Final Games of 2011

 Games terakhir tahun 2011 diadakan kelmarin (30/12/2011) di Melati Court...

 Keceriaan terserlah..walaupun si Zahari ni pancit....he..he... tapi tetap semangat

 Aksi bertenaga Shahrul-Helmi berhadapan Hisyam-Hanif

Raket faiz patah.....pada games terakhir, boleh la sambar baru untuk aksi tahun 2012...

End of a proud record

Lee Chong Wei’s reign as the undisputed Superseries Finals champion came to an abrupt end on Saturday after a close and exciting contest against Chen Long (below), on Saturday.

The Malaysian world No. 1, who was bidding to win the season-ending tournament for the fourth consecutive time, found the local hero too hot to handle and lost in three-games to exit the Li Ning BWF World Superseries Finals at the semi-final stage.

It was Chong Wei’s fourth defeat in nine meetings against Chen Long, but more significantly, it was his third loss to the former world junior champion since September.

The Chinese shuttler has certainly picked the right time to find a way to beat Chong Wei with the Olympics just eight months away and the race to be the top seed for the London Games now wide open after the latter’s latest loss.

Although Chong Wei (right), should retain his top ranking until the end of the year, two major tournaments in the first half of January – Korea and Malaysia Opens – means the All England champion would need to bounce back strongly or he could lost his coveted position at the top of the rankings by February.

The 21-16, 16-21, 21-18 victory will certainly boost Chen Long’s confidence going into Sunday’s final where he will meet four-time world champion Lin Dan, a player he has yet to beat in three attempts.

After a humiliating opening round defeat at the World Championships to Guatemala’s Kevin Cordon, Chen Long has returned stronger and fitter and won three consecutive OSIM BWF World Superseries tournaments in China, Japan and Denmark.

He and Lin Dan (left), are the only two players to beat Chong Wei this season and he has since risen to No. 3 in the world standings.

Against Chong Wei on Saturday, the Chinese shuttler was the more aggressive player and had 24 smash winners.

Even when he was trailing, he never gave up and from 14-10 down in the opening game, won 11 of the next 13 points to stun Chong Wei.

Chong Wei controlled the tempo of the second game and dominated the net which gave him the advantage. Having learnt his mistake from the opening game, he never let up when he was in the lead and squared the match with a 21-16 victory.

Backed by a partisan home crowd, Chen Long came out firing on all cylinders in the decider to take the first three points.

It was a lead he never squandered and while Chong Wei finally drew level at 18-18 that was the best he could do as Chen Long took the final three points to end the 80-minute contest and gain an important psychological victory.

Lin Dan, meanwhile, was always in control against Danish veteran Peter Gade (right), a player he hugely respects, but one he has always had the winning edge over.

It was no different this time round as the reigning Olympic champion scored a 21-12, 21-15 victory in 41 minutes for his 16^th career win from 19 meetings against Gade.

World Superseries Finals: Chong Wei and Lin Dan move into the semis while promoting life stories

ONE has written his autobiography. The other is producing a documentary about his life on court. The two great rivals of men’s badminton are also busy embellishing their legends at the Super Series Masters Finals here.
Lee Chong Wei and Lin Dan showed that they are not only old time rivals on the court but equally competitive in the promotion of the sport that they love by telling their life stories to inspire the younger generation.
Yesterday, top seed Chong Wei and four-time world champion Lin Dan spoke of their promotional activities after underlining their supremacy to march into the semi-finals of the Masters Finals as the Group A and Group B champions respectively at the Li Ning Gymnasium.
Chong Wei will take on Chen Long of China today while Lin Dan will cross swords with old warrior Peter-Gade Christensen of Denmark in another top four battle.

Storyteller: The front cover of Lee Chong Wei’s autobiography “Dare to be a Champion”.

Yesterday, Chong Wei, who had already qualified for the semis, made the mistake of taking it easy before prevailing 24-22, 21-14 over the 35-year-old Christensen in a 33-minute final Group A match.
The Malaysian had started off superbly by taking a 11-4 lead before deciding to take his feet off the pedal. It was a big mistake as the Dane took advantage and managed to level the tie at 16-16 and kept pressing before losing 22-24.
Christensen was a spent force in the second and Chong Wei did his usual thing to restore order and romp home.
Chong Wei was happy to stay on track in his mission to win the Masters Finals title for the fourth time.
”I eased up after taking a huge lead and Peter almost turned the tables on me. Fortunately, I hung on. I take on Chen Long next and it will not be easy,” said Chong Wei.
”The youngster is playing well. He has the height, an aggressive approach and a good physique. I will have to deal with him patiently if I harbour hopes of making the final.” said Chong Wei, 29.
The Malaysian ace lost to Chen Long in the Japan and Denmark Opens this year before he got his revenge at the France Open.
On his autobiography “Dare To Become A Champion” which will be launched on Jan 18, Chong Wei said: “The book is about the hardship I went through as a player. Hopefully, it will generate more interest among the youngsters.
“I heard that Lin Dan is coming out with a documentary about himself.
“This is good for the sport. It’s another way for us to tell our stories and get more youngsters into the game.”
Lin Dan, who tore apart Japan’s Kenichi Tago 21-11, 21-13 yesterday, was passionate about his new documentary.
”I have been with the national team for about 11 to 12 years and would like to document my journey. I treasure all the memories and want to record all my excellent matches with Chong Wei, Taufik (Hidayat) and Peter in this documentary,” he said.
”The idea was given to me after I won my fourth world title in August. Hopefully, I can produce it before I retire. This will be a gift for my fans. As I get older, I can also look back at all these good memories.”
On his 18th career match against Christensen today, Lin Dan joked: “I seem to be spending more time with Peter, Chong Wei and Taufik than my wife (Xie Xingfang). I meet them so often in the international stage.”
Courtesy of The Star

Hong Kong Open: Chong Wei go through, Hafiz falls to Indian shuttler

World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei marched into the quarter-finals of the men’s singles event on a day India stole the show in the Hong Kong Open yesterday.
Top seed Chong Wei streamrolled past Denmark’s rising star Viktor Axelsen 21-15, 21-11 in the second round to become the only Malaysian survivor in the penultimate leg of the Super Series event.
The 29-year-old was left alone to keep the Malaysian flag flying as the other representative – KLRC’s Mohd Hafiz Hashim – crashed out in the second round after losing 16-21, 15-21 to Ajay Jayaram of India.
With Hafiz’s defeat, Ajay will now take on Chong Wei for a place in the semi-final.
A good day for India became even better when junior player R.M.V. Gurusaidutt pulled off an upset 15-21, 21-7, 21-13 win over seventh seed Du Pengyu of China.
Another Chinese player lies in wait for him in the form of second seed and high-flying Chen Long.
Two other Chinese players – Lin Dan and Chen Jin – also checked into the last eight, where they will face South Korea’s Shon Wan-ho and Denmark’s Peter-Gade Christensen respectively.
Malaysia’s challenge in the doubles were completely wiped out with the exits of Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty and Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying.
National No. 1 women’s doubles pair Eei Hui-Pei Tty were made to look quite ordinary by top seeds Wang Xiaoli-Yu Yang of China in their 8-21, 16-21 loss in just 25 minutes.
Mixed doubles specialists Peng Soon-Liu Ying put up a better fight but it was still not good enough to beat the rising Korean pair of Ko Sung-hyun-Eom Hye-won. Peng Soon-Liu Ying went down 17-21, 15-21 in 30 minutes.
Courtesy of The Star

SEA GAMES: Doubles pair last men standing

Men's doubles pair Goh V Shem-Lim Khim Wah are the only Malaysians left standing in badminton after the national players fell like dominoes in the quarter-finals at Istora Senayan yesterday.

V Shem-Khim Wah had a trouble-free 21-5, 21-13 win over Myanmar's Than Lwin Aung-Thet Lwin Myint but can expect a more testing encounter in the semi-finals today when they take on former Olympic champions Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan.

The Malaysians can expect a hostile reception from the crowd as well after riling them during the pair's victory over Bona Septano-Mohammad Ahsan in Malaysia's 3-1 defeat to Indonesia in Tuesday's team final.

Coach Tan Kim Her, however, sees the match as one Indonesia cannot afford to lose and that could play into the hands of V Shem-Khim Wah.

"I have told them to just play as they always do and if you win, then good. Win or lose, as long as they go all out, that's the most important thing.

"They have already beaten the top seeds (Bona-Ahsan) so they have shown they have the ability to do it," said Kim Her.

The key to victory is trying to negate the ability of Markis-Hendra, who defeated Thailand's Bodin Isara-Maneepong Jongjit 21-17, 21-16, to return serve impeccably.

"My only worry is the (Indonesian's) return of serve. If V Shem-Khim Wah can overcome that,  they have a chance of scoring an upset."

Bona-Ahsan downed Ong Soon Hock-Mak Hee Chun 21-14, 21-13 in another quarter-final while Malaysian interest in the women's doubles ended with the 24-22, 21-15 defeat of Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei to Indonesia's Anneke Feinya Augustine-Nitya Krishinda.

Tee Jing Yi came close to reaching the semi-finals in the women's singles when she led 16-15 in the third game against Thailand's top-seeded Porntip Buranaprasertsuk only to twist  her ankle at a crucial moment.

The 20-year-old Jing Yi soldiered on in pain before succumbing 16-21, 21-14, 21-17 while Lydia Cheah also crashed out 23-21, 21-14 to Singapore's Fun Mingtian.

Thailand's top-seeded Sudket Prapakamol-Saralee Thoungthongkam beat Ong Jian Guo-Chong Sook Chin 21-8, 19-21, 21-13 in the mixed doubles while Liew Daren blew a 17-12 lead and three game points in the opening game against Indonesian men's singles top seed Taufik  Hidayat to go down 22-20, 21-12. Courtesy of New Straits Times

SEA GAMES: Kim Her confident

Lim Khim Wah (right) and Goh V Shem should come up against Indonesia’s Mohammad Ahsan-Bona Septano in the first doubles.

The odds have seldom been in Malaysia's favour when  playing Indonesia in a badminton team event in Jakarta,  and a familiar ending is likely in the men's final at Istora Senayan today.

Fielding a  team of second-liners, Malaysia have to put up with not just an Indonesian side laden with Olympic champions, but also a hostile capacity crowd.

How the youngsters handle the situation is anyone's guess but national coach Tan Kim Her has not ruled out the possibility of an upset.

"It's a final and anything can happen. It might seem impossible but you can never rule it out. Indonesia were almost beaten by Thailand in the semi-finals but they will be raring to play us in front of their home crowd.

"They have an advantage there but I think we can give them a good fight," said Kim Her.

Former Olympic champions Taufik Hidayat and Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan suffered surprise defeats against unheralded Thai opponents before Indonesia, 13-time Sea Games team champions, recovered to win 3-2.

Liew Daren should be facing Taufik in the opening singles while Goh V Shem-Lim Khim Wah will be up against Mohammad Ahsan-Bona Septano in the first doubles.

Arif Latif meets Simon Santoso and if the tie is still alive, Mak Hee Chun-Ong Soon Hock will attempt to score an upset against Markis-Hendra before Chong Wei Feng's third singles against Hayom Rumbaka or Tommy Sugiarto.

Indonesia defeated Malaysia 3-1 in the 2009 final in Vientiane and won by the same score when the two teams last met in Jakarta at the 2004 Thomas Cup quarter-finals.

Courtesy of New Straits Times

Lin Dan beats Chong Wei in Four Heavenly Kings Showdown

World No. 1 shuttler Lee Chong Wei was beaten by arch-rival Lin Dan again in a repeat of his devastating loss in the men’s singles final of the world championships in August.
The Malaysian suffered an almost identical defeat, losing 19-21, 21-12, 20-22, in the final of the Four Heavenly Kings Showdown tournament in the southern Chinese city of Dongguan in Guangdong province on Friday.
At the world championships in London, Chong Wei lost to his nemesis 20-22, 21-14, 23-21.
The biggest names in world badminton – Chong Wei, Lin Dan, Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia and Dane Peter Gade Christensen – were invited for the tournament held to commemorate the opening of the Li Yongbo Badminton Academy. Yongbo, China’s chief coach, is the adviser while badminton legend Tang Xianhu serves as the principal of the academy.
For his win, Lin Dan pocketed one million yuan (RM500,000) while Chong Wei received 400,000 yuan (RM200,000).
In the semi-finals, Lin Dan beat Taufik 21-13, 21-18 while Chong Wei scored an emphatic 21-11, 21-18 victory over Christensen. Taufik and Christensen got 200,000 yuan (RM100,000) each.
The next probable meeting between Chong Wei and Lin Dan could be the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Open Super Series starting on Tuesday.
Courtesy of The Star

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World Junior Championships: Nelson-Teo bury chokers’ tag with perfect show

or Nelson Heg Wei Keat-Teo Ee Yi, the thought of being dubbed as chokers was unbearable.
And driven to make a point, the duo gave a spotless performance to upstage top seed and Asian junior champions Huang Po-jui-Lin Chia-yu of Taiwan 21-17, 21-17 in the boys’ doubles final of the World Junior Championships in Taiwan yesterday.
Besides the Asian junior meet in India this year, they had also crashed out in the final of last year’s world junior meet.

Driven duo: Malaysia’s Nelson Heg Wei Keat (right) and Teo Ee Yi posing with the World Junior Championships doubles trophy Sunday.

Wei Keat was happy that they were able to bid farewell to their junior careers in style.
“We were determined not to make the mistakes of the past. At the Asian junior meet, we were over-confident and lacked focus. It saw us going down to the Taiwanese. Today, we were ready for them,” said an elated Wei Keat in a telephone interview yesterday.
“We proved that we can win in major tournaments and that means a lot to us.
“I missed my mother Yeoh Suh Nei’s birthday on Nov 4 and this title is my belated birthday gift for her.”
Ee Yi said that he was choked with emotion after breaking the jinx of losing in the finals and hoped that they could continue with their rise in the senior rank.

The duo will be under the charge of South Korean coach Yoo Yong-sung now that their junior days are over.
“This is really satisfying. We can now leave the junior ranks with a lot of confidence,” said Ee Yi.
“We will be promoted to the back-up squad now.
“It will not be easy in the senior ranks but we aim to become the country’s top pair like Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong in two years,” he added.
Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) doubles chief coach Yap Kim Hock was a proud man yesterday. It was his third world junior title with winning pairs after Ow Yao Han-Chooi Kah Ming (2009) and Yao Han-Yew Hong Kheng (2010).
“Our boys deserve a big pat on their backs. They worked hard and now, they reap their reward,” said Kim Hock.
“I just hope that this pair will be given time to prove their worth in the senior team. Hopefully, no swapping of partners will take place.
“They have proved themselves in the junior ranks. It is only fair to give them a chance to come good in the senior ranks.”
In the past, many of Malaysia’s world junior champion pairs sank into oblivion because of the heavy mix and match exercises.
Courtesy of The Star

World junior champ aims to take over mantle of national No. 1

Zulfadli Zulkifli stood tall in Taipei as tears of joy rolled down his cheeks yesterday. He had, after all, just conquered the world.
The 18-year-old Zulfadli had made history again as the first Malaysian to win the boys’ singles crown at the world junior badminton championships. He had, in April, been the first Malaysian to win the Asian junior crown in Lucknow, India.
And he pulled off the feat in style yesterday, beating the heavy favourite and defending champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark 21-18, 9-21, 21-19 in an enthralling 51-minute contest.

Zulfadli Zulkifli became the first Malaysian to win the world junior singles title.

Buoyed by the win, Zulfadli declared that he was on course to take over the mantle of national and world No. 1 from compatriot Lee Chong Wei when he calls it a day.
It was double joy for Malaysia when Nelson Heg Wei Keat-Teo Ee Yi successfully dumped local hopefuls and Asian junior champions Huang Po-jui-Lin Chia-yu 21-17, 21-17 to emerge as the country’s seventh boys’ doubles winners in the tournament’s 19-year history.
The focus was, however, all on Zulfadli as he had pulled off a feat that many - especially from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) banner - had failed to do before.
The player from professional club KLRC now has the world at his feet. The challenge Zulfadli faces is making that quantum leap to the senior level and take Malaysian badminton to even greater heights.
“The joy was indescribable. The sense of achievement in finally winning the world title was sheer ecstasy,” a jubilant Zulfadli said in a telephone interview from Taipei.

“I just cried after beating Viktor and went to hug my father, Zulkifli, who is also my coach. It was the perfect ending to my last tournament as a junior player. “2011 has been a lucky year for me. If you read it backwards it’s my birthday as I was born on the 11th day of February, which is 02,” he said, letting out a hearty laugh.
It was Zulfadli’s self-belief, perseverance and single-mindedness to succeed that led him to his historic achievement.
“I never doubted my chance against Viktor although he has improved by leaps and bounds,” he said.
The Malaysian got off superbly to an 8-1 lead and managed to hold off a late comeback from Axelsen to win the opener 21-18.
The young Dane, who had blown away former world and Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia in the Denmark Open two weeks ago, turned the tide to force a rubber and looked good to defend his crown after taking a 13-9 lead in the decider.
“I simply refused to cave in. I had worked too hard to give it up. And this was my third and last world junior tournament so I wasn’t prepared to lose. I pushed myself and managed to level at 17-17. I knew I had him then and pressed on to take the match,” said Zulfadli.
“The senior game will be challenging but I will be ready for it. I am confident that I can take over from Chong Wei one day.
”I am currently ranked 207th in the world. I want to make it to the top 100 by end of next year.
“I thank everybody who helped me realise my dream, especially my family members who are my number one supporters.
“I must also acknowledge the NSC (National Sports Council), NSI (National Sports Institute), KLBA (KL Badminton Association) and my sponsors KLRC and Forza.
“I am grateful to KLRC for giving me the early exposure in international tournaments as that really helped raise my game,” added Zulfadli, who returns home today to surely a hero’s welcome.
He deserves it.
Courtesy of The Star

More players to attempt OSIM BWF World Superseries hattricks

A month after Chen Long became the 11^th player to win three consecutive OSIM BWF World Superseries tournaments, four players have the opportunity to achieve a hattrick of their own, two more will attempt to achieve a ‘three-peat’ for the third time, but for the first time in a season, while another hopes to make it a double treble.

South Korea’s Jung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae (left), already had the distinction of winning three consecutive Superseries titles on two occasions, but not in the same season – they won the 2008 China and Hong Opens and followed that up by taking the first Superseries tournament of 2009 in Malaysia.
They then successfully defended their China and Hong Kong Opens in 2009 and won the season-opening South Korea Open in 2010
As such, this month’s US$250,000 Yonex Sunrise Hong Kong Open will give them the opportunity to make it a hattrick within the same year after winning the Denmark and French Open this past fortnight.
If they do so, they will follow in the footsteps of China’s Zheng Bo, who is the only player to win three consecutive Superseries tournaments on three separate occasions.
The other players who have won three back-to-back Superseries tournaments are China’s Gao Ling (two occasions), Cai Yun, Fu Haifeng, Ma Jin and Yu Yang, Indonesia’s Sony Dwi Kuncoro, Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei.
Last year, Yu Yang won three consecutive Superseries titles albeit two different partners, winning the Malaysia and All England crowns with Du Jing, before partnering Tian Qing to top spot at the Swiss Open.
She has now finally settled on Wang Xiaoli (right), as her regular partner, and what an awesome pairing they have become, winning eighth titles in their first full season together, including the World Championship gold medal in August.
They are also the only players to have won all the OSIM BWF World Superseries Premier tournaments this year – the South Korea Open, All England, Indonesia Open and Denmark Open.
The other players chasing a hattrick in Hong Kong are Denmark’s Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen (left), who are the defending champions and China’s Wang Xin, who achieved a breakthrough by winning her first ever European Superseries title in Denmark and then repeating that feat in France.
Wang Xin (below), is the only one of the seven players who are chasing immortality, who has yet to taste victory in Hong Kong and she will surely want to put that statistic  right.
In the men’s singles event, world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei, who holds the record for the most Superseries wins with 20, is feeling confident after ending a four-month title drought by winning in Paris.
He will have an early test in Hong Kong as his great rival Lin Dan, who has since dropped from No. 2 to No. 3 in the world rankings, is slated to meet him in the semi-finals.
Chen Long, who is new No. 2, is in the bottom half of the draw and has 2010 world champion Chen Jin and former world No. 1 Peter Gade in his half of the draw.

German aces don’t have it easy

Germany’s top shuttlers Marc Zwiebler and Juliane Schenk won their opening matches at the US$120,000 Bitburger Open on Wednesday, but it was the end of the road for Michael Fuchs-Birgit Michels.

Top seed Schenk (left), who is chasing her first tournament victory of the season, had a slight scare against Holland’s Judith Meulendijks, before pulling through to the second round.
Schenk, who missed out on winning her first OSIM BWF World Superseries title when she lost in the final of the Yonex Open Japan in September, is determined to add this title after missing out on the German Open earlier this year.
Again a hungry Meulendijks, Schenk had to pull out all the stops before recording a 21-18, 19-21, 21-9 victory. She will now play Karina Jorgensen for a place in the quarter-finals.
Jorgensen, who was born in India, but has lived almost her entire life in Denmark, booked her ticket to the second round when she defeated Switzerland’s Jeanine Cicognini 21-17, 21-13.
Jorgensen’s compatriot, Tine Baun, the person most likely to prevent Schenk from winning the title, had a little help getting to the second round when her opponent Rajae Rochdy retired hurt after losing the first game 21-6 and down 11-1 in the second.
Baun will now play Thailand’s Sapsiree Taerattanachai, who defeated Simone Prutsch 21-9, 21-17.
Zwiebler, who won the Canada Open four months ago, nearly didn’t get past the first round as China’s Chen Yuekun put up a tough fight before going down in three games.
The second seeded Zwiebler had to dig deep before scoring a narrow 21-13, 24-26, 21-19 victory in 63 minutes.
He was back on court later in the day, to take on compatriot Alexander Roovers for a place in the third round. Once against Zwiebler started brightly, taking the first game 21-12. He was then pushed all the way by Roovers before winning the second 21-18.
Former world junior champion Wang Zhengming put his recent injury scare behind him by reaching the second round without dropping a game in his opening two matches.
The Chinese shuttler, who had to concede a walkover to teammate Chen Long in last week’s Yonex French Open Superseries quarter-finals, beat Bulgaria’s Blagovest Kisyov 21-15, 21-15 in the morning and then Germany’s Hannes Kaesbauer 21-6, 21-17 later in the day.
Fuchs-Michels, who were the Canada Open champions, failed to live up to their status as the second seeds when they were beaten by Chinese duo He Hanbin and Bao Yixin (picture), the reigning Bankaltim Indonesia Open Grand Prix Gold mixed doubles winners.
The young Chinese pair edged a tight match 21-15, 13-21, 21-19 and will now play the Scottish-English combination of Robert Blair-Gabrielle White on Thursday.
The British duo, who have fond memories of Germany after winning the German Open in March, booked their ticket to the second round after a titanic struggle with Germany’s Peter Kaesbauer-Johanna Goliszewski.
In a hotly contested match, Blair-White just edged it 21-19, 19-21, 22-20.

Boon Heong puts faith in unknown Korean coach

Tan Boon Heong is putting his faith in a coach he knows nothing about to help put an end to the rot he and doubles parter Koo Tien Keat find themselves in.
The BA of Malaysia have brought in Korean coach Yoo Yong-sung to inspire and resurrect the flagging fortunes of the national doubles pairs. Boon Keong appreciates that and is hopeful that Yong-sung will inculcate a measure of the renowned Korean mental fortitude in them.
“I never got the chance to watch Yong-sung play, but he has qualities that we lack and we can definitely learn from him, especially in bolstering our mental strength,” said Boon Heong.

Ready to roll: New men’s doubles coach Yoo Yong-sung (centre) reporting for his first day of duty at the Juara Stadium in Bukit Kiara yesterday. — AHMAD IZZRAFIQ ALIAS / The Star.

“Communicating with him may be a problem right now but I believe that where there’s a will, there’s a way."
“It was his first day yesterday and we had a discussion with him and the other coaches regarding our problem. I will discuss the matter further with Kien Keat to come up with a new game plan to improve our play,” added Boon Heong, whose once world-beating partnership with Kien Keat has floundered in recent months.
The 24-year-old Boon Heong readily concedes that their game needs fixing and that he was grateful to all parties for trying to help them sort things out.
The world No. 5 pair of Boon Heong-Kien Keat are currently going through one of the worst spells of their careers, their last title being the Malaysian Open last January.
They crashed out in early rounds at the Denmark and French Opens last month and face the prospect of being unseeded in next year’s London Olympics.
“The blame lies solely with us. We are experiencing some problems with our teamwork and our confidence is quite low,” said Boon Heong.
“In Denmark and France, we had zero combination and got frustrated as our game simply didn’t work."
“It made us play more cautiously and, being low on confidence, our opponents took full advantage of it.”
National doubles head coach Tan Kim Her has backed his top pair to bounce back and prove their critics wrong.
“They have the right attitude and have been training extra hard lately,” said Kim Her.
“But we can’t expect results straightaway.
“We need to give Pang (Cheh Chang) and Yong-sung more time to work with them. It is more important that they peak during the Olympics,” said Kim Her.
Courtesy of The Star

French Open: World No. 1 Chong Wei rakes in another title

World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei will return home from Europe with a very big smile today.
Top seed Chong Wei disposed of Kenichi Tago 21-16, 21-11 in the men’s singles final of the French Open in Paris yesterday – extending his unbeaten run against the Japanese – to nick an amazing seventh title of the year.
The Malaysian has won all his seven previous matches against Kenichi.
It was also Chong Wei’s 11th individual tournament and 11th final appearance this year – a record that will be quite impossible for others to emulate.
A day earlier, Chong Wei had shown more fire in his game to overcome a psychological barrier against China’s rising star Chen Long.
Having lost twice to Chen Long in the finals of the Japan and Denmark Opens, Chong Wei turned the tables on the 22-year-old with a well-deserved 23-21, 17-21, 21-15 win.
National coach Tey Seu Bock commended Chong Wei for making a quick rebound after the disappointment in Denmark just a week ago.
“His most significant win was over Chen Long (in the semi-finals). He is certainly a strong-willed player,” said Seu Bock in a telephone interview yesterday.
“He lost a lot of energy against Chen Long but yet, today, he was able to return to court and play his game against Tago.
“Yes, there were moments when he made some uncharacteristic mistakes but he quickly made up for it.”
Seu Bock said that Chong Wei was almost back at his best after a demoralising loss to Lin Dan in the final of the Word Championships in Wembley in August.
“I think his confidence is almost 80% back. He has been struggling to get his game going after the defeat at the world meet,” said Seu Bock.
“It is not easy to reach the final of every tournament. Expectations are high on him and he has to deliver all the time.
“That could be mentally tiring but he has defied all the odds and I have nothing but respect for him.”
Courtesy of The Star

Chong Wei continues perfect record, ends Chen Long’s streak

Lee Chong Wei kept up his perfect record of reaching the final of every Open tournament he has played in this year when he defeated new world No. 2 Chen Long in three games in the semi-finals of the US$200,000 Yonex French Open on Saturday.

World No. 1 Chong Wei (right), who has won six titles this year, had lost his last two matches to the former world junior champion – in the finals of the Japan and Denmark Opens.
Chen Long, who also won the China Masters last month, was hoping to become the first player – male or female – to win four consecutive OSIM BWF World Superseries tournaments.
Following his win in Odense last Sunday, Chen Long overtook teammate Lin Dan at No. 2 in the world rankings and had set his eyes on Chong Wei’s top spot.
He entered the semi-finals the fresher of the duo, having received a walkover from teammate Wang Zhengming and was buzzing with confidence.
Chong Wei, on the other hand, faced the prospect of going down to the 22-year-old for the third consecutive time.
He survived three game points in the opening game before pulling off a 23-21 victory. Chen Long levelled the match when he took control of the second game to win 21-17.
The decider belonged to Chong Wei, who dominated the front of the court, scoring 13 winners with his neat flicks and drops.
After 77 minutes, the Malaysia emerged with a precious 22-21, 17-21, 21-15 victory which cemented his position as the No. 1 shuttler in the world.
He will meet Japan’s Kenichi Tago, who was the latest lucky recipient of an injury to four-time world champion Lin Dan.
The Chinese ace retired from their semi-final match with another injury despite leading 25-23, 18-15.
In the men’s doubles, four-time world champions Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng (left), will meet archrivals Jung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae for the 18^th time in their careers.
The South Koreans have upset the world No. 1s in the finals of the China Masters and Denmark Open and now lead their head-to-heads 9-8.
They booked their place in Sunday’s final by defeating defending champions Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen with identical 21-17 scores in the first and second games.
The Danish pair were the last of the five defending champions still in contention and their defeat means there will be new champions in each of the five categories at the 10^th OSIM BWF World Superseries tournament of the year.
Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng reached the title decider when they overcame a determined Hirokatsu Hashimoto-Noriyasu Hirata in three games.
The unseeded Japanese duo, who won the India Open in May, gave it their best shot against their more fancied opponents but could not last the pace and lost 21-11, 13-21, 21-9.
Denmark Open champions Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen (right), of stayed on course to win back-to-back mixed doubles Superseries tournaments when they defeated world champions Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei in a nail-biting semi-final.
The Danes, who defeated the world No. 1s in the semi-finals of last week’s Denmark Open, saved a match point before maintaining their unbeaten record against the Chinese in four meetings, winning 21-14, 22-24, 22-20 in 72 minutes.
Waiting for them in the final are world No. 2s Xu Chen-Ma Jin, who edged Indonesia’s Tontowi Ahmad-Liliyana Natsir in three games. It will be a repeat of last week’s final which the Danes won in straight games.
Tontowi-Liliyana have lost their way after a stunning period in May and June which saw them win Superseries titles in India and Singapore as well as a Grand Prix Gold event in Malaysia.
They have yet to reach such highs since then and it was left to the Chinese superstars to end their hopes of another final appearance with a 16-21, 21-14, 21-11 victory

French Open: Chong Wei spoils China’s plan by downing fresher Chen Long to reach the final

A quick tactical change saw World No. 1 singles shuttler Lee Chong Wei regain his supremacy over China’s Chen Long on a day when walkovers and injuries in China camp marred the French Open in Paris yesterday.

Yesterday, Chong Wei was on fire, mixing up his speed and well calculated moves to take down the six-footer Chinese with a 23-21, 17-21, 21-15 win in an energy sapping 77-minute semi-finals to set-up a meeting with Kenichi Tago of Japan.

It was a contrasting style of play by Chong Wei yesterday compared to his less aggressive approach against Chen Long at the Denmark Open just a week ago. The Malaysian had also lost narrowly to the Chinese at the preceding Japan Open final too.

The sweet revenge after the two painful defeats within a month also enabled Chong Wei to keep his perfect record of reaching every final in every tournament he had competed so far – which is a total of 11 to be exact.

Chong Wei’s win, however, must have been a bitter pill to swallow by the Chinese camp.

Just a day ago, they had given Chen Long a free ride into the semi-finals by withdrawing his opponent Wang Zhengming, citing injury as the main reason.

And yesterday, four-time world champion Lin Dan pulled off his antics again. He was on the verge of a victory over Japan’s Kenichi Tago after taking a 25-23, 18-15 lead in the semi-finals when he suddenly walked out citing injury, and leaving everyone stunned.

He was in perfect condition when he dumped team-mate Chen Jin in the quarter-finals a day ago.

This is not the first time that Lin Dan had pulled off such a stunt this year. He had also cited injury in ending his campaign prematurely at the Malaysian Open, Singapore Open and Japan Open.

National coach Tey Seu Bock was happy that Chong Wei got his act right in his third attempt against Chen Long.

“Today, Chong Wei was different and was all focused. He was bent on not losing to this player anymore and played with more aggression. It worked well for him,” said Seu Bock in a telephone interview.

“If not for some mistakes in the second game, he could have even won in a straight games. The plan was to take the first game and then wear the opponent down. And it worked.

“I was not surprised when Chen Long got a walkover in the quarter-finals. They had hoped to keep him fresh against Chong Wei and I am glad that their plan backfired. As for Lin Dan, I heard that he has a leg injury. We are used to this.”

On the final today, Seu Bock said: “Tago has been playing well here. The shuttle is really fast in the stadium and the match can be quite unpredictable. But I hope that Chong Wei will still remain steady to nick his seventh title of this year.” he added.

National coach Rashid Sidek let out a cynical laugh when asked about Lin Dan’s exit and Chen Long’s free ride into the semi-finals.

“Lin Dan was in the lead but he allowed Tago to go through. I do not know what to say about Lin Dan anymore. We are not clear about his intentions but this is not doing badminton any good,” said Rashid.

“I would sum up all these as mind games.”

Courtesy of The Star

Early warning for Chong Wei

CHEN Long's second straight win against Lee Chong Wei to secure the Denmark Open title on Sunday underlines the need for the World No 1 to have a longer period to prepare for Super Series events.
Chong Wei's defeat to the rising China player in the Japan Open took place three weeks after the World Championships leaving him only about 10 days to prepare.
Chen Long is just 22 while Chong Wei is 29 and despite the latter's superior skills and experience, he will have to admit that he struggles against younger opponents.
Chen Long is physically stronger and has also learnt well from compatriot Lin Dan on how to neutralise Chong Wei and thorough preparation is needed if he is to sink China's top players.
It didn't help that the BA of Malaysia (BAM) staged the National Grand Prix Finals on Oct 12-15 where Chong Wei secured a 10th national title but had to leave for Denmark that very night. He played his first match on Oct 19.

It is arguable that the field in the local event is too weak and Chong Wei had a stroll but he was also going through his training while the rest just competed in the GP Finals.
BAM's decision to stage the Kedah Open just 10 days before Chong Wei and the other national shuttlers travelled to Bath, England for a one-week training stint before the World Championships in London also left a lot to be desired.

Chong Wei aggravated his back injury in Kedah and only resumed training two weeks later and, not surprisingly, he fell short in the World Championships final against Lin Dan.

National singles coach Tey Seu Bock had said that Chong Wei wasn't comfortable playing Chen Long who outplays his opponents through sheer physical strength rather than skill.
"Chong Wei is not comfortable playing Chen Long because he is physically very tough and a good retriever. His recovery is very good and manages to battle with Chong Wei rally after rally," said Seu Bock in a telephone interview from Odense yesterday.

"The best way to beat him (Chen Long) is to be well prepared and I would say he (Chong Wei) did not have much time after the Japan Open.

"The situation now is juggling between Olympic qualification and quality training. At the moment, he needs to collect Olympic points and at the end of the year, we have to put him through a longer period of quality training."

The coach added: "Chong Wei is an excellent shuttler but sometimes we forget that he is already 29 and it might take longer to recover from tough matches compared to players like Chen Long.

"Chen Long had a tough second round but received a walkover from Jan Jorgensen (of Denmark) and this was followed by an easy semi-final win, so he was fresh in the final."

Chong Wei will probably get about four weeks to prepare for the Korea Open (Jan 3-8) and Malaysia Open (Jan 10-15) and about six weeks before the All England in March. The break will be important for his build-up towards the Olympics.

Chong Wei should limit his tournaments after the All England and spend sufficient time on his Olympics preparation.

There will be another opportunity for Chong Wei to avenge his defeat in the French Open where he is likely to play Chen Long in the last four in Paris on Saturday but the Malaysian must be prepared if his young rival has the upper hand again.

It is better to lose the battle but win the war against China in the London Olympics next year.

As for men's doubles Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, only time will tell if they can be transformed into a formidable pair again by new coach Pang Cheh Chang.

The onus, however, will be on Kien Keat-Boon Heong who must play with confidence and work harder to regain their form.
Courtesy of New Straits Times

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Chen Long joins the greats

Chen Long joined an elite bunch of shuttlers to win three consecutive OSIM BWF World Superseries crowns when he triumphed at the US$400,000 Yonex Denmark Open on Sunday.

The Chinese ace (right), who is in the form of his life at the moment, grabbed his first ever Superseries Premier title when he defeated world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia 21-15, 21-18 at the Odense Sports Park
By winning his third consecutive OSIM BWF World Superseries crown, Chen Long now joins compatriots Zheng Bo, Gao Ling, Cai Yun, Fu Haifeng, Ma Jin and Yu Yang, South Korea’s Jung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae, Indonesia’s Sony Dwi Kuncoro and Chong Wei as the only players to win three Superseries titles on the trot.
A down-to-earth Chen Long, who won back-to-back titles in China and Japan last month, said: “This is just a normal tournament for me. I do my best in each match. It was great (playing in Denmark) and the fans were really enthusiastic.”
The world No. 3 has also outshone four-time world champion Lin Dan, who has only once recorded back-to-back Superseries titles – at the 2007 Korea Open and All England.
In Sunday’s final, Chen Long was determined to prove to the world his victory over Chong Wei in last month’s Japan Open was no fluke.
Chen Long controlled the tempo of the match and never allowed his opponent the time and space to launch many attacks. His victory sent a message to the world that he has indeed broken the Chong Wei-Lin Dan stranglehold and he should now be the player to watch.
His 49-minute victory on Sunday meant Chen Long has narrowed the gap on Chong Wei to 4-3 and closes the gap at the top of the world rankings.
For full results, click here.
Results
Men
Singles: Chen Long (China) bt Lee Chong Wei 21-15, 21-18.
Doubles: Jung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae (Korea) bt Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng (China) 21-16, 21-17.
Women
Singles: Wang Xin (China) bt Wang Yihan 21-14, 23-21.
Doubles: Wang Xiaoli-Yu Yang (China) bt Tian Qing-Zhao Yunlei (China) 22-20, 21-16.                   
Mixed doubles: Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen (Denmark) bt Xu Chen-Ma Jin (China) 22-20, 21-16

Denmart Open: Thien How-Wee Kiong storm into quarter-finals

Doubles shuttlers Hoon Thien How and Tan Wee Kiong are enjoying a dream run in the Denmark Open in only their first outing as a pair.
Thien How-Wee Kiong continued their fairytale run by storming into the quarter-finals with a sensational 21-18, 21-17 win over Indonesians Alven Yulianto-Hendra Gunawan in 37 minutes.
A day earlier, the Malaysian qualifiers got their new partnership off to a flying start with a superb 16-21, 21-19, 21-11 win over China’s second pair Guo Zhengdong-Chai Biao in the first round.
Today, they will take on the winners of the match between top seeds Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng of China and Taiwan’s Fang Chieh-min-Lee Sheng-mu for a place in the semi-finals.
Their good run has certainly lifted the gloom in the men’s doubles department following the shock loss of Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong to South Korea’s Kwon Yi-goo-Cho Gun-woo in the opening round.
Thien How was delighted to have made the breakthrough, especially after picking up a slight injury to his knee on Tuesday.
“I hurt my knee during the qualifying tournament. It hurts when I lunge forward ... but it won’t stop me from giving my best here,” said Thien How, who had a strap on his knee.
Wee Kiong said their good run thus far has helped erase any doubts he had about their future as a pair.
“I am confident we can take this partnership further now. There is better understanding between us.”
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei, who will turn 29 today, took down two players from India en route to checking into the quarter-finals.
Yesterday, he disposed of Anand Pawar with a 21-14, 21-13 win in the second round. On Wednesday, he had beaten P. Kashyap 21-11, 21-13.
Chong Wei will take on former world champion Chen Jin of China for a place in the semi-final.
Earlier, back-up shuttler Mohd Arif Abdul Latif, playing in only his second Super Series tournament, gave a good fight before going down 16-21, 10-21 to Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark in the first round.
It was a great day for world junior champion and local star Viktor Axelsen when he knocked out fifth seed Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia 16-21, 21-9, 21-14.
He will take on the winner of the match between Peter-Gade Christ-ensen and Germany’s Marc Zwiebler.
Malaysia’s challenge in the mixed doubles event also ended when Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying went down 16-21, 15-21 to top seeds Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei of China.
Courtesy of The Star

Chong Wei Belum Ada Pengganti

CHONG WEI pemain terhebat pernah dilahirkan oleh negara yang telah banyak mengecapi kejayaan pada peringkat kebangsaan mahupun antarabangsa.

TIDAK keterlaluan jika kita dikatakan bahawa Malaysia kini mempunyai satu masalah besar dalam arena sukan badminton.
Ini kerana, sehingga kini masih belum ada calon yang dilihat benar-benar berkemampuan untuk menggantikan tempat jaguh perseorangan negara, Datuk Lee Chong Wei.
Siapa selepas Chong Wei? Persoalan yang sering kali meniti di bibir peminat-peminat sukan badminton tanah air.
Namun, persoalan tersebut sehingga kini masih belum boleh untuk dijawab.
Malah, ketua jurulatih perseorangan negara, Rashid Sidek sendiri tidak mampu untuk memberikan jawapannya.
Rashid berkata, masih belum ada bayangan yang jelas terha- dap pengganti yang boleh mengambil alih tempat Chong Wei yang dijangka akan menggantung raketnya sebaik tamat temasya Sukan Olimpik 2012 di London.
“Kalau kita mahu mencari pengganti kepada Chong Wei sekurang-kurangnya pemain itu perlulah menjuarai sesuatu kejoha- nan terlebih dahulu.
“Cuba kamu lihat sendiri adakah pemain- pemain perseorangan yang lain selain Chong Wei bergelar juara pada mana-mana kejohanan?
“Tidak ada. Sebab itu, susah untuk kita bercakap mengenai perkara ini. Buat masa ini memang belum nampak lagi mana-mana pemain yang benar-benar boleh mengganti- kan tempat Chong Wei,” kata Rashid ketika dihubungi Kosmo! kelmarin.
Berdasarkan kenyataan Rashid itu, sedi- kit sebanyak pasti telah memberikan jawa- pan terhadap persoalan yang ditimbulkan oleh peminat-peminat sukan badminton negara.
Mahu ataupun tidak, peminat sukan badminton tempatan perlu berpijak di bumi yang nyata.
Harus bersedia untuk menerima hakikat bahawa selain Chong Wei, tidak ada mana- mana pemain perseorangan yang mencipta kejayaan di pentas antarabangsa.
Paling bagus pun sekadar mara ke pering- kat separuh akhir, itupun kejohanan bertaraf tiga bintang.
Jika diikutkan, Malaysia sebenarnya memiliki beberapa pemain berbakat yang kini sudah berada dalam skuad elit seperti Liew Darren, Mohd. Arif Abdul Latif, Chan Kwong Beng dan Chong Wei Feng.
Malah, beberapa pemain remaja seperti Misbun Ramdan Misbun, Goh Soon Huat, Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainudin, Zulfadli Zulkifli turut berpotensi untuk diketengahkan ke peringkat lebih tinggi.
Namun entah apa silapnya, setiap kali Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM) menghantar mereka beraksi di pentas antarabangsa, keputusan yang dilakarkan tidak seperti diharapkan, malah lebih buruk.
Tatkala pemain-pemain seusia mereka dari negara-negara lain sudah mampu untuk bermegah dengan kejayaan yang dilakarkan, pemain negara pula masih ditakuk yang lama.
Masih dilabel sebagai jaguh kampung sahaja.
“Dahulu, mungkin pemain-pemain ini boleh cakap mereka tidak diberi banyak pendedahan tetapi kini BAM sudah menghantar mereka beraksi dalam banyak kejohanan di pentas antarabangsa, malah ada yang menyertai kejohanan Super Siri sekali.
“Namun, tetap gagal mencatatkan kepu- tusan yang baik.
“Seperti Darren, dia pernah tewaskan Si- mon Santoso (perseorangan Indonesia) tetapi selepas itu prestasinya menjadi tidak menentu. Sekejap okey, sekejap tidak okey.
“Begitu juga dengan pemain-pemain yang lain. Apa yang saya lihat, mereka ini gagal mengekalkan konsistensi mereka," jelas Ra- shid.
Tambah Rashid, dari aspek skil dan kualiti, ia tidak menjadi masalah buat pemain- pemain muda negara.
Namun, apa yang menjadi masalah adalah diri mereka sendiri.
“Saya sebagai jurulatih hanya boleh memberikan tunjuk ajar dan kata-kata semangat kepada pemain tetapi apabila berada di atas gelanggang pemain itu yang menentukan corak permainan serta hala tuju mereka.
“Pemain-pemain ini tidak memiliki kesungguhan untuk berjaya. Jika hendak menjadi seperti Chong Wei mereka perlu mele- takkan sasaran yang tinggi.
“Macam Chong Wei sasaran dia tinggi. Contohnya, dalam setahun berapa kejoha- nan yang dia mahu menang. Begitupun, ia tidak berlaku kepada pemain-pemain lain ini kerana mereka ambil sambil lewa.
“Menyertai mana-mana kejohanan sekadar bermain sahaja tanpa ada sasaran. Bagi saya, apa yang penting adalah sasaran pemain itu sendiri.
“Biarpun gagal mencapai sasaran terse- but tetapi tunjuk yang kita ada usaha untuk mendapatkannya. Kalau cakap sahaja pun tidak guna,” tambah Rashid.
Secara matematiknya, jika benar Chong Wei akan bersara sebaik Sukan Olimpik 2012 melabuhkan tirainya, maka BAM perlulah mencari formula terbaik untuk mempersiapkan pemain-pemain yang ada ketika ini untuk menggalas tugas selaku jaguh No. 1 negara.
Bak kata pepatah Melayu, ‘sediakan payung sebelum hujan’. Buatlah persiapan le- bih awal kerana ramai yang sedar bahawa badminton merupakan salah satu sukan yang sentiasa mengharumkan nama Malay- sia di pentas antarabangsa menerusi Chong Wei.

Kosmo

Denmark Open: Will Lin Dan give another walkover? Can Chong Wei reach 10th final?

One is consistent. The other is unpredictable.
And that makes for an intriguing and exciting time when two of the world’s greatest shuttlers – Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei and China’s Lin Dan – take to the courts in the Denmark Open, which begins in Odense today.
World No. 1 Chong Wei is ready to get back to winning ways after losing to Chen Long of China in the final of the Japan Open last month.
The 29-year-old Chong Wei had said after the defeat that he does not want to lose by less than 10 points any more.
Chong Wei lost 8-21, 21-10, 19-21 to Chen Long – the first time he had lost to a player other than Lin Dan.
“The Japan Open defeat was a good learning experience for me. I guess it’s good to lose once in a while as it keeps me on my toes,” said Chong Wei.
“The first game defeat to Chen Long was demoralising. I could not believe that I only got eight points. I will try not to let that happen again.”
Chong Wei’s mission now is to reach his 10th final of the year – and prove that he is the most consistent player this year.
“I have not missed a single final appearance and, hopefully, I can keep the record intact. It will be great if I can win it,” said Chong Wei, who marked his supremacy on the local scene by winning his 10th national title in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
While Chong Wei has been consistent, Lin Dan has been taking everyone for a ride – playing superbly in some tournaments and conceding walkovers in others.
Lin Dan has cited different injuries for conceding walkovers in matches against his team-mates at this year’s Malaysia Open quarter-finals (back injury, against Chen Long), Singapore Open final (stomach problem, against Chen Jin) and Japan Open semi-final (toe injury, against Chen Long).
In Denmark, Lin Dan may meet Chen Long in the semi-finals. It will be interesting to see what Lin Dan will do – concede a walkover or flex his muscles.
“It does not matter what Lin Dan does. China want more people to qualify for the Olympic Games. Some of the things done may seem unsportsmanlike. But I would rather focus on myself and next year’s Olympic Games,” said Chong Wei, who faces India’s P. Kashyap today.
The other players in Chong Wei’s half are Indonesia’s Taufik Hidayat; China’s Chen Jin and Wang Zhengming; and Denmark’s Peter-Gade Christensen, Hans-Kristian Vittinghus and Viktor Axelsen.
Second seed Lin Dan and Chen Long are in the lower half with compatriot Du Pengyu, Japan’s Sho Sasaki and Indonesia’s Simon Santoso.
Courtesy of The Star

Chong Wei names future stars

Liew Daren has beaten world class shuttlers Lee Hyun Il and Simon Santoso.

LEE Chong Wei believes there is light at the end of the tunnel for Malaysian singles if the recent results of several back-up players are anything to go by.
The World No 1 has named four back-up players -- Liew Daren (World 24), Chan Kwong Beng (23), Chong Wei Feng (24), Arif Latif (22) -- who can become top internationals.

Chong Wei also pointed out that younger players like Goh Soon Huat and Misbun Ramdan Misbun are the ones in the feeder group who can make a strong impact.
Daren has already beaten world class shuttlers like Lee Hyun Il of South Korea and Simon Santoso of Indonesia while Chan Kwong Beng made a breakthrough in the Indonesia Open grand prix gold last month by toppling Sony Dwi Kuncoro of Indonesia to reach the quarter-finals.
Arif, 22, is the youngest among the four but have regularly beaten the trio on the local circuit. But so far, he hasn't been successful in transforming that form into the international scene.

Soon Huat, 21, and Ramdan, 20, did well to reach the final and semi-finals respectively before losing to Chong Wei in the National Grand Prix Finals at Juara Stadium which ended on on Saturday.
"Daren, Kwong Beng, Wei Feng and Arif are about the same level and if they can keep pushing for better results, they can become top international players.

"However, they cannot take too long and must establish themselves within the next 18 months if they want to have ful international success," said Chong Wei.

"Since I won't be playing in the National GP Finals next year, they should aim to win the title and take it as a confidence booster. I beat my seniors in 2003 for my first title and they were already world class players then and it gave me confidence and I started progressing fast.
"Every victory is a step forward and they cannot be satisfied for just being in the national team but must make their mark.

"Soon Huat and Ramdan are younger and they would take probably two years. Both have positive attitude and they have already started beating their seniors in the national squad and this competition is also healthy."

Chong Wei may have left out Asian junior champion Zulfadli Zulkifli because he was commenting on the players in the national squad. Nonetheless, Zulfadli should heed Chong Wei's advice and make a "faster breakthrough".
Courtesy of New Straits Times

National GP Finals: Perfect 10 without much sweat

Lee Chong Wei hardly raised sweat in winning.

THE perfect 10 was achieved and Lee Chong Wei said farewell to the local circuit after another overwhelming victory in the National Grand Prix Finals at Juara Stadium in Bukit Kiara yesterday.
Chong Wei, who first won the title as a 20-year-old in 2003, hardly raised a sweat beating newcomer Goh Soon Huat 21-11, 21-5 in just 29 minutes.

Chong Wei had earlier announced that it will be his last appearance on the local circuit and stressed again that it will not only help him focus on his target to win gold in the London Olympics but also give the younger players a chance on the National GP Finals next year.
The fact that local events had often disrupted his preparations for international events is the main reason why Chong Wei doesn't want to take any chances next year in the hope that London will provide him with a final chance of nailing an Olympic gold.
Chong Wei will be competing in the Denmark Open, beginning on Tuesday, and the French Open in Paris which begins on Oct 23.

"I have always put emphasis on the local circuit and now that I have won 10 straight titles, I want to focus on the international scene and my preparations for the London Olympics next year," said Chong Wei.
"Not that I can win international honours by skipping tournaments but I don't want my preparations to be disrupted. It always creates a doubt when I am unable to go through my training fully and I don't want to take any chances next year with the Olympics being the priority."

He added: "My target in the Denmark Open and French Open is to gain sufficient Olympic ranking points so that I can maintain my No 1 position going into the Olympics."

Soon Huat said there is no chance of him beating Chong Wei but felt it was a good experience playing the latter in his first final on the national circuit.
"I couldn't cope with the pace but it was a good experience. He will not be around next year and I want to take advantage and it will give my better chance of winning the title."

The tournament saw new champions crowned in the other four events.

Lydia Cheah, beaten finalist on four previous occasions, ended her jinx when she beat Tee Jing Yi 21-14, 21-17 to secure the women's singles crown.

Mixed doubles Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying were third time lucky when they defeated Tan Wee Kiong-Woon Khe Wei 21-15, 21-14.

Fairuzizuan Tazari-Ong Soon Hock, playing in their last tournament together, clinched the men's doubles crown when they edged Vountus Indra Mawan-Lutfi Zaim Khalid 19-21, 21-15, 21-19.

Women's doubles Vivian Hoo and Khe Wei also clinched the title for the first time as a pair when they beat Chin Eei Hui-Goh Liu Ying 17-21, 21-15, 21-15. Khe Wei won the title with Marylen Ng last year.
Courtesy of New Straits Times

Top seeds fall in men’s singles

Eric Pang gave the home crowd something to cheer about as he defeated second seed Ajay Jayaram to reach the semi-finals of the Yonex Dutch Open on Friday.

The fifth seeded Dutch player was forced to dig deep before he closed out a tight match 21-11, 22-24, 24-22.  He will meet Taiwan’s Chou Tien Chen, who came back from an opening game loss to beat India’s Arvind Bhat 20-22, 21-13, 21-12.
Taiwan’s Hsueh Hsuan Yi stunned third seed Przemyslaw Wacha of Poland (right) to reach the semi-finals.
The seventh seed, overcame a first game deficit before pulling away to beat his higher ranked opponent 19-21, 21-19, 21-14 to reach the last four where here will meet unseeded Dane Rasmus Fladberg. Fladberg outplayed Ukraine’s Valeriy Atrashchenkov 21-16, 21-17 in his quarter-final match.
Thai sensation Porntip Buranaprasertsuk, who is the top seed and Holland’s Yao Jie, who is seeded second, both safely reached the semi-finals with easy victories.
Porntip defeated Taiwan’s Pai Hsiao Ma 21-19, 21-15 while Yao Jie outplayed Ireland’s Chloe Magee 21-11, 21-16.
In Saturday’s semi-final, Porntip will meet India’s P.V. Sindhu who defeated Switzerland’s Jeanine Cicognini 21-18, 21-19 while Yao Jie meets Denmark’s Karina Jorgensen, who edged Czech Republic’s Kristina Gavnholt 21-14, 17-21, 21-19.
The hosts have two more semi-finals to cheer on Saturday as Ruud Bosch-Koen Ridder and Lotte Jonathans-Paulien Van Dooremalen reached the last four of the men’s and women’s doubles competitions respectively.
Bosch-Ridder eased into the last four with a 21-19, 21-16 victory over India’s Pranav Chopra-Akshay Dewalkar while Jonathans-Van Dooremalen beat the Dutch-Ukraine combination of Marija Ulitina-Natalya Voytsekh 21-14, 21-15.
The mixed doubles will be a battle between Thailand and Germany after both countries had two pairs each make it to the last four.
Top seeds Sudket Prapakamol-Saralee Thoungthongkam defeated Denmark’s Mikkel Delbo Larsen-Lena Grebak 21-14, 21-17, to set up a meeting with third seeds Michael Fuchs-Birgit Michels, who received a walkover from Ukraine’s Valeriy Atrashchenkov-Anna Kobceva.
Second seeds Songphon Anugritayawon-Kunchala Voravichitchaikul beat Singapore’s Danny Bawa Chrisnanta-Vanessa Neo of Singapore 21-16, 21-10 and will play Peter Kaesbauer-Johanna Goliszewski, who beat Taiwan’s Lu Chia Bin-Wu Ti Jung 21-23, 21-13, 21-15.

National GP Finals: Unheralded Soon Huat stuns Wei Feng to book final date with Chong Wei

World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei cruised into the final but it was back-up shuttler Goh Soon Huat who stole the thunder in the semi-finals of the National Circuit Grand Prix Finals at the Juara Stadium, Bukit Kiara, yesterday.
Chong Wei, bidding to win his 10th national title and exit the local scene with a bang, despatched Misbun Ramdan Misbun 21-10, 21-14 in just 26 minutes.
The 21-year-old Soon Huat, competing in the semi-finals for the first time, showed incredible fighting spirit to claw back from a game down to beat elite shuttler Chong Wei Feng 13-21, 21-18, 21-14.
KL Open champion Wei Feng took the first game 21-13, as Soon Huat seemed out of sorts, and he appeared to be well on his way to a second appearance in the final of the GP Finals since 2008, leading 17-13.

Goh Soon Huat in action at the Juara Stadium - Star pic by SHAHRUL FAZRY ISMAIL

However, the Malaccan-born Soon Huat suddenly found his rhythm, and took the second game 21-18.
Revitalised, Soon Huat made no mistake in the third game, clinching it 21-14.
“It was a great feeling beating Wei Feng for the first time,” said Soon Huat, who had lost to Wei Feng in all four of their previous meetings.
“In the second game, I thought I had no chance when I found myself trailing 13-17. That was when I decided to just go all out and attack. Luckily for me, it paid off.
“I’m really happy and excited to be in the final. I hope I can maintain this performance against Chong Wei.”
Chong Wei, meanwhile, was glad to see the younger players making their way into the semi-final stage of the GP Finals “because in my time, it was much harder”.
“I’ve trained with Misbun since he was younger and it’s good to see that he can beat older players like Mohd Arif (Abdul Latif).
“As for Soon Huat, he’s a relatively new player in the BAM fold. Although he hasn’t had much success in overseas tournaments, he’s playing well on the national scene.
“He just needs to keep improving and show that he has the desire to become the country’s second singles player. The SEA Games in Jakarta next month will be a good opportunity for him to show what he’s made of.”
In men’s doubles, the scratch pair of Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Ong Soon Hock came back strongly after losing the first game to stun tournament favourites Lim Khim Wah-Goh V Shem 12-21, 23-21, 21-15 and qualify for the final.
They will meet Mohd Lutfi Zaim-Vountus Indra Mawan in today’s final.
Tee Jing Yi remained well on course for her third national title after disposing of former national player and 2008 champion Julia Wong 21-5, 21-14 in the women’s singles.
Jing Yi will take on Lydia Cheah in today’s final. Lydia overcame younger sister Sonia 21-18, 21-16 in the other semi-final.
Courtesy of The Star

Indonesia Open GP: Vivian-Khe Wei upset China pair

WOMEN'S doubles Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei brought cheers on an otherwise dismal day for Malaysia when they upset China's experienced Cheng Shu-Pan Pan to reach the semi-finals of the Indonesia Open grand prix gold in East Kalimantan yesterday.
Vivian-Khe Wei, playing in only their fifth tournament together, notched their biggest breakthrough by beating Cheng Shu-Pan Pan 21-15, 18-21, 21-18 in the quarter-finals to remain Malaysia's only sole survives in the tournament.

It was the third time Vivian-Khe Wei reached the semi-final stage of a grand prix gold event and they have a good opportunity to improve on the record when they play Thailand's Sujitra Ekmongkolpaisarn-Punyada Munkitchokecharoen, who defeated Indonesians Nurbeta Kwanrico-Deariska Putri Medita 21-19, 11-21, 21-13, today.
National women's doubles coach Rexy Mainaky said the duo had the potential to become a top international pair and he is glad they have started doing justice to their immense talent on a consistent basis.
"I have observed them for some time now and they have plenty of potential. Now they are proving that they are indeed a very good combination and we can see them really improving," said Rexy yesterday.

"However, I don't want to rush them into big tournaments and just focus on producing results in the grand prix gold events. Once they build their confidence, then it is time to regularly play in the Super Series where they will be ready to face the challenge against top 10 pairs.

"Their biggest obstacle in reaching the final was the China pair. It will be another test of character for Vivian-Khe Wei against the Thai pair.

"Although they have shown a marked improvement, I am not placing any pressure on them to win the tournament or even the Sea Games in Jakarta in November.
"Their target for the Sea Games is a semi-final spot and I hope they can make it.

"Indonesia's Meiliana Jauhari-Gresia Polii will be a threat in the Sea Games and Vivian-Khe Wei can give a tougher resistance."

Malaysia didn't fare well in the men's singles where Chan Kwong Beng lost 21-15, 21-19 to Tommy Sugiarto of Indonesia while another Indonesian player, Alamsyah Yunus, defeated Misbun Ramdan Misbun 21-16, 21-14 in the quarter-finals.

Favourite Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia shut out Wang Zhengming of China 21-17, 21-15 to give his title chase a boost and will play Tommy in the last four today.

Men's doubles, Tan Wee Kiong-Ow Yao Han, who shocked Olympic champions Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia on Thursday, found the going tough against another local pair, Rendy Yohanes Sugiarto-Afiat Yuris Wirawan, losing 21-19, 21-17.
Courtesy of New Straits Times

Taufik struggles into second round

Former world and Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat turned in another unconvincing performance as he limped into the second round of the Bankaltim Indonesia Open GP Gold on Wednesday.

The second seed, who is the favourite to win this tournament following the withdrawals of China’s on-form player Chen Long as well as 2010 world champion Chen Jin, was given a tough time by Malaysian journeyman K Yogendran before winning in three-games.
The unheralded Malaysian blasted his way to the opening game, winning 21-17 but was then crushed by Taufik, who win 21-7 in the second to force a rubber-game.
In the decider, Taufik continued his attacking play, dictating the tempo to carve out a 21-13 win, which ensured him a second round tie against another Malaysian – Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin.
Iskandar reached the second round when he took out Indonesia’s Sukamta Evert 21-14, 21-14. If Taufik beats Iskandar, he faces the prospect of facing his third Malaysian opponent in Chong Wei Feng in the third round.
Wei Feng beat Indonesia’s Reksy Aureza Megananda 21-12 ,21-12 to set-up a second round meeting with another Indonesian, Rudi Cahyadi Budhiawan.
Also in the bottom half of the draw is 2008 world junior champion Wang Zhengming. The Chinese ace defeated Taufik the last time they meet at the Li Ning Singapore Open Superseries and he reached the second round when he defeated Indonesia’s Ihsan Maulana Mustofa 21-14, 21-18.
He will now take on Malaysia’s Mohamad Arif Abdul Latif, who edged Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen 21-11, 16-21, 23-21.  
In the men’s doubles, brothers Bona Septano and Markis Kido stayed on course to meet to make it an all-Indonesian final when they won their respective first round matches.
Bona and his partner Mohammad Ahsan, who are the top seeds, handed Yogendran his second loss of the day when they beat him and his partner Yeoh Kay Bin 21-13, 21-11.
Olympic and Asian Games gold medallist Markis and Hendra Setiawan whipped Thailand’s Patipat Chalardchaleam-Nipitphon Puangpuapech 21-8, 21-14.
In the mixed doubles, world No. 2 Tantowi Ahmad-Liliyana Natsir (above), defeated fellow Indonesians Lukhi Apri Nugroho-Ririn Amelia 21-9, 21-14.

Chen Long upsets top seed to clinch second consecutive World Superseries title

China’s Chen Long upset Lee Chong Wei (below), to win his second consecutive OSIM BWF World Superseries crown when he beat the top seed in three games at the Yonex Open Japan on Sunday.

China were the big winners once again, grabbing four of the five titles and producing surprise winners in the women’s doubles for the second straight week.
Last Sunday, it was world junior champions Huan Xia-Tang Jinhua who upset the odds to win the Li Ning China Masters while on Sunday it was Bao Yixin-Zhong Qianxin who triumphed in Tokyo.
Joining them in the winners’ circle were world champions Wang Yihan (women’s singles) and Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng (men’s doubles), who clinched their first titles since winning the gold medal at the London World Championships last month.
Taipei’s Chen Hung Ling-Cheng Wen Hsing were the only non-Chinese winners, stopping Denmark’s Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen in three games in the mixed doubles final.
But it was Chen Long’s stunning defeat of Chong Wei which will bring in the headlines, as it was the 22-year-old’s first victory over the Malaysian since beating him at the India Open in 2009 when Chong Wei was stricken by food poisoning.
Since then, the world No. 1 has beaten Chen Long on four separate occasions and many had expected him to collect his seventh title of the year after wins in the Super Series Masters Finals in Taiwan, Malaysia Open, All-England, India Open, Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold and Indonesia Open.
But the Chinese ace, who received a walkover in the semi-finals as world champion Lin Dan couldn’t play after the skin on his left foot came off after a tough match against Chen Jin in Friday’s quarter-finals, had other ideas.
He dominated the first game with some stunning smashes to win it 21-8 only to see Chong Wei hit back to take the second game 21-10.
The decider could have gone either way but it was Chen Long who held his nerve, coming back from 19-18 down to win 21-19 to win back-to-back OSIM BWF World Superseries titles for the first time in his career.
“It’s exciting. I didn’t think about anything during the match. I’m younger and he is strong. I was just lucky to win,” Chen Long told the media after winning his first Yonex Open Japan title.

Wang Yihan (above), meanwhile, outplayed Germany’s Juliane Schenk, who was playing in her first Superseries final.
The eighth seeded European, who upset second seed Wang Shixian of China in the quarter-finals and fourth seed Indian Saina Nehwal in the semis, ran out of steam in the title decider to lose 21-16, 21-14.
In the men’s doubles, Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng used their vast experience to defeat Indonesia’s Mohammad Ahsan-Bona Septano (right),  in straight games.
The Indonesians were chasing their first Superseries crown but found the world champions too hot to handle and fell 21-13, 23-21.
For full results, click here.  
Results
Men
Singles: Chen Long (China) bt Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) 21-8, 10-21, 21-19.
Doubles: Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng (China) bt Mohammad Ahsan-Bona Septano (Indonesia) 21-13, 23-21.
Women
Singles: Wang Yihan (China) bt Juliane Schenk (Germany) 21-16, 21-14.
Doubles: Bao Yixin-Zhong Qianxin (China) bt Cheng Wen Hsing-Chien Yu Chin (Taipei) 13-21, 25-23, 21-12.
Mixed doubles
Chen Hung Ling-Cheng Wen Hsing (Taipei) bt Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen (Denmark) 21-19, 16-21, 21-15.