# Malaysians break the hearts of Indians in fantastic comeback win for the title
# First Grand Prix Gold title for V Shem-Wee Kiong
# Top seed K. Srikanth beats China’s Huang Yuxiang for men’s singles crown
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A change of strategy in the second game changed the fortunes for Malaysia’s No 1 men’s doubles pair Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong as they came back from a set down to win the title in the USD120,000 Indian Open Grand Prix Gold (Syed Modi Badminton Championships) in Lucknow on Sunday.
And the Malaysians also saved two match points in the second set and then turned on the heat in the rubber for a 14-21, 24-22, 21-8 win over India’s Pranaav Jerry Chopra-Akshay Dewalkar in 61 minutes and along the way brushed aside the vociferous home crowd.
V Shem-Wee Kiong pocketed USD9,480 in prize money that came with the title – their first this year after reaching the quarter-finals in last week’s Malaysia Masters in Penang.
The Indians, who are now coached by Malaysia’s Tan Kim Her, ranked No 36 in the world, had upset World No 7 and second seeds Kim Gi-jung-Kim Sa-rang of Korea in the semi-finals were full of confidence after taking the first set with their fast attacking play in only 16 minutes..
The Malaysians changed their strategy in the second set but it was touch and go with the Indians twice denied match points before V Shem-Wee Kiong forced a rubber with a 24-22 win in 25 minutes.
V Shem-Wee Kiong hardly gave the Indians any room to control the game and ripped through in only 14 minutes to take the set and match 21-8 in 61 minutes.
The Malaysians are No 12 in the world but this is expected to change when the next BWF ranking list is released.
In the semi-finals V Shem-Wee Kiong stunned defending champions and World No 4 Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen of Denmark straight sets 21-16, 21-18 win at the Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium .
The win in Lucknow is the second career win for the Malaysian pair. They won the US Open Grand Prix in December last year. They are also the reigning Commonwealth Games gold medallists.
Top seed K. Srikanth of India made up for the defeat of the men’s doubles pair and gave the home fans plenty to cheer by winning the men’s singles title after a three-set battle with China’s Huang Yuxiang 21-13, 14-21, 21-14 win in 61 minutes.
South Korea’s Sung Ji-hyun (seeded No 2) took the women’s singles crown when she downed Japan’s Sayaka Sato 12-21, 21-18, 21-18 in the final which lasted 85 minutes.
There will be no Chinese New Year cheer for the Malaysians, who now head to Bangkok for the Thailand Open next week.
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RESULTS – ALL FINALS
MEN’S SINGLES
Srikanth (Ind) beat Huang Yuxiang (Chn) 21=13, 14-21, 21-14
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MEN’S DOUBLES
Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong (Mas) beat Pranaav Jerry Chopra-Akshay Dewalkar (Ind) 14-21, 24-22, 21-8
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WOMEN’S SINGLES
Sung Ji-hyun (Kor) beat Sayaka Sato 12-21, 21-18, 21-18
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WOMEN’S DOUBLES
Jung Kyung-eun-Shin Seung-chan (Kor) beat Eefje Muskens-Selena Piek (Ned) 21-15, 21-13
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MIXED DOUBLES
Praveen Jordan-Debby Susanto (Ina) beat Puavaranukroh Dechapol-Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Tha) 23-25, 21-9, 21-16
