It was a perfect day weather wise for the tournament welcome function which included a Maori welcome where Dato Andrew Kam peformed a hongi with local Maori representative Weremu. The setting was the Takapuna Boating Club on the shores of Takapuna Beach, the weather was perfect, the scenery was stunning; the hardest part was leaving and getting back to business at the North Shore Events Centre for the semi-finals.
The finalists in all events have been found at the 2008 KLRC New Zealand Open with only one New Zealander playing on the last day of play of the tournament; North Harbour's Rachel Hindley will take on the world's number 2 ranked woman Zhou Mi from Hong Kong
In the men's singles one player will win their second NZ Open title as both player; Ayob and Lee have previously won the event.
The mens doubles is likely to be the match of the day with Indonesia playing Chinese Tapei
NZ Herald report
The women’s singles final at the US$50,000 KLRC New Zealand Badminton Open will have world No2 Zhou Mi from Hong Kong taking the court as expected and it will be up to Kiwi Rachel Hindley to try and stop her from retaining her title and gaining back the world top spot.
Mi who is so highly thought of that even the male players from her nation give her respect beat New Zealand teenager Jessica Jonggowisastro 21-11 21-10 in the semifinals on Friday night by just having far too much experienced and at times directing the shuttlecock around the court like a orchestra conductor.
For 17-year-old Jonggowisastro it may be the start of a good international badminton career. The Westlake Girls student won everything on offer as a junior in New Zealand this year and was a member of the Uber Cup Kiwi senior team as well as a seed at the recent World Junior Champs in India. She tried hard to push Mi and even had a narrow lead for a time in the second game but the relaxed Hong Kong player always seemed to have an answer to the New Zealanders challenge.
For Hindley, 26 making the final of the tournament is a career-best. She beat her Australian opponent, Renuga Veeran in straightforward fashion 21-18 21-15 in the semis and is relishing the prospect of taking on a player of the standard of Mi.
“I’m very happy to be in the final and I’m looking forward to getting to play the No1 in the world,” said Hindley who despite her easy win found her semifinal opponent a little awkward.
“She (Veeran) plays quite unorthodox and quite tricky. I had to concentrate to get through.”
The 2005 tournament winner and this years top seed Ayob of Malaysia eased into the final over fourth seed Yu Hsin Hsieh of Taipei with a 21-18 21-19 win, but had some lapses of concentration which he need to sort out in the final. He will be up against third seed and 2006 champion Tsuen Seng Lee of Malaysia who beat North Harbour based Scot, Alistair Casey, the tournament seventh seed 21-8 21-7.
In a mixed semifinal Kiwi No1 men’s singles player John Moody and Australian Kate Wilson-Smith were beaten by the good team work of top seeds Hung Ling Chen and Chia Chi Chou from Taipei in straight games.
The run of tournament entertainers, the experienced Malaysian pair of Soon Kit Cheah and Beng Teong Ong came to an end at the hand of the top seeded Indonesian pair Fernando Kurniawan and Lingga Lie in straight games. But the unseeded pair proved that you can beat your younger opponents by outthinking them rather than out-powering.
In the women’s doubles semifinal Hindley and Renee Flavell had the agony of going down in straight games in a closely fought match to top seeds Chiou Hwee Haw and Pek Siah Lim(Malaysia) 23-21 and 25-23.
Last Modified on 15/11/2008 10:49