Japan stun China in Uber Cup

Japan caused a minor earthquake at the Uber Cup Asian Zone Preliminaries when they overturned a 0-2 deficit to upset powerful China at Macau on Saturday. Although the Chinese entered the tie without three of their best players, Japan’s result meant that the Chinese could not have it all their way.

Thailand clinched the No.3 spot by beating Chinese Taipei in a tie that went the distance, 3-2; the result being confirmed only in the late stages of the third game of the fifth match. Both the Uber Cup ties therefore were thrillers. All four semifinalists have confirmed their places in the Uber Cup finals; while the fifth-placed team might also make the finals if their ranking is ahead of the team that places fourth at the European team championships.

China had rested their top four players – Wang Yihan, Wang Xin, Wang Shixian and Jiang Yanjiao, and instead sent in world No.7 Li Xuerui as their first singles player against Japan’s Sayaka Sato. The Japanese world No.15 levelled a first-set deficit by taking the second game, but the strain proved too heavy as she was decimated 21-6 in the third.

Things continued to go well for China as the world No.2 pair Zhao Yunlei/ Qing Tian dismissed Mizuki Fujii/ Reika Kakiiwa 21-19 21-15 in 50 minutes.

The third match was a humdinger. World No.19 Eriko Hirose matched world No.10 Liu Xin blow for blow as she won a nail-biting first game 25-23. Liu Xin rocketed ahead of her in the second game and in the decider, Hirose called upon all her experience to move ahead from 6-all to steadily build a lead and win the match for Japan.

China would’ve expected to seal the tie in the fourth match – the women’s doubles. Shu Cheng and Pan Pan might be outside the top-25 now, but they are an exceptional pair. Mami Naito and Shizuka Matsuo however quelled their challenge at the beginning, and stitched up the match in a 21-14 21-16 result to take the tie into the fifth rubber.

Finally, it was left to the little-known Minatsu Mitani who had to take on former world champion Wang Lin. The Japanese world No.34 held her composure to beat the former world champ 21-19 21-14 and cap a great win for the Japanese.