Last week saw the conclusion of the Super Series 2010 season with the finals being held in Taipei last week. If you are not familiar with the Super Series format, its a tournament spread throughout the year and many venues across the world where-by players play in the tournaments throughout the year to gain ranking points. At the end of the season the select few with the most points being invited to a “finals” tournament in the new year to decide who is the Super Series overall champion.
Here is a brief summary of how the 2010 / 11 finals were decided. In the mixed doubles the Chinese pairing of Zhang and Zhao were victorious 21-17 21-12 against their number 2 seeded Thai opposition. The Number 1 seed of Wang overcame her Korean opposition 21-13 21-15 in the ladies singles. World Number 1 and Number 1 seed Lee Chong Wei kept up his excellent form in the Super Series over the past few years by beating Dane Peter Gade 21-9 21-14 in the final. The ladies doubles was an all chinese affair with Wang and Yu overcoming their compatriots Cheng and Zhao 21-7 21-17 in the final. In the Mens doubles the number 1 seeded pairing of Danes Mogensen and Boe defeated Koreans Jung and Lee in their final 21-17 21-15.
FZ Forza player Jan O Jorgensen failed to reach the later stages of the competition loosing out to Lee Chong Wei (21-18, 21-13) and Peter Gade (21-11, 18-21, 21-16) in the group stages, however beating Nguyen for the first time in his career (21-18 21-15).
Badminton England players Robertson and Wallwork were also in action, needing a win to progress to the next round, they lost out the the Thai pairing of Anugritayawan and Voravichitchaikul 21-16 14-21 21-17. They also lost out in their other two matches to Danes Laybourn / Juhl and Chinese pairing of Zhang and Zhao.
Once again, this tournament was not broadcast on UK TV. With funding being cut to Badminton as a sport by the UK government the sport of badminton is in danger of loosing the public’s attention at a time, with the 2012 Olympics on the horizon it should be up there trying to raise its profile with the public. This could be tough times ahead for the sport of Badminton in the UK.
