Hangzhou: Demonstrating their resilience and prowess on the court, the South Korean men’s team made a significant leap into the semifinals of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games badminton men’s team event. This remarkable progress comes on the back of consecutive wins against formidable opponents, such as Malaysia and Indonesia.
During the intense quarter-final matchup against Indonesia, the South Koreans initially faced a setback, trailing by one game when Indonesian ace, the World No. 2 Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, delivered a commendable performance, outclassing South Korea’s World No. 47 Jeon Hyeok Jin with scores of 21-14, 21-17.
However, momentum shifted in the following matches. Korea’s reigning world champions Seo Seung Jae/Kang Min Hyuk, rallied to overcome Indonesia’s World No. 1 pair, Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto, in a nail-biting contest ending 11-21, 24-22, 21-17. This victory helped level the score for South Korea.
The subsequent game saw South Korea’s rising star, World No. 119 Lee Yun Gyu, showcasing his “giant-killing” skill by clinching a win with scores of 21-15, 21-16 against Indonesia’s 2018 Asian Games men’s singles champion and current World No. 5 Jonatan Christie.
Highlights of Lee Yun Gyu vs. Jonatan Christie at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games men’s team quarter-finals:
In the men’s team first round tie against Malaysia, Lee Yun Gyu also pulled off an upset to down World No. 19 Ng Tze Yong 21-11, 21-16.
On Friday, the climax arrived in the fourth match, where the Korean scratch pair, Kim Won Ho/Na Sung Seung, overcame Indonesia’s World No. 11 Leo Rolly Carnando/Daniel Marthin 21-18, 21-17, cementing South Korea’s remarkable turnaround and confirming their place in the semi-finals.
Korea will meet India in the semi-finals, while Japan will clash with China in the lower half of the bracket.
Lee Yun Gyu emerged as the most unexpected badminton sensation during the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. (Photo: Shi Tang/Getty Images)
