Hosts Korea completed a sweep at their home Jeju Victor Korea Masters Championships that concluded on Sunday.
The hosts were never threatened as all the five matches were won in straight games in the final Grand Prix Gold event of 2016.
Korea enjoyed a perfect start on finals day, with new Men’s Doubles combination Ko Sung Hyun/Kim Jae Hwan withstanding a strong challenge from Macau Open winners Lee Jhe-Huei/Lee Yang (Chinese Taipei) 21-19 21-18.
The Chinese Taipei pair had a difficult road to the final, surviving three three-game matches on the way, before falling to Ko/Kim.
Son Wan Ho justified his top seeding with a comfortable 21-13 21-16 result over Malaysia’s Liew Daren. Son had earlier fought past India’s Kashyap Parupalli, 23-21 21-16, in the semi-finals, while Liew made it past Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chun-Wei 21-13 21-7.
The Women’s Doubles final was an all-Korea affair, with Jung Kyung Eun/Shin Seung Chan prevailing over Chae Yoo Jung/Kim So Yeong 21-14 21-14.
Top seeds Jung/Shin recorded victories over Japan’s Shiho Tanaka/Koharu Yonemoto (21-13 21-15) in the quarter-finals and Japan’s Ayako Sakuramoto/Yukiko Takahata (21-12 21-17) in the semi-finals. Thaihot China Open champions Chang Ye Na/Lee So Hee were beaten by Kim So Yeong/Chae Yoo Jung in a thrilling quarter-final, 20-22 21-13 24-22.
Sung Ji Hyun (featured image) eased past compatriot Lee Jang Mi in the Women’s Singles final, 21-8 21-10. Sung had little trouble during her campaign, winning all of her matches in straight games. Lee Jang Mi swept past Japan’s Ayumi Mine in the quarter-finals and Natsuki Nidaira (also Japan) in the semi-finals in straight games.
Thai Mixed Doubles pair Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai stood in the way of a Korean sweep. The Thais fought level with top seeds Ko Sung Hyun/Kim Ha Na in the first game before their challenge melted in the second as they fell 21-19 21-16 in 36 minutes.
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