CHINA LEAGUE - Inaugural Stage gives Top 8 Teams

Monday, 21 December 2009 11:02

Super Dan, Lin Dan, current World Champion, helped his team, top seed 81 Chivas Badminton Club to qualify for the inaugural China League final, whose qualification stage was held on Sunday. The preliminary round was held in Guangzhou from 16 to 20 December. Lin Dan (photo) did not play in the final for 81 Chivas and the strong and powerful Jiangsu Yonex team beat them 3-0 to finish first in the qualification stage for next year’s league.

By Timothy Chan, Badzine Correspondent. Photos: Badmintonphoto (archives)
Highlights for Day 1 to Day 3 (16-18 Dec)

The long awaited Qualification stage of the China League kicked off on 16 December with a total of 14 teams participating, hoping to be part of the main stage of the China League with only 8 teams participating. The event featured many top China players like Cai Yun & Fu Haifeng (both playing for different clubs), Bao Chunlai, Zheng Bo, He Hanbin, Xu Chen, Lu Lan, Zhu Lin, Yu Yang, Cheng Shu and Zhao Yunlei as well as Malaysia's Choong Tan Fook (photo), who was a last-minute replacement for his compatriot Lee Chong Wei. With so many top players in action, fans in Guangzhou were treated to some fierce competition performances as the teams fought hard to earn their semi-final berths. The 14 teams taking part are Beijing Shichalai, Shanghai 1 Trillion Wade, Jiangsu Yonex, Zhejiang Tong, Fujian, Hubei SOTA, Hunan Kawasaki, Guangdong Li-Ning, Guangxi, Sichuan Chuanwei, Qingdao Beer, Xiamen Wei Shi, Guangzhou Southern, 81 Chivas. The top team of each of the four groups will enter the semi-finals.

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In the upset match between Hubei SOTX and Qingdao Beer, the entire tie took 4 hours to complete. Hubei trailing 0-2, came from behind twice to win at 3-2. Playing for Qingdao are Fu Haifeng, Zheng Bo and Du Jing. In the women’s doubles match, Hubei’s Zhao Yunlei and Wang Li won against Du Jing / Ma Jin.

Jiangsu had no difficulty at all in demolishing Hunan 3-1 in spite of having Bao Chunlai playing in the men’s singles for Hunan. Guangzhou had a tough tie to beat Zhejiang 3-2 .

Actually, in early round action, 81 Chivas, lost to Shanghai 2-3 but they still qualified for semi-finals. In this match, Lin Dan beat Gu Chao 2-1.

“Both international and domestic, there are many tournaments for me to take part. I am feeling very tired. I hope after the China League, I will go back to Beijing for a good break,” said Lin Dan. With the tie deadlocked at 2-2, singles player Zhu Lin partnered Wu Min-yu in this crucial women’s doubles match against Feng Chen/Xiong Rui. Zhu/Wu won the first game 21-16 but lost the second 18-21. In the decider, Zhu/Wu won 21-14 to enable Shanghai to upset favourite 81 Chivas.

Who qualifies?

The four teams that went to the semi-finals are 81 Chivas, Jiangsu Yonex, Hubei and home-team Guangzhou.

Besides Lin Dan, those playing for 81 Chivas are He Hanbin, Jiang Yan Jiao, Wang Xin, Pan Pan, Zhao Tingting, Xue Rui, Zhijie, Han-Qing, Luo Shuaixiong, Lu Su, Feng Chen and Rui Xiong. Playing for Jiangsu Yonex, beside Cai Yun, Xu Chen, other players are Lu Lan, Cheng Shu, Tang Jinhua, Sun Xiaoli, Li Yu, Tao Jiaming, Wang Shixian, Tanwen and Sunjie. Playing for Guangzhou are Choong Tan Fook (Malaysia), Zhang Jiewen, Yu Yang, Wang Min, Gan Zhaolong, Yangjie, Qiuhong, Deng Xuan, Mei Qi-li, and Ting Xiao-xie.

In the first semi-final, Jiangsu beat Hubei 3-0. In the first match, Wang Shixian wont he women’s singles for Jiangsu. In the second match, the mixed doubles match was won for Jiangsu by chinaleague-tao

Tao Jiaming (photo) and Sun Xiaoli, who scored many key points. Hubei’s Zhao Yunlei and Wang Xiaoli lost to Cheng Shu and Tang Jinhua 0-2 in the third match women’s doubles. In the second semi-final, 81 Chivas beat Guangzhou 3-0. Han Qing and Feng Chen won the first match mixed doubles for 81 Chivas, followed by another win from Wang Xin to make it 2-0 for 81 Chivas. Pan Pan and Xue Rui wrapped up the match for 81 Chivas to clinch the berth to final.

Who won the final? (20 Dec)

Unfortunately Lu Lan of Jiangsu was not featured in the final but the team still beat 81 Chivas. Jiangsu’s Cheng Shu / Tang Jinhua, playing in the first match (women’s doubles), lost 11-21 in the first game but managed to come from behind to win 21-14 and 21-12 in the next two games to give Jiangsu a head start. Li Yu / Zhi Luoliang won their mixed doubles match to make it 2-0 for Jiangsu. In the third match (men's doubles), the National Games champions Cai Yun / Xu Chen had it quite easy, winning 21-15, 21-16 to thrash 81 Chivas 3-0 and capture the title for Jiangsu.

Based on the results of this year's China League competition, 6 to 8 clubs will be selected to play in the 2010 China Badminton Club Super League (home and away system).

More information is availabe on the video made from the event by The Star HERE

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