Nozomi Okuhara stuns Carolina Marin to reach Hong Kong Open final
The 19-year-old's incredible winning streak continues
Giantkiller Nozomi Okuhara, of Japan, continued her winning streak in the US$350,000 Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open, with world champion Carolina Marin, of Spain, her latest victim.
The unseeded 19-year-old reached her first Superseries final by brushing aside the fifth seed in 40 minutes at the Hong Kong Coliseum yesterday, 21-13, 21-9.
This is only her second Superseries event after the former world junior champion sustained a serious knee injury in 2013 that kept her out for almost a year before another injury in April this year.\
I hope to continue my form, so I can qualify for the 2016 Games and in Tokyo in 2020
"I had never expected to come back so quickly after the two injuries," said Okuhara. "I had a very good game today and although Marin is the reigning world champion, I do not consider her the world's best player, like the Chinese trio of Li Xuerui, Wang Shixian and Wang Yihan.
"I hope to continue my form, so I can qualify for the 2016 Games and in Tokyo in 2020."
Okuhara will now meet Tai Tzu-ying in today's final. Tai, the sixth seed from Taiwan, came back from one set down to defeat Liu Xin, of China, 17-21, 21-16, 21-16. Liu's exit continued China's misery in the last two legs of the 12 Superseries, with no mainland woman reaching a final.
But in the men's singles, reigning world champion Chen Long reached the final with a 2-1 win (21-17, 19-21, 21-6) over in-form Kidambi Srikanth, of India. South Korean Son Wan-ho upset second seed Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark 21-15, 21-15 to set up a final with Chen.
