A new world badminton era is on its way!

Following the international tournaments held in November, the BWF world rankings released on December 7 showed clear changes.

The members of the “Top 10 Club” in the first half of this year are facing a serious challenge from new generation players. China’s women’s singles player Li Xue Rui has accumulated a large number of points in the last 12 months, has shot up the rankings and is now less than 400 points behind current world No. 1 Wang Yi Han. Peter Gade, Jung Jae Sung, Lee Hyun Il and other top players who retired after the London Olympics are also gradually disappearing from the “Top 10 Club.”

The top ranking players in all five badminton disciplines at present are as follows: men’s singles Lee Chong Wei, women’s singles Wang Yi Han, men’s doubles  Mogensen/Boe, women’s doubles Tian Qing / Zhao Yun Lei, mixed doubles Xu Zhen / Ma Jin.

World University Badminton Championship (11/6-11/11)

South Korea sent out their big gun in the form of double Olympic medal winner Lee Yong Dae (gold at the Beijing Olympics in the mixed doubles, bronze at the London Olympic in the men’s doubles).

Despite playing in both the mixed doubles and the men’s doubles, Lee was able to maintain good form throughout and helped South Korea to a 3-0 victory over China to take the World University Badminton Championship team title.  

China Open Super Series Premier Ko Sung Hyun / Lee Yong Dae take second (11/13-11/18)

After the retirement of South Korea’s team captain, Jung Jae Sung, the coaching team needed to find a player with a lethal smash to partner Lee Yong Dae ; Ko Sung Hyun, famous for his fierce smashes, was the perfect choice.

The pair took the men’s doubles title in the first international tournament they played together, the French Open Super Series, and then, soon after, beat the winners of the men’s doubles gold at this year’s London Olympics, Cai Yun / Fu Hai Feng, and world ranked No. 5 pair, Japan’s Hayakawa Kenichi / Endo Hiroyuki, on their way to taking second place at the China Open Super Series Premier 2012.

According to the BWF’s tournament classification system the Macau Open is a Grand Prix Gold tournament like the Taipei Open. Tsai Chia Hsin / Lee Sheng Mu took their first international title  since they became a doubles partnership at the Macau Open !

In the final of the men’s doubles they faced Russia’s Ivanov / Sozonov, winning 14:21, 21L17 and 21:14, their will to win overcoming tough opposition after going one game down.Let’s hope more victory on the international stage follow’s the pair’s first international tournament win.

BWF World Rankings for November 2012