Kim Yu-jeong and Lee Yu-rim secured a dramatic comeback victory to advance to the semifinals of the Korea Open women’s doubles. I really didn’t think we could win, I couldn’t even imagine it,
Kim said after the match, which saw the pair drop the opening game before rallying to win 2-1 (17-21, 21-8, 22-20) against China’s Li Jing-Wang Yiduo.
Controversial Call Fuels Comeback
The match reached a tense climax in the final game, where a contentious call shifted momentum. With the score tied at 20-20, Kim Yu-jeong believed a shot that landed on the line was called in. I thought it was good after I hit it. I saw the referee make a let call,
she explained. But suddenly the chief referee declared it out. I couldn’t help it, even though I knew I shouldn’t have, I just threw my racket.
Despite the momentary lapse, the pair regained their composure. We were down just one point, and I thought if we didn’t stay calm, the same thing would happen again. We told each other to forget the call and just focus on playing again,
Kim stated.
Doubles Partnership Forges Ahead
This victory marks the first time the Kim Yu-jeong-Lee Yu-rim duo, who began playing together this year, have reached the semifinals of a Super 500 tournament. Their partnership has shown rapid improvement, with previous successes including a title at the Vietnam Open (Super 100) and an 8th finish at the Indonesia Masters (Super 500). I just thought we could try, so I never imagined we would get this far.
It feels great to be here,
Kim said. I think we made a lot of mistakes at first, but as we improved on that, I think the team we have now was formed,
she reflected. The pair credited their success to mutual support, with Kim adding, I’ve had so many unexpected experiences with her.
I could never have gotten here on my own.
She encouraged me and led me well, and we relied on each other to get here.
Korea’s Last Hope in Women’s Doubles
As the sole remaining Korean team in the women’s doubles, Kim and Lee will face China’s Chen Pantian-Luo Xumin in the semifinals. They are the last Korean representatives after Kim Hye-jung-Lee Yeon-ou lost to Japan’s Hirokami Rui-Hobara Sayaka in the quarterfinals. Kim Yu-jeong expressed a sense of responsibility, We don’t feel much pressure. We beat national team players in the first round to get here, so we feel we have a responsibility to the Korean team. We will try our best in tomorrow’s match.
Lee Yu-rim echoed this sentiment, focusing on enjoyment. There’s no pressure. It’s our first Super 500 semifinal together. I told her to enjoy it today, and I think that worked well. We will also enjoy it tomorrow,
she said. Both players thanked the fans who traveled to Yeosu for their support, with Kim stating, Thank you so much for coming all the way to Yeosu. I think we won thanks to your cheering. We hope you will cheer for us in the semifinals and final too.
