| |
CHECK
LATEST RESULTS AND NEWS
|
|
|
NEWS
|
Yong celebrates Thailand win after three year drought
November 11, 2001 - Source : IBF
|
|
He’d been written off after a year of false starts and nagging injuries which seriously threatened his career. But today Yong Hock Kin silenced his critics after reversing a two-game deficit to win the 2* Thailandcrown.
For the 27-year-old, regarded by many as one of the most adept players Malaysia has ever produced, it was his first Grand Prix win since claiming the Indonesiatitle back in 1998, and even more sweet was the fact that he beat Boonsak Polsana - the tournament’s top seed and a skilful player eight years his junior - on his own soil at Bangkok’s National Stadium.
Polsana had shown tremendous promise throughout the competition, and was hopeful of claiming a first ever Grand Prix title after disappointments at the SEA Games and the Hong Kongin September.
And for a while it looked as though the home crowds were going to have something to celebrate. Polsana took the first two games and looked to have it sewn up in the third, but the unseeded Yong took the crucial game point and things changed rapidly from thereon in. The young China-trained Thai player had nothing left to give in the fourth and fifth games, handing the more experienced Malaysian the key points for a 7-8,5-7,8-6,7-1,7-1 victory and his nation’s fifth men’s singles GP win of the year.
It’s sure to be a turning point in Yong’s career – persistent calf, knee and hamstring injuries almost led him to early retirement, but now he’s back on track and looking to impress in the run-up to the Thomas Cup Finals in 2002.
It was almost a dual celebration for the Malaysian camp - after causing an upset by beating the number two seeds Saralee Thungthongkam and Sathinee Chankrachangwong, Norhasikin Amin and Wong Pei Tty, seeded fourth, lined up against Eny Erlangga and Jo Novita in the women’s doubles final. The Malaysian girls showed great promise in the first two games, but once the Indonesians got going there was no stopping them, allowing Novita to add another title to her mixed doubles crown the previous day – final score 7-4,5-7,7-0,7-2.
It turned out to be a disappointing day for the Thai fans. After watching their young hero Polsana downed in his third consecutive tournament final, all eyes turned to Pramote Teerawiwatana and Tesana Panvisvas in their men’s doubles bout with former world champion Sigit Budiarto and Hadiyanto Luluk unseeded and playing in their first international tournament together.
It was a powerful and thrilling final, but Thailand’s 1999 SEA Games champions couldn’t hold out against one of Indonesia’s best pairs. Budiarto added another title to his impressive career record 5-7,7-5,8-6,0-7,7-5.
The all-European women’s singles final also went the full distance, featuring top seeded Swede Marina Andrievskaya and England’s number four seed Tracey Hallam. It looked as though it was to be a one-sided affair in favour of the Swede as Hallam lost the first game without making a mark on the scoreboard, but once she started to exert her own influence on the game the English girl fared somewhat better, taking the second and third games 7-3, 7-4. Russian-born Andrievskaya was not about to give the title up without a fight. She claimed the fourth game, but a gritty Hallam dug deeper in the decider and will go back to England with her first ever Grand Prix title to round off the season.
Men’s singles: Yong Hock Kin (MAS) beat Boonsak Polsana (THA) 7-8,5-7,8-6,7-1,7-1
Women’s singles: Tracey Hallam (ENG) beat Marina Andrievskaya (SWE) 0-7,7-3,7-4,4-7,7-1
Men’s doubles: Sigit Budiarto & Hadiyanto Luluk (INA) beat Pramote Teerawiwatana & Tesana Panvisvas (THA) 5-7,7-5,8-6,0-7,7-5
Women’s doubles: Eny Erlangga & Jo Novita (INA) beat Norhasikin Amin & Wong Pei Tty (MAS) 7-4,5-7,7-0,7-2
Mixed doubles: Candra Wijaya & Jo Novita (INA) beat Ronne Maykel Runtolalu & Enny Widiowati (INA) 8-6,7-1 |
|
|
|
Other news:
» Taufik enlightens home event
» Gong Ruina scoops Indonesiatitle
» Indonesian seniors, juniors advance to semifinals
|
|
|
Mail to friend
Printer Friendly
Back to Previous Page
