Selena Piek and Cheryl Seinen are ready for the All England semifinals.
At least one European women’s doubles will walk on court on semifinals day at the All England. The 2019 European Games champions, Selena Piek and Cheryl Seinen, came out on top against their Indian opponents.
Before Today’s match up the Dutch had never played Ashwini Ponnappa and N. Sikki Reddy before, but from the beginning of the opening game, the Dutch game plan worked out well. Piek and Seinen took a five-point lead at 12-7, but from 15-15, the Indians controlled.
Surviving four game points
Ponnappa and Reddy took the lead, but there is no glory, if you cannot get the job done. Piek and Seinen survived four games point before winning the opening game 24-22.
- We were pretty surprised that they beat the Stoeva sisters. We prepared ourselves really well mentally and physically for a long match, and we were prepared to work hard. We really handled the drift well, Selena Piek said.
Did not look back
After winning the first game it was one way traffic for the Dutch. Selena Piek and Cheryl Seinen are ready for their first ever All England semifinal after winning the second game 21-12.
- It was so mentally important that we won that first game, and in the second game we did not look back, Piek stated.
- Our communication was good, especially in the first game. I was a bit down because I made some easy mistakes, and when the communication is positive, you can hype each other and even come back, Seinen added.
Facing Japan
Seinen and Piek, who are ranked 24 in the world, will be facing the top seeds, Fukushima/Hirota, Japan in the semifinals.
- It is quite a surreal feeling being in the semifinals. Of course, we have to take into account that the Indonesians are out, but we are really happy that we won our matches.
- It is still the semifinals at All England, Piek said.