2022 Uber Cup final preview: China v Korea
The BWF Uber Cup 2022 comes to a fitting finale in Bangkok on May 14, as China and Korea will meet for the most coveted team crown in women’s badminton.
Will the domination continue for China, or will Korea come up with an upset axe? Let’s all find out.
Road to the Final
Both China and Korea won their respective groups by winning all three group ties, with the former only dropped a game in Group B. Korea on the other hand, only lost a single match (to Canada, but won the tie 4-1 nonetheless), but managed to sweep both India and the United States.
In the knockout rounds, they displayed their might above everybody else with their sweeps in their quarterfinal and semifinal ties, yet the difference between the two is the way they’ve won it.
While China’s speed blitzed past Indonesia and host nation Thailand, Korea were the marathon specialists, winning all but one of their six matches with a decider against Denmark and Japan respectively.
[READ MORE: China’s sweep of Thailand, Korea’s upset of Japan]
Previous meetings
Lopsided is the term best used to this rivalry in the Uber Cup, as Korea become China’s favorite victim whenever they meet here.
China have practically bossed the fixture, having won seven out of eight in the final, and were unbeaten in their five semifinal ties. The exception to this rule is in 2010, when Korea stunned the then reigning six-time queens in Kuala Lumpur, 3-1 to claim their (and so far, only) crown.
Projected matchups
Before the first serve, let’s us look at what matches should be expected in the final, as both teams are looking to bring their big guns.
1st Singles: Chen Yu Fei v An Se Young
Head-to-head: 6-0 Chen
The marquee match-up is between the world number three and world number four, which will be their first meeting in the Uber Cup play
2nd Singles: He Bingjiao vs Kim Ga Eun
Head-to-head: 3-1 He
The Chen YF-An SY tussle is complemented by the battle between their secondary singles tussle, which is also their first at the Uber Cup
Doubles: Chen Qing Chen/Jia Yi Fai v Lee So Hee/Shin Seung Chan
Head-to-head: 5-0 Chen QC and Jia
A classic tiff between the top two pairs in the world. Although the Korean also have a third-ranked pair of Kim So-yeong and Kong Hee-yong at their disposal, this will be the match to watch.
Predictions:
This tie could go down the wire, as both sides can be equal to the task. However, the history and the winning experience goes China’s way, by a 3-1 scoreline.
Where to watch: To watch the final, click here or visit the BWF TV on YouTube.
