Singapore Open 2012 PICTURES

Discussion in 'Thailand Open / Indonesia Open / Singapore Open 20' started by Loh, Jun 27, 2012.

  1. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Although this year's Singapore Open is without some of the top names that normally take part because of their preparations for the forthcoming London Olympics, there were some upsets and exciting matches.

    Hitherto unheralded players and underdogs were able to find their confidence and form to defeat much higher world ranked players.

    The more successful of these were:

    Viktor Axelsen DEN WR29 defeating Sho Sasaki JPN, the highest MS entry at WR6 in R1 and then accounting for veteran Sony Kuncoro INA in the QF, who himself caused another upset by beating Du Pengyu CHN WR9 in R1. Viktor was unfortunately stopped by finalist Wang Zhengming CHN WR18 during the SF.

    Darien Liew MAS WR31 surprised Lee Hyun Il KOR WR10 in R2 but was himself beaten by Nguyen Tien Minh VIE WR11 in the QF.

    Chong Wei Feng MAS WR37 caused another upset by eliminating Taufik Hidaya INA WR12 in R1 and Hu Yun HKG WR20 in R2. He was in turn beaten by Wang ZM in the QF.

    Wang Zheng Ming CHN WR18, ex-World Junior Champ, had the pleasure of scalping Kenichi Tago JPN WR8 in R2 apart from killing Victor Axelsen's ambitions in the SF. VA was also a World Junior Champ, a few years younger than Wang.

    But this Singapore Open has also revived the fortunes of Olympian Boonsak Ponsana THA WR32, who eventually overcame all his opponents to be crowned Singapore Open MS champion. Hafiz Hashim MAS WR27, Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka INA WR 19, Nguyen Tien Minh and finally Wang ZM, all fell into his hands. And this is Boonsak's second SS title, his first also at the same venue in Singapore.

    Singapore also had a surprise when Xing Aiying WR49
    emerged from the field to enter the WS SF by knocking out Yip Pui Yin HKG WR 26 in the QF. But Aiying was unable to stop Cheng Shao Chieh TPE WR13 in the SF although she did well to extend Cheng 23-21 in G1. However Aiying was the toast of Singapore and her unexpected presence made many Singapore fans happy to travel to SIS to support her. She did much better than her higher ranked teammates Gu Juan WR17 and Fu Mingtian WR29, both of whom were eliminated in earlier rounds.

    Here are some SF pictures between Wang ZM and Viktor A:
     

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  2. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    The Venue Singapore Indoor Stadium (SIS)

    From Wikipedia:

    "The Indoor Stadium is Singapore’s largest and most versatile indoor sports and entertainment venue.
    Officially opened in December 1989, the Singapore Indoor Stadium has a flexible arena that can be arranged to accommodate both small (2,500 spectators) and large crowds (up to 12,000 spectators). The Stadium has been used for various major sport events, entertainment events and concerts performed by international superstars such as Elton John and Janet Jackson. In 1999 and 2000, the stadium hosted the Tennis’ Heineken Open, and welcomed players such as Marcelos Rios and Lleyton Hewitt.

    The Indoor Stadium is also no stranger to world-class badminton action. The Aviva Open Singapore is a high-profile tournament that has been held there since 2004.

    The Indoor Stadium has since seen the crowning of top-seed players such as Men's Singles: Lee Chong Wei (2008), Peter Gade (2006), Taufik Hidayat (2005, 2001), Boonsak Ponsana (2012, 2007), and Women's Singles: Saina Nehwal (2010), Tine Rasmussen (2008) and Zhang Ning (2007, 2004, 2001) and this year Juliane Schenk at the tournaments.

    This year the SIS has undergone some improvements to maintain it status as a preferred entertainment venue. Its huge capacity of up to 12,000 seats for sports events like badminton often times gives the wrong impression that attendance is not encouraging like the just concluded Singapore Open.

    The SIS vicinity is a hive of construction activities. Last time it was for the building of the Stadium MRT. This time it is the Singapore Sports Hub which is expected to be ready in 2014. After which, this Kallang venue will be a centre of attraction for recreation, entertainment, F&B and particularly sports.
     

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  3. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    How the Singapore Sports Hub will look lke in 2014

    SIS's premier status as an indoor sports venue will be furthur enhanced by the completion of the Kallang Sports Hub. In fact the entiire area surrounding the Kallang Basin will be enlivened and become another favourite meeting place for the young and old alike, perhaps second only to the Marina Bay area, where Marina Bay Sands, the Esplanade -Theatres on the Bay, etc, with their retail, F&B, entertainment and varied events have pulled in lots more visitors, including tourists.

    More people will be attracted to the Singapore Open in years to come and our quest for staging future Super Series and other sports tournaments will hopefully be well-received by the international bodies such as BWF.
     

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  4. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    MAS future successors Darien Liew & Chong Wei Feng shone until QF

    Two of MAS' national players had a chance to dispel unfair criticisms against them in the past by performing creditably and causing a few upsets against higher ranked opponents.

    Darrien Liew WR31

    Defeated:
    R1 - Alamsyah Yunus INA, 21-9, 24-22
    R2 - Lee Hyun Il KOR WR10, 21-18, 12-21, 21-13

    Lost to:
    QF - Nguyen Tien Min VIE WR11, 14-21, 21-11, 21-13


    Chong Wei Feng WR37

    Defeated:
    R1 - Taufik Hidayat INA WR12, 21-17, 21-19
    R2 - Hu Yun HKG WR20, 21-17, 21-14

    Lost to:
    QF - Wang Zhengming CHN WR18, 21-12, 22-20
     

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  5. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Singapore's Xing Aiying took over the baton

    While SIN's WD seeded pair and 2010 champions of Yao Lei & Shinta Mulia Sari failed to advance beyond the QF, the unheralded and unseeded Xing Aiying WR49 managed to carry Singapore's flag into the SF.

    A pleasant surprise for most Singaporean fans indeed although she eventually lost to much higher ranked Cheng Shao Chieh TPE WR13, 23-21, 21-7.

    Aiying defeated:

    R1 - Lianne Tan BEL, 21-11, 21-14
    R2 - Liang Xiaoyu SIN, 21-19, 21-10
    QF - Yip Pui Yin HKG WR26, 21-9, 23-21
     

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  6. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Singapore's WS baby Chen Jiayuan stood relatively tall in this Open

    Chen Jiayuan WR113 is the youngest of Singapore's four WS national players, namely Gu Juan, Fu Mingtian, Xing Aiying and herself. However, she is by far the tallest and she has also put on some weight, hopefully from her muscles. :D

    This episode of perhaps the least number of entries for the Singapore Open has given her a chance to demonstrate how far she has improved and indeed, judging by her two appearances, she capitalised on the opportunity. The lower turnout also gave spectators the chance to return home early despite some extended matches.

    First Jiayuan eliminated veteran Yao Jie NED WR21, in three hard-fought games, 24-22, 16-21, 21-15 in R1. Thankfully there were no qualifying matches for WS, otherwise I think Jiayuan would need to qualify instead of gaining direct entry to the main event.

    Then she had to face eventual runner-up, Cheng Shao Chieh in R2, but she won the first game unexpectedly 21-13 before losing the remaining 17-21, 11-21 in 42 min.

    For her spirited display, Jiayuan has now jumped 23 positions to WR90 in the latest rankings while Xing Aiying has improved by 15 ranks to WR34 now. :)
     

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    #6 Loh, Jun 29, 2012
    Last edited: Jun 29, 2012
  7. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Other matches

    Because of my toothache, I did not attend R1 and the Finals. I'm glad I did not heed the young dentist's advice to extract two infected teeth. They are still with me although I need to be very careful not to agitate them unnecessarily from now onwards. ;)

    But I managed to capture some other personalities and matches of the other rounds.
     

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  8. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    More Matches

    More matches of Round 2.

    Of particular interest was Japan's Sayaka Sato's battle against Bulgaria's Petya Nedelcheva, which the former won in straight games of 21-13, 21-15. Sato's skirt was really short to facilitate her movement on court. :D

    Sato's teammate, Eriko Hirose also wore a miniskirt compared to her TPE opponent, Tai Tzu Ying, who wore a pair of Bermudas.

    The INA WD of Anneke Feinya Agustin and Nitya Krishinda Maheswari also got used to wearing skirts. So were our SIN pair of Yao Lei and Shinta Mulia Sari.
     

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    #8 Loh, Jun 29, 2012
    Last edited: Jun 29, 2012
  9. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    The Most Striking of them all

    This Singapore Open was rewarded with the sensational appearance of a ballerina shuttler, from where else, but cultural France! :D

    She was none other than Sashina Vignes Waran who gave Yippy Pui Yin of Hong Kong an initial fright, not only with her exquisite attire and agility, but also with a close game of 21-16 in G1 before she crumbled 21-9 in the second.
     

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  10. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    The Lady from France

    More shots of Vignes in her R2 batlle with Yip Pui Yin:
     

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  11. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Two Future Stars crossed swords in Round 2

    Wang Zhengming CHN and Kenichi Tago JPN are arguably the future stars of their respective countries and possibly the world.

    Tago WR8 has qualified for the forthcoming London Olympics, together with Sho Sasaki WR 6 and Wang, who is currently just ahead of Tommy Sugiarto INA WR18, up one position from previously owing to his runner-up placing in this Singapore Open, was unable to qualify because of a few talented CHN players ahead of him, namely LD, CL, CJ and Du.

    And while Sasaki was unexpectedly upset in R1 by young Viktor Axelsen DEN and Tommy was disposed of by countryman Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka WR19 in R2, Wang laboured in R2 against Tago and won in three games 17-21, 21-17, 21-16.

    Here are some pics of their R2 encounter:
     

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  12. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Fu Mingtian SIN challenged Sung Ji Hyun KOR in R2

    Very few would expect Fu Mingtian WR29 to be able to beat Sung Ji Hyun WR8 who has qualified for the LOG whereas Fu did not.

    Fu did not disappoint when she fought hard to limit Sung to a close match, losing out in 21-17, 21-18.

    However, Sung also lost to eventual WS winner Juliane Schenke WR6, 21-11, 20-22, 21-12 in the SF.

    Here are some pics of the Fu-Sung encounter:
     

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  13. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Veteran Eriko Hirose JPN shattered the hopes of young star Tai Tsu Ying TPE

    Touted as a future star, "Taiphoon" Tsu Ying WR12 fell to "veteran" Eriko Hirose WR18 in R2 in straight games of 21-15, 21-18.

    I supposed Eriko's experience came in at the right time to counter an "off-colour" Typhoon. :D
     

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    #13 Loh, Jul 2, 2012
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2012
  14. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Dion versus countryman Tommy

    Both are fighting hard for the right to represent INA in the near future when veteran Taufik Hidyat retires.

    While Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka maybe a rank below Tommy Sugiarto at WR19, he managed to eliminate Tommy 21-19, 21-17 in R2.
     

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