Thailand Open loses two defending champions

The 2015 Thailand Open will start with only two defending champions, following the late withdrawal of the top seeds in both men’s and women’s doubles.

Asian Games gold medallists Greysia Polii / Nitya Krishinda Maheswari (pictured) and former World Champions Ko Sung Hyun / Shin Baek Cheol both elected not to return to Thailand, where three of them had won the last edition of this Grand Prix Gold event.  The Indonesians were winners of the recent Korea Open Superseries and will next appear internationally at the Yonex Denmark Open Superseries Premier, which begins in two weeks.

Shin won here in 2013 with Yoo Yeon Seong but was scheduled to return to compete both with Ko in men’s doubles and with new partner Chae Yoo Jung in mixed.  Both entries have been removed and Kim Ki Jung has also been withdrawn from both disciplines, though his mixed partner Shin Seung Chan is still in the women’s doubles draw and is looking to improve on her run of two straight Superseries semi-final appearances.

Korea and Indonesia came as two of the contingents closest to full-strength.  The Indonesians also pulled out Vietnam Open winner Tommy Sugiarto.  For the Koreans, the Thailand Open is squeezed in between the harvest moon festival holiday and the National Sports Festival but they still have most of their top singles players and three top women’s and two mixed pairs.

China may be particular beneficiaries of the Korean pairs’ withdrawal from men’s doubles, as third seeds Li Junhui / Liu Yuchen in particular will be trying for their 5th Grand Prix title of the year.  China, too, made some changes as Yao Xue bowed out of the women’s singles and Indonesia Open winners Tang Jinhua / Tian Qing were the most notable Chinese withdrawal.

Badzine will have on-site coverage for the later rounds of the Thailand Open this weekend, live from the Thunder Dome Arena in Bangkok.

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Photo: Gerald Jew