Steve Lambert,

Editor (Sport)

 

PARIS – China’s Ma Jin ended last weekend victorious in both the mixed and women’s Badminton doubles final at the 2012 French Open Superseries. Opening the proceedings at the Coubertin Stadium in Paris, Ma Jin was paired with teammate Tang Jinhua to face the Danish duo of Kamilla Rytter Juhl and Christina Pedersen. After winning the first set fairly comfortably 21-12, they had to work for it in the 2nd game with a lot of back and forth action, eventually edging past the Danes 23-21 after a nice lob by Jinhua.

Ma Jin struck victory again later on in the mixed doubles with Xu Chen, beating the fellow Chinese duo of Qiu Zihan and Bao Yixin after 3 hard fought games, winning the first 21-17, losing the 2nd marginally 21-19 before winning the decider 21-18.

In other finals, Japanese Minatsu Mitani won her first ever title after beating the favorite Saina Nehwal in straight sets. Nehwal, who won Bronze at the London Olympics, started off strong but ended up losing the first match 21-19. Mitani then came from behind in the 2nd to beat the Indian Nehwal with relative ease 21-11, marking the first ever Japanese win in the women’s final of the French Open.

Malaysian Liew Daren also found himself with his first title after beating the Danish Viktor Axelsen in straight sets 21-18, 21-17.