Was it Simon Archer by chance? I think he commentated some matches I've watched on youtube and was incredibly redundant, alway stating the obvious or parroting Gill Clark. Morten made some very interesting observations in the MS match and was very helpful to translate the discussions between PG and his coach^^ I wish they'd get the commentator from the 2010 WC to join Gill and Morten, his enthusiasm makes a good match even more enjoyable. I can't imagine how he'd react if Cai and Fu were to win their 4th WC title
You mean Zhao At least he still knew where she's from...I mean the Korean flag is everywhere, on the screens, the scoreboard, the shirts, and JJS/LYD are not exactly unknown, yet he kept insisting they were the 'Japanese pair'
I fall asleep and miss all the second part of the semis match. I get shocked when see TS result and ToLin got crushed in straight set and relatively short match (38 m). The first thing in my mind is : D*** you kwun ...hix hix hix
So, finally, there is only the Finals Day left to play. Today, we had a more sizeable crowd, by sizeable I mean still less than the NIA in March but more acceptable for a World event. There were strong presence of Chinese, Malaysian, Danish, German and Indian supporters. But curiously, not Indonesians. The UK locals of course were prepared to add to the horsepower of Chris Adcock and Imogen Bankier, and successfully too. I wouldn't comment on the first two matches, very forgettable with the exception of Wang Yihan's playing attire. Chen Jin vs LCW was a mismatch. The defending World Champion clearly is no longer at his best. LCW didn't even need to do much. Defense and blocks scored more pts than attack. He could have finished the match in double quick time too. Wang Xiaoli/Yu Yang vs Maeda/Suetsuna was another mismatch. The Chinese sting was too much for the Japanese pair, that they were only competitive in the first half of the 2nd game. Clearly, no other pair (Chinese included) has the same artillery size as Wang Xiaoli. Ko Sung Hyun/Yoo Yeon Seong vs Ahsan/Bona Septano was almost a mirror image of the Korean match vs Malaysia yesterday. Again, the difference is in being accurate while under pressure. Ahsan did try to slow the pace at times, but the Koreans were just too smart. Cheng Shao Chieh did not have the best of starts against Juliane Schenk. But once she had the measure of the German, CSC started reeling points by some dogged defending. By the time Cheng levelled the score at 16 apiece in game 1, Schenk had lost steam and no amount of "Yuli" or "Deutchland" shouts could bring her back. It was also during that time that Cheng was able to find the lines and tight net dribbles with amazing regularity. The home nations' (yup, two of them, England and Scotland) match with Indonesian XD did not play to the script. With the crowd behind them, Imogen Bankier somehow had some telepathic understanding of the net, that Lilyana Natsir was not able to impose herself at all throughout the match. Several times when Lily had the chance for a kill, she used the wrong shot selection. Without Lily's leadership, Tantowi Ahmad could not manage the rallies with consistency. Bankier was even cheeky enough to send several crosscourt net winners right under the Indonesian noses. No doubt there were some wobbles in the English/Scottish partnership that brought the scores closer than it actually is, a sign of their lack of experience at top level. But it wasn't enough to stop them from getting to the final. Tian Qing/Zhao Yunlei had to undergo some anxious moments playing Jwala Gutta/Ashwini Ponnappa. Only some loose play cost the Indians dearly. Other than that, they were able to keep parity with the Chinese, and in fact were better than the Chinese when it comes to outright attacking power. Still a very good show from the Indian pair, and I am impressed with their constant communication together on court. Lin Dan vs Gade was a very long drawn match, so long that by the time it ended, it was time for me to break my fast. Probably Lin Dan's fault that it got too long, he could have nailed it in game 1. But Gade showed great courage in probably his last outing in the World Championships, and he bowed out earning a lot of respect from the crowd and his opponent. Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng again showed that when it comes to major competitions, no Korean obstacle will impede their progress, not even Lee Yong Dae. And so it proved yet again. Cai Yun was peerless at the net. On the other hand, Jung Jae Sung was a bit hit and miss. And as good as KSH/YYS are, I doubt that they could stop the 3 time World Champions.
Thnx for the review. I think ToLin just can't handdle the pressure and their performance are below the par. So do you think ZN/ZYL will win the final ??
also i think got stunned by Bankier's net coverage. but yes, all fans would've preferred a closer contest for that match.
Let's see how Imogen would handdle ZYL in front of the net then. Btw Kwun, I still blaming you for predicting accurately the lost of INA 2 pairs
The co-commentator is someone else, possibly from SKy, just a generic sports commentator reading out every stat they shove under his nose and making some general sports psychology comments . I think Gail Emms and Archer are commentating in the Sky broadcast, not this world feed. I wouldn't mind "That guy" as a sidekick but many here would probably think otherwise . Personally I haven't heard them being called the japanese but might have been when I was away for a sec ... If it was "that guy" in 2010. Afaik he is based in SE Asia and only did the commentary for SS tourneys in the neighbourhood
Frost is very good, Emms is likeable. The two summarisers, Archer and Jo something? don't have much insight or personality
MD - so, JJS/LYD lost AGAIN. Ye gods, supporting those two is like supporting Liverpool - they can beat ANYBODY on their day, but lose to ANYBODY as well. Hoping the OTHER Koreans will shut the door in CY/FHF's faces - Ko looks incredibly dangerous at the moment. XD - Ad/Ban spotted Ahmad's nerves/inexperience and drilled him. If they win tomorrow I think Bankier will drop dead right there and then in delight. WD - YY/WX, in two. Only question is how many minutes. MS - hoping for LCW - Lin didn't really dominate Gade, and Gade was already tired. WS - would LOVE the Taipei girl to win, and not just to break China's stranglehold - she's a real character. Sky+ at the ready... two six-hour tapes full already...