In their second venture down to the Middle East,
Ko Sung Hyun and
Kim Ha Na remained perfect with four tense three-game triumphs that sent them into their first final, before falling to the husband-and-wife partnership of the Adcocks.
One of the major surprises was Hong Kong’s Olympic hopes
Lee Chun Hei and
Chau Hoi Wah. The mixed doubles pair took down World Champion teams Zhang/Zhao,
Tontowi Ahmad/
Liliyana Natsir to move into the semifinals before losing to
Ko/
Kim. Lee and Chau are the 2014 Asian Champs and the runners-up in the 2015 event. With the semifinal showing in Dubai, now they are almost certain to earn their berth into the Rio Summer Olympic Games taking place next August.