South Korea’s Kim Ga Ram steps forward and extends for the lob return against Japan’s Tomoka Miyazaki during the women’s singles finals of the Northern Marianas Open 2023 at the Ada gym on Sunday.
Chinese-Taipei’s Wei Chun Wei and Wu Guan Xun won the men’s doubles event of the Northern Marianas Open 2023 Sunday at the Ada gym.
SOUTH Korea and Chinese-Taipei (Taiwan) claimed two and three titles, respectively, in the finale of the Northern Marianas Open 2023 Sunday at the Ada gym.
Following Chinese-Taipei’s Hsu Ya Ching and Lin Wan Ching winning the women’s doubles title and Liao Jhou-Fu clinching the men’s singles title, their compatriots Wei Chun Wei and Wu Guan Xun outlasted South Korea’s Jin Yong and Na Sung Seung in a three-game match to bag the men’s doubles title.
Wei Chun Wei and Wu Guan Xun established dominance early in game one as their aggressiveness and quick reactions overwhelmed Jin Yong and Na Sung Seung, 21-11.
But the South Korean pair bounced back in game two to catch their opponents off guard and clinch the win, 21-15, to tie the match.
The South Koreans tried to ride the momentum in the third and final game, but the Chinese-Taipei duo found their second wind, scoring seven straight points to notch victory, 21-18, and secure the men’s doubles title.
Women’s singles
In the women’s singles championship, South Korea’s Kim Ga Ram defeated Japan’s Tomoka Miyazaki in a hard-fought three-game match
Miyazaki’s consistency was the key factor in game one as she carefully picked her shots, attacking Kim’s weakside to secure the first win, 21-15.
Miyazaki continued to thrive in game two as she scored seven consecutive points. However, Kim cooked up a late-game rally and managed to bag the win, 25-23, to force a third and final game.
Kim’s ability to return with accuracy was her biggest strength, forcing Miyazaki to lob returns which then allowed Kim to unleash powerful smashes, en route to victory, 21-13, and the women’s singles title.
Team South Korea also bagged the mixed doubles title after Wang Chan and Shin Seung Chan outscored Japan’s Hashiru Shimono and Miku Shigeta, 21-13, 21-15.
