(Yeosu = Yonhap News) Reporter Oh Myeong-eon = Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho (Samsung Life Insurance), the world's No. 1 badminton men's doubles team, could not control their joy at the moment of victory, hitting a resurgent smash that quenched their long thirst for victory after 7 months at home.
When the last championship point was scored, Kim Won-ho knelt down on the court and roared, and Seo Seung-jae also clenched his fists and cheered wildly.
Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho defeated world No. 14 Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi (Japan) 2-1 (21-12 20-22 21-19) in the men's doubles final of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Super 500 Korea Open held at Jinnam Gymnasium in Yeosu, Gwangju, Jeollanam-do on the 8th.
The two players, who met in the common coverage area (mixed zone) after the game, agreed that this win would be a definite turning point for the rest of the season.
Seo Seung-jae said, "We played better all week as we played with the fans' enthusiastic support," and added, "We gained a lot of confidence from this win, and I think we will be able to do better in the remaining competitions as well."
Kim Won-ho also said, “I regained a lot of the confidence I lost while playing the game,” and added, “With this tournament as an opportunity, I will approach every moment with confidence in future tournaments.”
With this win, the two players went through a long tunnel of sluggishness and put an end to their thirst for victory.
After reaching the top of the Asian Championships last April, they had not won in the last 9 international competitions, including the Asian Games, but won valuable gold medals in 10 competitions and in 7 months.
Due to the nature of the men's doubles sport, the skills of the world's top ranked players are just a page apart, so just getting on the podium consistently is a great achievement.
However, considering the overwhelming power of those who swept the championships in 11 competitions last season, it was a somewhat disappointing move.
Seo Seung-jae said, "Last year's performance was so good that there were many moments when it did not meet expectations. I thought it was a stepping stone for further growth and held on," but joked, "But that period ended up being too long."
He smiled and said, “There were times when I lost confidence, but thanks to the enthusiastic support of the fans at home, I found my confidence again and it feels good.”
The finals that day were not smooth. They took the lead by easily winning the first game, but after allowing a comeback in the second half of the second game, they lost the set in a close deuce match and had to fight a bloody battle all the way to the final game.
Kim Won-ho reflected, “The moment the win was confirmed, the tension was so great throughout the game that I unconsciously lost strength in my legs and collapsed.”
He added, “Every time the desperate desire to win came up, I suppressed it and kept telling myself, ‘Let’s just focus on our play.’”
Now, the two players will check their condition and decide whether to participate in the Kumamoto Masters held in Japan next week.
The ultimate goal is to continue this momentum perfectly at the World Tour Finals, which is like a ‘battle of kings’ at the end of the year.
Seo Seung-jae expressed his determination, saying, “I will prepare thoroughly so that I can fully incorporate all the processes I have encountered this year into the final competition.”
Kim Won-ho also said, “There have been many ups and downs, but I have continued to make up for my shortcomings,” and pledged, “I will show a better performance based on what I have solidified in the last competition of the year.”
