출처 : Skycity New Zealand Badminton Open Website News​

Friday is a good day to be playing badminton if you are at the SKYCITY New Zealand Open, it means you are in the quarter finals of the gold status Grand Prix event and amongst the very best in the world.

Thursday saw a late shift from the players, organisers and hardy fans with games finishing just before midnight on a day of round 16 matches that were long, hard fought and intense.

All will be pleased than that play gets underway at the later time of 2pm on Friday in the SKYCITY sponsored Grand Prix at the North Shore Events Centre, and with representation from a variety of leading badminton nations, the atmosphere is sure to be amazing.

Korea sent a strong team to New Zealand, and they are living up to their billing with 12 of the 40 quarterfinal berths in the tournament flying the Korean flag. Other contenders to win the five titles on offer on Sunday evening include Japan (7), China (6), Chinese Taipei (4), India (3), Indonesia (3), Malaysia (2), while Vietnam, Australia and Russia all have a sole representative in the quarterfinals.

Mixed Doubles

In the mixed doubles impressive young Japanese combination Watanabe and Higashino face their toughest test yet in top seeds Kim and Ko (Korea), while on the other side of the draw Chopra and Reddy will be the second consecutive Indian pairing to try and stop 2nd seeds Shin and Chae (Korea).

China’s best hopes of a title in Auckland might rest with Zheng and Li, after upsetting the 4th seeds in the first round, they have looked mightily impressive since and face another unseeded pair in Kobayashi and Fukushima (Japan).

Likewise Malaysia will be turning to 3rd seeds Pen and Liu in the hope of winning at the SKYCITY Open, the world number 12 are a genuine threat here and come up against Faisal and Aulia (Indonesia) for a place in the semifinals.

Men’s Singles

World number 13 Son Wan Ho (Korea) has looked imperious so far but will face his first big test against young Chinese up and comer and 13th seed Huang Yuxiang. The Chinese are especially keen to cause upsets in the latter stages of the tournament and will be ready for every clash against a higher rated opponent.

Riichi Takeshita (Japan) caused a big upset himself in the round of 16, defeating the 6th seed, he will have to be at his best again to repeat against number 3 seed Lee Dong Kuen (Korea) – who is yet to drop a game this week.

The other matches see 9th seed Tien Minh Nguyen (Vietnam) play 2015 runner up Qiao Bin (China) and 2014 runner up and 16th ranked Teck Zhi Soo (Malaysia) come up against Shi Yuqi (China). Qiao had to show all his fighting qualities in a marathon win over Christie Jonatan (Indonesia) that went late into the night. Teck defeated former runner up and 4th seed Hsu Jen Hao (Chinese Tapei) while Shi eased past the number 5 seed Ishan Mustofa (Indonesia).

Men’s Doubles

The men’s doubles presents a mouthwatering quarterfinal with the top seeds Kim and Kim (Korea) up against a young and energetic Chinese pairing of Huang and Zheng. The eighth seeds will fancy their chances of an upset and with it vital ranking points against the world number 6 ranked Koreans in a match that is sure to excite the crowd as well as the players.

Chinese Taipei will be represented in the last eight by two pairings, the 7th seeds Chen and Chi-Lin will be tested however by the impressive Japanese pairing of Pratama and Suwardi (Indonesia) who fought back from a game down to defeat Hoki and Kobayashi (Japan) for a place in the quarters, while Wei and Yang (Chinese Taipei) progressed thanks to a comfortable win over Soedjasa and Minota (New Zealand) and will face 4th seeds Fernaldi and Sukamuljo (Indonesia) for a place in the semi’s.

Attri and Reddy fly the flag for India, the 6th seeds will face off against Ko and Shin, the 2nd seeded Koreans for a place in the last four, they were perhaps the most impressive in the round of 16, dismantling Alfian and Ardianto (Indonesia) 21-13, 21-8.

Women’s Singles

World number 5 Sung Ji Hyun (Korea) had to draw on all her powers to get past Gao Fanjie (China) today and faces another player from China in Chen Yufei in the quarter-finals. The top seed does not look at her best and might yet be vulnerable on Good Friday.

Chiang Mei Hui won a tight three game battle with 4th seed Lindaweni Fanetri (Indonesia) to qualify for the quarters, it might be a question of how much gas does she have left in the tank to take on the 8th seed Kaori Imabeppu (Japan).

In the other quarterfinals, 3rd seed Bae Yeon Ju (Korea) will be favoured against surprise package Ksenia Polikarpova (Russia) and in the final match up Aya Ohori (Japan) will look to continue her giant killing run after defeating the number 2 seed when she takes on 5th seed Hsu Ya Ching (Chinese Taipei) for a place in the semifinals.

Women’s Doubles

In the women’s doubles top seeds Jung and Shin (Korea) face Fukushima and Hirota (Japan) with the Japanese pairing fresh from a walkover into the quarters and ready to challenge the 6th best pairing in the world.

4th seeds Gutta and Ponnappa (India) have the power and poise to win the whole event and will fancy their chances against Australians Mapasa and Somerville in their quarterfinal, the Aussies won a thriller over Tanaka and Yonemoto (Japan) and will need to find another gear against the Indians.

Japan are showing their strength in women’s doubles though, with Higashino and Shinoya squaring off against the number 2 seeds from Korea Chang and Lee while Go and Yoo face off against Kim and Eom in an all Korea clash, with Kim and Eom another pair to enjoy a walkover through the second round to be fresh for Good Friday.

Play continues across Easter weekend, with quarterfinals from 2pm on Good Friday, semifinals from 5pm on Saturday, and all finals played from 5pm on Easter Sunday, all games at the North Shore Events Centre, tickets at the door or online.