Meet the Women’s Doubles Contenders

Liu Sheng Shu (right) and Tan Ning

Meet the Women’s Doubles Contenders

Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning’s ascent to the top has been swift and belies their youthful age. They have taken on the mantle of the great Chen Qing Chen/Jia Yi Fan combo as China’s best pair, and will be looking for their first season-ending title.

This year saw them set a hot six-month streak when they won six titles from seven finals, capturing the World Championships and the Asian crown. They will be the pair to beat on home turf in Hangzhou.

The top Chinese pair apart, the competition is quite even among the other pairs. Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan have had a brilliant season, winning three titles from seven finals. If they do go all the way in Hangzhou, they will become the first Malaysian pair to title at the World Tour Finals.

The field includes the top two Japanese and Korean pairs; all four are capable of challenging for the title. Baek Ha Na/Lee So Hee have had a somewhat uneven year, and will be looking to sign off on a high when they defend their title.

The relative minnows in the field are Hsieh Pei Shan/Hung En-Tzu, who won two Super 300 titles in their breakout season.

Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning

Season Highlights:

Gold: World Championships
Winners: Badminton Asia Championships, Malaysia Masters, Indonesia Open, Japan Open, China Open
Runners-up: Swiss Open

Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan

Season Highlights:

Silver: World Championships
Winners: Thailand Open, Arctic Open, Kumamoto Masters
Runners-up: Indonesia Masters, Indonesia Open, Japan Open

Kim Hye Jeong/Kong Hee Yong