By Richa Naidu
PARIS (Reuters) – China’s Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan beat compatriots Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning to the women’s doubles badminton gold at the Porte de La Chapelle arena in the Paris Games on Saturday.
Japan’s Chiharu Shida and Nami Matsuyama bagged bronze after defeating Malaysia’s Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan earlier in the day.
The final was aggressive from the start, with a series of powerful smashes from Liu and Tan on the very first serve. But Chen and Jia, who won 22-20 21-15, are world number one for a reason and overcame their third-ranked rivals.
Once the match finished, however, both teams were all smiles and hugs, all four wrapping themselves together in a Chinese flag.
It was China’s second gold medal in badminton at Paris, having won the mixed doubles final on Friday. The country has won 20 gold medals in the sport since its inclusion at the Olympics in 1992 in Barcelona.
Japan’s Shida and Matsuyama took bronze with a more comfortable 21-11 21-11 win over Malaysia’s Tan and Muralitharan.
In the women’s singles quarter-finals earlier in the day, defending Olympic champion and world number two Chen Yufei was dethroned by her compatriot He Bingjiao, who won 21-16 21-17, in a near-silent stadium as many Chinese spectators did not appear to pick a side.
Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon and world number eight Gregoria Tunjung of Indonesia were initially neck-and-neck before Tunjung took the lead, winning 25-23 21-9. The match was an affair of flashy backhands, gentle net-game and well-aimed smashes.
Tunjung is her country’s last person standing in Paris — Indonesia has medalled at every Olympics except London since badminton became an Olympic sport.
“There is pressure, being the last Indonesian left. But I didn’t want to think too much about that,” Tunjung said. “I told myself that I should play for myself and do my best.”
South Korea’s An Se-young, the women’s world number one and also her country’s last hope, started off her first game with Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi on the back foot, losing 15-21. She rallied in the second to win 21-17 before dominating in the third with a score of 21-8.
Tunjung and An will face off in the semi-finals on Sunday, but An already has her eye on the gold.
“I’m feeling 100% and I will maintain that for the final,” she said. “This was a very significant match and coming up is the most important match of my life. I’m proud of how I played today.”
In the other quarter-final Rio gold medallist and world number four Carolina Marin of Spain defeated Japan’s Aya Ohori in straight sets, 21-13 21-14.
(Reporting by Richa Naidu; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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