KUALA LUMPUR – Women’s doubles pair Zhang Shuxian-Zheng Yu’s first win over their top-ranked opponents has given them a huge boost to win the Malaysia Open tomorrow.
The Chinese pair took down second-seeded Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee from South Korea in straight sets 21-17, 21-17 in the semi-finals at the Axiata Arena today.
Heading into the clash, the tournament fifth seeds had never beaten the Korean duo.
However, the pair from China took only 45 minutes to dispatch their opponents.
“Ha-na and So-hee are a very strong pair and this first victory over them means a lot to us. This triumph over them has also given us a lot of confidence,” said Yu.
In the Race to Paris rankings, they are currently in direct competition with teammates Liu Shengshu-Tan Ning.
Shengshu and Ning are ranked eighth while Shuxian-Yu are ranked ninth.
If a country has three pairs in the top eight in the rankings, their national association has the right to choose the best two pairs to send to the 2024 Paris Olympics in July.
Currently, world number one pair Chen Qingchen-Jia Yifan occupy the top spot in the Race to Paris rankings.
“We don’t want to rush for Olympic qualification, so we are taking a patient approach.
“This rivalry with Shenghu-Ning is a good one and hopefully we will push each other to become better,” added the 27-year-old Yu.
Shuxian-Yu will play the winner of the game between Shengshu-Ning and Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi of Japan. – January 13, 2024