Ho Chi Minh City: The 2014 men’s doubles world champions Ko Sung Hyun/Shin Baek Cheol of Korea hasn’t play as a pair since their quarter-final loss at the 2016 Indonesia Open. However, that didn’t appear to have any impacts on them as they enjoyed a great career comeback to win the 2018 Vietnam Open on Sunday.
Facing the late surge from Taiwan’s Lee Sheng-Mu/Yang Po-Hsuan in the first set, Ko/Shin narrowly edged past the Taiwanese pair 22-20 in the first set.
In the seesaw battle of second set, Lee/Yang were leading 9-6, 12-11, before Ko/Shin reversed the status quo to lead 14-12 and never looked back to win the game at 21-18. It was Ko/Shin’s first international title in more than two years since winning the New Zealand Open on March 27, 2016.
Both Ko/Shin won a one-year legal battle on May 2018 against the Korean Badminton Association (BKA) as the organization attempted to discourage its players from leaving the national set-up at their peak by barring former BKA players from competing independently until they reach age 31 (age 29 for women).
In a match of staggering intensity and stunning plot twists, the 19-year-old and World No. 92 Yeo Jia Min of Singapore who was trailed as many as four points in both games, but responded with calm commitment pulling off one of the most pulsating comebacks of her career to beat No. 7 seed Han Yue of China 21-19, 21-19 to win the women’s singles title.
Yeo walked away with US$5,625 for her Vietnam Open crown.
In men’s singles final, unseeded Shesar Hiren Rhustavito of Indonesia erupted to tame Ajay Jayaram of India 21-14, 21-10 in the final. Jayaram was making a comeback after recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered last year.
Meanwhile, Japan’s Misato Aratama/Akane Watanabe and Nipitphon Phuangphuapet/Savitree Amitrapai of Thailand also came out winners by winning the women’s doubles and the mixed doubles titles respectively.
