The number of match points Lee Yong Dae and Yoo Yeon Seong needed in their nail-biting semifinals defeat of local hope, Denmark’s Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen, who were once a No.1 team as well. Lee and Yoo led by 21-12 and 20-14 only to see the Danes fought back to 20-18. They finally closed out the gate the next point when Boe/Mogensen’s attack sailed just long, but had to wait another 30 seconds after a failed “challenge” from the no.3 seeds.

 

Yoo Yeon Seong (left) and Lee Yong Dae overcame the Danish No.1s. © Badmintonphoto

21-year-old Carolina Marin became the first Spaniard to ever reach a World Championship final, and also became the first European World Champion in the women’s singles for 15 years, after she came through an epic battle over top seed Li Xuerui.

VICTOR player, 20-year-old Indonesian Anggia Shitta Awanda and Della Destiara Haris sent shockwaves to the women’s doubles draw by beating the World No.1 team and the hot favorite Bao Yixin/Tang Jinhua, 21-14 21-18, in the second round with formidable attack and defense combinations. Their dream run ended in the quarterfinals by eventual winners Tian Qing/Zhao Yunlei. Zhao made it double as she did at the 2012 London Olympics as she won also in the mixed with Zhang Nan.