear gradually in the league of extraordinary
gentlemen of badminton world.
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