Chen, Carolina face contrasting draws

Saeed Hareb, Secretary General Dubai Sports Council addresses the Press conference for the BWF Dubai World Super series Final. India' s Saina Nehwal looks on.

The time has come for the world to see who the best badminton players for the season are when the Dubai World Superseries Finals 2015 gets going at the Hamdan Sports Complex off the Emirates Highway from Dec. 9-13.
The world's top eight singles players and doubles pairs will battle it out in the league-cum-knockout championship that offers $1 million in prize money.
In the men's singles, defending champion Chen Long has a relatively easier pool before he can walk to the semis stage. Pool A sees Chen, the undisputed king of the modern era for the past two seasons, having Denmark's Jan O Jorgensen, China's Tian Houwei who replaces the injured former five-time world champion Lin Dan (China) due to injury, and Hong Kong's dark horse Hu Yun as company.
"Returning to Dubai is great. This reception in the city was warm when I won the title last season and this year there is no extra pressure on me except to go and enjoy the matches in front of the appreciative crowd," said Chen.
Group B includes Japanese youngster Kento Momota heading the section as the event's second seed. In the same qualifying zone are Denmark's dangerous and highly talented Viktor Axelsen, Chinese Taipei exponent Chou Tien Chen and Indian youngster Kidambi Srikanth, a semifinalist here last year.
The women's singles will this time see the maiden appearance of Carolina Marin, the Spanish two-time world champion. She heads the seedings list and has the tougher of the two pools in Group A. Tough Japanese Nozomi Okuhara who is one of the fastest retrievers the sport has scene in recent years, will be one of Carolina's main hurdles to cross while seasoned campaigners, Saina Nehwal of India, a former world number one, and Taiwanese Tai Tzu Ying, the defending champ who boasts of a backhand that can match the men's singles players, are expected to make Carolina's life difficult.
"When I go out to play I do not think of reputation. It's just myself and the opponent on the particular day. The draw sees a slightly tougher bunch in Pool A but we have come here to prove that we are world class. This year I have lost to two of the players in my pool but that is not going to deter me," said Carolina.
Group B in women's action has Chinese former world topper Wang Shixian as the second seed for the Dubai year-ender. She has dates with her team-mate and also a former world number one - Wang Yihan, Thai world champion two seasons ago Ratchanok Intanon and the runner-up here last year, Sung Ji-hyun of South Korea.
The men's doubles sees the return of top seeds and defending champions Lee Yong Dae and Yoo Yeon Seong of South Korea where Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen of Denmark are the second rated pair.
Women's doubles has world leaders Luo Ying and Luo Yu, the Chinese twins as the top seeds followed by the second rated Danes Christina Pedersen and Kamila Rytter Juhl who are expected to give the twins a run for their money along with the other seasoned and upcoming pairings. The mixed event will see doubles legend Zhai Yunlei partnering Zhang Nan to defend the crown with another Chinese pairing Liu Cheng and Bao Yixin coming in the second seeds slot.
After the draw on Monday morning, Emirates Airline announced their backing for the event starting this year till 2017.
Attending the draw on the top table were players Chen, Carolina, Christinna Pedersen of Denmark, Yoo and Saina; along with Alastair Ruxton, chief operating officer, Falcon and Associates; Saeed Hareb, secretary general, Dubai Sports Council; Khalid Al Serkal, Emirates Airline, district manager, Sharjah and Northern Emirates; and Denmark's Poul-Erik Hoyer, former Olympic champion and head of BWF.
moni@khaleejtimes.com