(LEAD) (Olympics) 2 S. Korean teams eliminated in badminton women’s doubles quarterfinals

Two South Korean teams were both knocked out in the quarterfinals of the women's doubles in badminton at the Paris Olympics on Thursday. Baek Hana and Lee So-hee, world No. 2, lost to the third-ranked team from China, Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning, by 2-0 (21-9, 21-13) in the quarterfinals at La Chapelle Arena in Paris. Earlier in the day, Kim So-yeong and Kong Hee-yong, the 2021 Olympic bronze medalists, lost to 12th-ranked Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan of Malaysia 2-0 (21-12, 21-13). These losses meant South Korea will not compete for a medal in the women's doubles, after winning bronze at each of the past two competitions. Lee finished fourth in Tokyo with another partner, Shin Seung-chan, after losing to Kim and Kong in the bronze medal match. She teamed up with Baek for Paris but didn't even get to the semifinals this time. Baek and Lee were not able to exert any control against Liu and Tan. In the first game, the Chinese team held a 9-6 lead before reeling off nine straight points to blow things wide open. South Korea managed just three more points the rest of the first game. Things weren't that much different in the second game. China turned a 10-8 lead into a 15-8 advantage in a hurry, with Lee either sending her returns long or into the net. The South Koreans never led in bowing out 21-13. The Kim-Kong team and the Baek-Lee team were on the opposite sides of the bracket. They were on a course to meet either in the final or the bronze medal match, but that possibility was erased with the loss by Kim and Kong early Thursday. Kim and Kong went down 7-0 in the first game against Malaysia before the match was barely five minutes old. They never led in that frame and struggled to establish any rhythm as the Malaysians dictated the match. The second game played a bit tighter at the onset, and Kim's winner gave South Korea a 7-5 lead. But then the Malaysians won four straight points to grab an 11-8 lead. Down 13-10, South Korea pushed back to draw even at 13-13. But Kim and Kong didn't win another po int the rest of the way, as Malaysia finished off the helpless South Koreans with eight unanswered points. Source: Yonhap News Agency