Sydney: Japan’s World No. 5 Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi have been on an impressive run, advancing to the final for the second consecutive time in two weeks. Their semi-final match against the World No. 15 Chinese Taipei pair, Lu Ching Yao/Yang Po Han, ended in a well-deserved 21-16, 21-18 victory for the Japanese pair. It was Hoki/Kobayashi’s four consecutive victories against Lu/Yang.
Highlights of Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi vs. Lu Ching Yao/Yang Po Han In the 2023 Australian Open semi-finals:
In the men’s doubles final, Hoki/Kobayashi will face South Korea’s World No. 9 Kang Min Hyuk/Seo Seung Jae. The two pairs have had six encounters before, with the South Korean pair holding a 4-2 lead. Kang/Seo showed their mettle on Saturday by defeating the Chinese Taipei Olympic champions and last week’s Japan Open champions, Lee Yang/Wang Chilin, with an impressive score of 21-16, 21-6.
The mixed doubles final on Sunday promises to be a historic moment as Hiroki Midorikawa/Natsu Saito aim to become the first Japanese mixed doubles pair to clinch the Australian Open since its inception in 1989.
Their path to the final was marked by an intense showdown against China’s World No. 33 Cheng Xing/Chen Fanghui, with Midorikawa/Saito prevailing with a nerve-wracking 21-19, 21-19 victory in the semi-final clash.
Awaiting the Japanese duo in the final are the formidable Chinese pair, the World No. 3 Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping. Feng/Huang secured their spot in the championship match after an epic three-round battle against the Korean World NO. 5 Seo Seung Jae/Chae Yu Jung, sealing the win with a final score of 21-14, 26-28, 21-14. They are eager to defend their title and claim their fifth championship this year.
On the other hand, Japan’s women’s doubles teams faced disappointment as both pairs, Rena Miyaura/Ayako Sakuramoto, and Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota, were eliminated in the semi-finals. Miyaura/Sakuramoto fought fiercely against the Chinese team Liu Shengshu/Tan Ning, but were unable to secure the win, losing with a final score of 17-21, 21-17, 14-21. Fukushima/Hirota also faced a formidable challenge from the South Korean Kim So Young/Kong Hee Yong, who triumphed with a dominant score of 21-11, 21-13.
