The 2012 Uber Cup runner-up trophy won by Korea

Korea Trip Up at the Final Hurdle but Still Take the Uber Cup Runner-Up Spot

The 2012 Uber Cup final was a repeat of 2010, with Korea facing China. Up against the formidable Chinese, the Korean women put up a good fight in an attempt to cause an upset. When Sung Ji Hyun failed to take advantage of three match points and lost to Wang Yi Han in the first match, the tide turned in favor of China and, in the end, Korea went down 3-0, their consolation being taking the runner-up spot.

Sung Ji Hyun on the verge of knocking out her opponent in front of her home fans

Sung Ji Hyun VS  Wang Yi Han

In the first match, the women’s singles, both sides sent their No.1 female player into battle, Sung Ji Hyun playing Wang Yi Han. Cheered on by her home fans, Wang started well and burst into a 6:1 lead; Sung, however, kept her head and played steadily, gradually reducing Wang’s lead, going ahead in the second half of the game, putting her opponent under pressure and causing her to make a series of avoidable mistakes. Sung took advantage of her opponents lapses and took the game 21:14.

In the second game, the two players exchange the lead at the start. Sung had done her homework before the match and was able to correctly predict where Wang would place her shots, trapping Wang by using a combination of smashes and drop shots, and preventing the world number 1 from bringing her strengths fully into play.

This tactic worked and Sung gradually opened up a lead of 20:17, giving her three match points. However, roared on by the home support, Wang pulled one point back, raising the decibel level even higher and causing Sung to crumble and lose five points in a row, letting Wang take the game and level the match. In the third deciding game, Sung was unable to shrug off the dark shadow of the previous game’s loss and went down 13-21 to lose the match.

Korea’s top women’s doubles pair : Ha Jung Eun

Korea’s top women’s doubles pair : Kim Min Jung

Kim Min Jung / Ha Jung Eun   V.S   Yu Yang / Wang Xiao LI

After losing the first point, Kim Min Jung / Ha Jung Eun were under extra pressure because they had to win their match against world number one pair Yu/Wang.Kim / Ha beat their opponents at the 2012 VICTOR Korea Open but this time the Chinese were playing at home, making the match even tougher for Kim / Ha.

After the match started Yu / Wang showed why they are called the “invincibles’. Urged on by the home crowd, their attacks seemed even more ferocious than usual;though Kim / Ha tried to keep their opponents at the back of the court to reduce the danger from their attack,Yu / Wang are wise and experienced, trading shots with their opponents, biding their time until a chance to attack presented itself, then delivering a lethal smash.

Kim / Ha, in contrast, lacked a killer smash, and, although their defensive and counterattacking play and distribution  was good, their attacks didn’t present too many problems for the Chinese pair and they went down in straight games 15:21, 13:21.

Bae Youn Joo played for the third point in the women’s singles

Bae Youn joo  V.S  Wang Xin

After Korea lost the first two matches and two points it could be said that the final result was a foregone conclusion and this allowed China’s Wang Xin to play without much pressure in the third match against Bae. Wang was on top form, and also played very aggressively, and was a real handful for Bae who was basically on the ropes throughout and had almost no chance of attack; in the end, Bae lost 10:21, 16;21, bringing to an end Korea’s hopes of winning the 2012 Uber Cup.

The Korean team, runner-up up at the 2012 Uber Cup, photographed together

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