Badminton Predictions - Denmark Open

Day 3 - Closing into the finals...

Zhang Ning vs. Zhou Mi
Its the titanic battle of the veterans. While Zhou Mi is not really at her peak, Zhang Ning does have an injury that might hamper her chances in this match. Ultimately, I think this will be an extremely close game; both players know each other's game from back to front, and both are not playing their best. I predict a gruesome and tiring three set battle that will last for more than an hour, but will ultimately go to Zhang Ning, unless her injury affects her game too much.

Wang Chen vs. Pi Hongyan
When two ex-Chinese players face off, viewers are in for a treat. Pi has not been impressive lately, and Wang, fresh from her recent triumph in Kuala Lumpur, seems to have newfound confidence in her playing. Those delightful angled drops will give Wang the game in two sets.

Lee vs. Sony
The most mouth watering match of the day. Indonesia's currently top ranked player faces off with Malaysian's top ranked player. Sony was the one that denied Lee his title in his own homeground. Sony is Lee's archnemesis, and Lee must find a way to beat Sony. This match is so circumstantial that I cannot call it.

Jung/Lee vs. Fu/Cai
While both pairs are very renounced, I believe Fu and Cai will prevail at the end as they are more experienced and skillful. While the World Championship silver medalist should not be taken lightly, one would be foolish to think that Fu and Cai are not up to the task of reaching the finals. Fu/Cai in two sets.

Wong/Chin vs. Zhao/Yu
Fresh from their victory against top ranked Chinese pair, Wong and Chin face another formidable Chinese pairing, Zhao/Yu. Although ranking-wise, I appears that Wong and Chin hold the upper hand, but Zhao and Yu are composed of the remnants of two very successful split pairings. Wong and Chin have to prove that their victory on Wednesday was not a fluke, and a perfect platform to do so will be to beat Zhao and Yu to enter the semifinals. I believe Wong and Chin are up to the task, and will take the game in three sets, losing the second set.

Yu/He vs. Vita/Flandy
While Yu and He aren't China's top pair in the field of Mixed Doubles, they are still formidable and respect opponents. However, Vita and Flandy are also extremely strong players, being Bronze Medalist in the recent World Championships, on the way, almost upsetting top seeds and silver medalist Gao/Huang. Gao and Huang are not participating in this championship this time, and with the upset of top seeds, also from Indonesia, Vita and Flandy now have the task of claiming gold for Indonesia.

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