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(Photo: Badmintonphoto)
Selena Piek/ Cheryl Seinen go down fighting
Date: 7/29/2021 3:50 PM
Published by : Yash Sharma
The Dutch duo lost in straight games to Korean pair Lee Sohee/ Shin Seungchan. Elsewhere, there were disappointments for the Japanese as they hope to claim a sole bronze medal across all doubles categories. 

Following a surprise loss to Maiken Fruergaard/ Sara Thygesen, Lee Sohee/ Shin Seungchan have regrouped very well. The fourth seeds reached the semifinals in Tokyo as they outplayed the Dutch pair of Selena Piek/ Cheryl Seinen. 

The unseeded athletes lost the opener quickly but put up a much better fight in the second game. The final scoreline read 21-8, 21-17. 

- I think we were too impatient. We tried to score too quickly because we knew we had the drift with us, Piek justified the lopsided scoreline in the first game. 

- I think they started off really well with a good pressure. It is hard to play against this pair because they are a really attacking pair, so we have to come out of the defence, Seinen added. 

Overall, the Dutch were not sad with their performance.

- We’re pretty good at seeing things in perspective. It’s not a very narrow game we lost. We felt like we came close in the second, but I think we have to admit that the Koreans were simply way better than us today, they acknowledged. 

A marathon match 
Lee/ Shin next face Greysia Polii/ Apriyani Rahayu. The Indonesians emerged victorious after a monumental battle against Du Yue/ Li Yin Hui that lasted almost 100 minutes: 21-15, 20-22, 21-17. 

- I want to be emotional but I prefer not to be. We still have another match. Today, we thank God that we are in the semifinals and I think that's the best way to think about it. Our thoughts must be to focused on the next few days, Polii is determined to go all the way. 

A nightmare for Japan
The top two Japanese pairs were heavy favourites to make the women’s doubles final. However, they exited the tournament today, in suit with the host country’s shocking exits from both the men’s categories earlier. 

While Mayu Matsumoto/ Wakana Nagahara failed to convert a whole host of match points against Kim Soyeong/ Kong Heeyong and lost 21-14, 14-21, 28-26.

- We did not give up. We tried to challenge our opponents at the net. That was the tactic we developed together, Kong was ecstatic.

- Matsumoto is a very tall, powerful player and she made it difficult for us. But the main thing was we never gave up all the way to the end, Kim underlined.

- We are really disappointed we couldn’t win and deliver the victory for the Japanese people, Nagahara sighed. 

The top seeds Yuki Fukushima/ Sayaka Hirota withered away in face of a solid game by the Chinese duo Chen Qingchen/ Jia Yifan, after winning the first game. They lost 18-21, 21-10, 21-10. 
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