Friday, November 18, 2011

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

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

SEA GAMES: Kim Her confident

Lim Khim Wah (right) and Goh V Shem
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

Monday, November 7, 2011

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

Thursday, November 3, 2011

More players to attempt OSIM BWF World Superseries hattricks

A month after Chen Long became the 11th 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.
Jung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae (jumping smash France)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.
Yu Yang-Wang Xiaoli (NR france)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.
Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen (NR happy)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 Wang Xin (NR jumping smash)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.
Juliane Schenk (NR bitburger)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.
Bao Yixin (solo)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