Hong Wei and Pan Pan win first round contest in the 2011 Hong Kong Open Super Series
China’s talented couple of Hong Wei and Pan Pan displayed incredible performance and got rid of Japan’s Shintaro Ikeda and Reiko Shiota in the Mixed Doubles first round of the 2011 Hong Kong Open, on Wednesday, November 16, in Hong Kong.
The un-seeded Chinese duo put up impressive show by playing highest class badminton against the higher ranked Japanese opponents. Wei and Pan showed no respect to their opponents and won the match in two games by playing at their best. They took 41 minutes
to oust the Japanese duo and marched into the second round of the event.
The start of the opening set was entertaining as both couples played aggressive badminton by remaining quick in all areas of the court. The speed from both sides also remained equal in the opening rallies. However, Wei and Pan played started to play positive
badminton and reached at 11-7 until the interval.
After the interval, Wei and Pan accelerated their speed and played deceptive strokes at the net by utilising his extensive experience against the Japanese rivals. Shintaro and Reiko made a few unforced errors which put them under pressure. The Chinese couple
bagged the opening set easily with a 21-14 score in just 15 minutes.
Shintaro and Reiko played different game in the second set as they adopted attacking style of play and moved forward by remaining close to their in-form opponents. However, the Chinese duo also played positive game by driving their challengers in all areas
of the court. This phenomenal performance in the opening half of the set from both sides entertained the huge crowd at the indoor arena in Hong Kong. Wei and Pan played with precision and remained ahead of their opponents at 11-9 until the break.
After the break, the score remained tight until the concluding part, when the Japanese shuttlers failed to play winning points. The Chinese couple remained focused until the end and took the set with a close margin of 21-19 by taking 19 minutes in the court.
Wei and Pan bagged the 34-minute first round match in two games with a 21-14 and 21-19 margin on the score board.
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