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Monday, May 25, 2009

8:21 AM

Commonwealth Championships - Champions Retain Mixed Doubles Crown

Defending champions, Yang Zi and Wang Yue Gu retained their Mixed Doubles title at the Commonwealth Championships in Glasgow on Sunday 24th May 2009 beating top seeds, Gao Ning and Sun Bei Bei in four games at the final hurdle.

Seeded two; Yang Zi and Wang Yue Gu won 11-8, 7-11, 11-6, 12-10.

The combination of the left handed Yang Zi and the right handed Wang Yue Gu, the classic doubles partnership, proved an irresistible force.

A semi-final place booked one day earlier, they beat India’s Amalraj Aputhraj Anthony and Madhurika Patkar to reserve their place in the gold medal contest, recovering from an opening game deficit to record a four games success.

Meanwhile, at the same stage, Gao Ning and Sun Bei Bei defeated Australia’s William Henzell and Miao Miao.

They were dominant, never seriously threatened.

In the Men's Singles event, Top Seed Gao Ning overcame Canada’s Pierre-Luc Hinse and India’s Sourav Chakroborty. He will be facing England's Paul Drinkhall in the Semi-Finals. On the other hand, 2nd Seed Yang Zi was upset by 27 years old Indian Subhajit Saha.

Singaporeans occupied the Top 3 seedings in the Women's Sngles Event. Wang Yue Gu overcame Northern Ireland’s Liu Na and England’s Joanna Parker to book her place in the semi-finals whilst, Sun Bei Bei proved too fast for Naomi Owen of Wales and Beh Lee Wei of Malaysia to reserve her place in the penultimate round. Not to be overshadowed, third seed, Yu Meng Yu, was equally in unforgiving form. She accounted for India’s Poulomi Ghatak in round two and England’s Kelly Sibley at the quarter-final stage. In the semi-finals Wang Yue Gu meets Mouma Das whilst Sun Bei Bei confronts Yu Meng Yu.

In the Men’s Doubles event Gao Ning/Yang Zi defeated Malaysia's Chai Kian Beng/Muhammed Shakirin Ibrahim at the quarter-final stage, 9-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-6. The defending Champion will meet England’s Paul Drinkhall and Darius Knight in the semi-finals. However, colleagues Cai Xiao Li/Pang Xue Jie suffered defeat at the hands of second seeds, India’s Sharath Kamal Achanta/Subhajit Saha. They lost 9-11, 7-11, 10-12.

In the Women's Doubles event, Top Seeds, Singapore’s Sun Bei Bei/Yu Meng Yu defeated India’s Mouma Das/Poulomi Ghatak in the quarter-finals. They succeeded 7-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-6, 11-5. In the semi-finals, Sun Bei Bei and Yu Meng Yu meet Miao Miao and Stephanie Xu. England’s fourth seeded partnership of Joanna Parker and Kelly Sibley ended the hopes of Singapore’s teenage defensive pairing of Isabelle Li Siyun/Zena Sim Kai Xin. They lost 10-12, 4-11, 4-11.

Monday, May 25, 2009

8:21 AM

Commonwealth Championships - Champions Retain Mixed Doubles Crown