Korea performs a clean sweep against USA in group match - Thomas Cup Update
Korea made its intentions clear in Thomas Cup Finals by overwhelming United States of America (USA) in opening match of group stage on May 20, 2012.
This Group D match saw a mix Korean line up as prime shuttlers like Lee Hyun Il and Doubles experts Lee Yong Dae and Jung Jae Sung were given rest against the weak American side.
However, they did not show any mercy to their challengers and registered a commendable 5-0 win.
Men’s Singles campaigner Shon Wan Ho set the foundation of this splendid victory by snatching first match point from Sattawat Pongnairat in just two games.
World Number 14 shuttler took just 22 minutes to seal a straight-set triumph with 21-7 and 21-6 scores on the board.
The Korean pair of Yoo Yeon Seong-Ko Sung Hyun doubled the lead by beating their challengers Howard Bach and Tony Gunawan in following game.
However, the World Number four duo faced laudable resistance from their opponents as they had to wait for 37 minutes to read favourable margin of 21-8, 17-21 and 21-13.
Next chapter of this saga was even more captivating as backup Men’s Singles player Hong Ji Hoon dazzled Howard Shu with a lustrous performance in third tie.
The Korean shuttler bagged first set with a significant margin of 21-6 and then wrapped the show with a staggering total of 21-11. Ji Hoon just took 23 minutes to seal 3-0 victory of his country.
However, it was not the end as American shuttlers decided to go all the way to five games. They pocketed full benefits by playing against higher ranked opponents.
Meanwhile, Men’s Doubles experts Kim Sa Rang and Kim Ki Jung followed the successful trail and completely outclassed the opposing team Philip Chew-Sattawat Pongnairat in all areas of game.
They raised their country’s lead to 4-0 by clinching second Doubles tie in just 17 minutes with 21-9 and 21-6 score.
Last but not the least, the backup Singles shuttler Dong Keun Lee finished this saga with an excellent performance against American challenger Nicholas Jinadasa in the final game.
He concluded this show with impressive figures of 21-8 and 21-9 and boosted confidence of his team for their next encounter with Germany.
Tags: