It was quarterfinal day at the 2012 Yonex Australian Badminton Open, where Japan were the big winners of the day, securing a semi final spot in each of the five disciplines. The biggest upset of the day was in the women’s singles, with last year’s runner-up, seventh seed, Porntip Buranaprasertsuk, who lost to world number 92, Han Li of China in a close three-setter lasting just over an hour.

The Seeds & Key Match Ups

Wang Lin (CHN) vs Bae Youn Joo (5) (KOR)

For the third time this week, at a crucial juncture, 19-18 in the second set, and one set down, a net shot from 2010 world champion, Wang Lin, saved her chances and she made the most of it to grab the set 23-21.

It was a lukewarm start from both players, consisting of three quarter court clears to get used to the conditions and feel each other's game. Bae Youn Joo had not played Wang recently, and Wang Lin was about to play a foreign top 10 calibre player which has rarely happened in the last eight months.

The action heated up in the second set, with the Chinese smashing winners on any conservative returns her opponent lost her nerve, and the Korean rescuing and inventing lovely net play.

The rubber set went into overtime too. Bae again looked like the obvious victor leading 20-17, but Wang as we had come to expect, had other plans and reeled the situation to 21-20, her own match point. At these points in one's life, you don't have much time to think, and each lady bet on their winning game plan so Wang went for her smashes and Bae stayed with long rallies and net shots. In going for the aggressive shots, Wang's couple of unforced errors cost her the match.

The first match of the day was worth the price of the ticket alone. It was a thrilling one hour and three minutes 21-14, 21-23, 23-21 to the Korean, who gave respectful praise to her Chinese opponent after the match. "She may not be the same version as I used to know, but I realise it was just her last few unforced errors that meant my victory today."

Taufik Hidayat (5) (INA) vs Sho Sasaki (2) (JPN)

The Japanese endeared himself to the audience despite being on court with one of the most famous badminton players of all time. His heavy outright winner smashes were greeted with applause as he romped through the first set to win 21-11.

It is a remarkable achievement in itself because the Good Friday public holiday full crowd had come to see Taufik Hidayat, the former Olympic and world champion play.

The Indonesian, as all experienced players and geniuses do, learnt quickly and found his sharper game in the second set, but in terms of both inspiration and perspiration he had a little less than the Japanese today and talent can only take you so far as 20. It is what you do with it that counts.

Hidayat gave a match point to the defending champion when he framed an easy backhand block, thus scaring the crowd, only to level it straight away with a drive rally ending in a swift backhand midcourt kill that made the crowd overjoyed, he is the backhand king after all. The litmus test was 20-20 all but he couldn't take the second set that he desperately needed using his defensive skills against Sho's, by now, confident smashes and with crowd support. The final point was a drive rally which the left handed Japanese ended with a graze to slow the shuttle down and make it die around the Indonesian's forehand forecourt.

Reiko Shiota/ Shintaro Ikeda (5) (JPN) versus Kang Ji Wook/ Choi Hye In (KOR)

The sun rose over Korea and scorched their mixed doubles pair today. Japan's former women's doubles top 10 specialist Reiko Shiota is now comfortable in her second career as a mixed doubles assassin at the net and won the first set 21-15.

The second set was closer for the fifth seeds and they felt it was just the sort of preparation they needed going into the semi-finals. It was 20-20 in the second set, but they remained focused on their game plan to take the next two points and the Match, 21-15, 22-20.

Shiota, a Maria Sharapova-like cover girl for the badminton world, gave all youngsters the benefit of her experience when she said, "you mustn't lose your nerve at critical points, you cannot not go for your shots whether you choose to be defensive or aggressive."

Vita Marissa/ Nadya Melati (INA) vs Miyuki Maeda/ Satoko Suetsuna (1) (JPN)

Yesterday, the top seeded Japanese pair Miyuki Maeda and Satoko Suetsuna made minced meat of their Thai opponents, however, they were put through the mincer in the today's first against set against Indonesians Vita Marissa and Nadya Melati, who led 4-0 and then took it home all the way 21-15, never losing the lead.

The second set was classic women's doubles, with long rallies from all four women as they probed for weaknesses. Scores stayed close from the middle of the second set but with the Japanese narrowly ahead. Once comfortable with the lead and the status quo of their Indonesian opponents abilities, they took the set and as well as the first eight points in the decider. The Japanese replicated the previous day's success against the Thais and attacked relentlessly to win the match 15-21, 21-15, 21-10.

Chieh Min Fang/ Sheng Mu Lee (3) (TPE) vs Naoki Kawamae/ Shoji Sato (5) (JAP)

Shoji Sato, renown as the fastest man in men's badminton, singles or doubles, was in the first set happily executing multiple drop shots from the corner to corner at the rear, followed by one hard smash and then his partner, Naoki Kawamae would jump and wrist smash from the mid court to end the point. This was their favoured formation and the energetic Japanese won the first set, 21-17.

The Japanese were not obviously tired to the spectators, but they had clearly taken their foot off the pedal. After a series of rallies, where both pairs tried to adjust to the other side of the court and framed a bunch of shots, the Chinese Taipei pair, Lee Sheng Mu and Fang Chieh Min, discovered Sato was tending to defend continually and they ramped up the jump smashes again. This plan did not reward initially, but they persisted and the Japanese pair eventually began to dismantle.

This men's doubles was the perfect remaining match of the day, as the crowd did not leave after Chen Jin won his singles. In a classic case of the ‘hare and the tortoise,’ Lee and Fang continued with a barrage of smashes into the rubber set and the Japanese decided to defend from a step and a half further back than normal. This was exploited by whichever was the front person in the Lee and Fang combination, who still had the energy to leap and kill to the floor whereas the Japanese smash had lost it's sting. The Chinese Taipei pair ultimately won 17-21, 21-12, 21-14.

Next Up?

We are at the business end of the tournament with semifinals on day five. Matches to watch:

MD Markis Kido/ Hendra Setiawan (6) (INA) vs Angga Pratama/ Ryan Agung (8) (INA)
XD Shintaro Ikeda/ Reiko Shiota (5) (JPN) vs Peng Soon Chan/ Liu Soon Chan (3) (MAS)
MS Tien Minh Nguyen (4) (VIE) vs Sho Sasaki (2) (JPN)
WS Ai Goto (JPN) vs Bae Youn Joo (5) (KOR)
MS Chen Jin (1) (CHN) vs Simon Santoso (3) (INA)

Limited tickets are still available at the venue for the semifinals. Matches commence at 2pm.

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