50th ranked Kim Song I was looking to cause another upset in the Rio Olympics, this time against the top seed Ding Ning. The 21-year-old has been on quite a run taking out higher ranked players en route to the semifinals. For Ding, it has been as straightforward as it can get as she looks to join Li Xiaoxia in the finals.
However, it wasn’t all that straightforward for Ding against the defensive style of Kim. The Korean caused the Chinese to drop her first ever game here. It was a high-quality match with some sensational rallies and a lot of fight from the Korean. In the end, Ding was able to see through it defeating Kim 11-5, 9-11, 11-6, 11-3, 11-9 to earn the right to fight for the gold medal.
Defense - attack
It was tight start before Ding took control. Kim was using her defense to stay in the rallies to try and unsettle the Chinese at the start of the match. However, Ding was well up to the task and soon had six game points after an error from Kim. The Korean saved one with a little bit of help from the net but that was it as Ding wrapped up the first game 11-5 conceding just two points on her own serve.
Kim turns it up a notch and levels the match
Ding was usually patient and waited for the right moment in the rallies to unleash a fierce shot. Kim kept up with Ding trying to draw errors from the Chinese and she took a lead for the first time for 3-1. In perhaps the longest rally of the match thus far, which saw all kinds of defensive and attacking shots, Kim eventually came up tops to further extend her lead to 6-3. However, the top seed came charging back winning the next five points to take over the lead for 8-6.
A couple of good serves from the Korean leveled the game 8-8 as the game got tighter. Kim was able to switch gear when she needed to and it paid off giving her game points at 10-8. Even though Ding saved one of those she couldn’t rescue the next point as top seeds dropped a game for the first time in the entire tournament.
Ding regroups
That dropped game only seemed to spur the top seed on as she used her variety of shots to great effect to lead 5-1 in the third game. Kim showed she can attack as well winning a couple of points with some aggressive shots to close the gap to 4-6. She tried it one more time looking to level for 6-6 but her shot sailed wide as Ding edged ahead 7-5. The Korean’s tactic was clearly about defending well before turning on the attack. However, Ding took control towards the end and closed out the game 11-6 as Kim missed her serve, to take a 2-1 lead.
Aggressive Ding tough for Kim to handle
Even though Ding started the fourth game well taking a 3-1 lead, the Korean’s subsequent angled shot in the other direction left the Chinese scrambling and almost caused her to lose her footing. Ding regrouped and in another amazing rally showed some great footwork and shot-making to extend her lead to 8-3. The top seed’s focus was top notch winning yet another enticing rally before gaining seven game points as Kim’s shot found the net. The Korean was pushed too far back and Ding grabbed game 11-3.
Kim gives it her all but Ding sees it out
In a must-win game for the Korean, she was immediately down 1-3. Her coach then called a timeout in an attempt to give some advice as to how to turn this around. Kim was hanging on with some great defensive work and fought back to 3-4. The Korean was giving it all and she came back to level the game 5-5.
The game was heating up now as the rallies got longer. At 6-6, Ding then reeled off three points in a row. She failed to seize her chance though allowing Kim to peg her back to 8-9. Ding’s coach then called a timeout which looked to have helped her refocus as she set up match points at 10-8. Kim, still fighting, saved one but there was no stopping Ding from claiming the game 11-9 and clinching the victory.