The draw for the BWF Destination Dubai World Superseries Finals saw world champion and leading contender, Chen Long of China in Group A of the Men’s Singles with Son Wan Ho of Korea, Japan’s Kenichi Tago and Hans-Kristian Vittinghus of Denmark.
Players on that side of the draw are: Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark, India’s Kidambi Srikanth, another Japanese, Kento Momota, and last year’s runner-up Tommy Sugiarto of Indonesia.
Former world No.1 Peter Gade of Denmark, called Men’s Singles Group A the “group of death”.
Meanwhile in Women’s Singles Group A draw, top seed, Wang Shixian of China, has the resurgent Indian, Saina Nehwal, and Koreans, Sung Ji Hyun and Bae Yeon Ju for company.
In Group B, former Finals champion, Wang Yihan, will be facing the likes of Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand; last year’s beaten finalist, Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying and young gun, Akane Yamaguchi of Japan.
Nehwal hinted she was lucky to have avoided Wang Yihan in her group.
“I prefer playing Shixian to Yihan, since it has been tough for me against Yihan. But Wang Shixian too is a difficult player and it might be a long match.”
Nehwal and Wang Shixian have each won two of their four clashes this year so this could well be a tie-breaker.
However, the Indian star is not underestimating the Koreans, acknowledging she expects some long, tough matches.
BWF Destination Dubai World Superseries Finals draw
MEN’S SINGLES:
Group A: Chen Long (China), Son Wan Ho (Korea), Kenichi Tago (Japan), Hans-Kristian Vittinghus (Denmark)
Group B: Jan O Jorgensen (Denmark), Kidambi Srikanth (India), Kento Momota (Japan), Tommy Sugiarto (Indonesia)
WOMEN’S SINGLES:
Group A: Wang Shixian (China), Saina Nehwal (India), Sung Ji Hyun (Korea), Bae Yeon Ju (Korea)
Group B: Wang Yihan (China), Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand), Tai Tzu Ying (Chinese Taipei), Akane Yamaguchi (Japan)
MEN’S DOUBLES:
Group A: Lee Yong Dae/Yoo Yeon Seong (Korea); Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan (Indonesia); Chai Biao/ Hong Wei (China); Ko Sung Hyun/ Shin Baek Choel (Korea)
Group B: Lee Sheng Mu/ Tsai Chia Hsin (Chinese Taipei); Hiroyuki Endo/ Kenichi Hayakawa (Japan); Liu Xiaolong/ Qiu Zihan (China); Mathias Boe/ Carsten Mogensen (Denmark)
WOMEN’S DOUBLES:
Group A: Misaki Matsutomo/ Ayaka Takahashi (Japan); Christinna Pedersen/ Kamilla Rytter Juhl (Denmark); Jung Kyung Eun/ Kim Ha Na (Korea); Chang Ye Na/ Kim So Yeong (Korea)
Group B: Reika Kakiiwa/ Miyuki Maeda (Japan); Tian Qing/ Zhao Yunlei (China); Nitya Krishinda Maheswari/ Greysia Polii (Indonesia); Luo Ying/ Luo Yu (China)
MIXED DOUBLES:
Group A: Zhang Nan/ Zhao Yunlei (China); Ko Sung Hyun/ Kim Ha Na (Korea); Chris Adcock/ Gabrielle Adcock (England); Michael Fuchs/ Birgit Michels (Germany)
Group B: Tontowi Ahmad/ Liliyana Natsir (Indonesia); Sudket Prapakamol/ Saralee Thoungthongkam (Thailand); Joachim Fischer Nielsen/ Christinna Pedersen (Denmark); Liu Cheng/ Bao Yixin (China)
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