Chong Wei: Thomas Cup squad may struggle to qualify

World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei has delivered the cold hard truth regarding Malaysia’s Thomas Cup squad: “We are simply not good enough.”
Besides four-time Thomas Cupper Chong Wei, the other men’s singles in the squad are Liew Daren, Mohd Arif Abdul Latif and the surprise recall of KLRC’s Mohd Hafiz Hashim in second singles.
The men’s doubles will have Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, Goh V Shem-Lim Khim Wah, Hoon Thien How and Teo Kok Siang.
Thien How and Kok Siang are only just recovering from injuries.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong have traditionally delivered the goods but they have been troubled by poor form lately, with the latest embarrassment being a second round exit in the Malaysia Open at the hands of fourth ranked Korean pair Kim Ki-jung-Kim Sa-rang.
The second doubles of V Shem-Khim Wah too have been finding consistency hard to come by, in particular the latter and the pair could be split up in order to pair V Shem with Kok Siang.
It is, however, in men’s singles that Malaysia’s lack of depth has been severely exposed and the recall of Hafiz sums it all up.
And Chong Wei, fresh from winning his eighth Malaysia Open title, admitted that the current squad is definitely weak, but he is ready to shoulder the burden.
“This year is certainly a big one with the Olympics in July being my main priority,” said the 29-year-old Penangite.
“The Thomas Cup squad is definitely weak and we may struggle to qualify but as the senior player in the squad, I am ready to shoulder the responsibility of leading the team.”
The Thomas Cup qualifiers will be held in Macau next month.
Chong Wei, who also won the Korean Open earlier this month, added that winning a third straight All England title would represent his best possible start in the year but it will not be easy.
“Winning in Korea and the Malaysia Open last week has certainly raised my spirits and confidence and it would be nice to win the All England for the third time.
“But it won’t be easy because the Chinese players have been studying my game and will certainly bounce back stronger,” Chong Wei said after the launch of his autobiography titled “Dare to be a Champion” at the Kuala Lumpur Sports Arena.
“The title of the book is supposed to tell a message that even though I’ve tasted numerous defeats in my career, I never give up.
“It also documents my journey from the junior level to where I am today. Hopefully, it will inspire the younger players to strive and perform better.”
Among the guests of honour at the book launch were National Sports Council (NSC) director general Datuk Zolkples Embong, National Sports Institute (NSI) chief executive officer Datuk Dr Ramlan Aziz and former Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.
Courtesy of The Star

Pedersen-Juhl claim maiden Superseries crown

Denmark’s Christinna Pedersen (below) and Kamilla Rytter-Juhl did their Olympic qualification a world of good when they captured the Maybank Malaysia Open presented by Proton on Sunday.

Their victory at Putra Stadium on Sunday was the duo’s first OSIM BWF World Superseries title as a pair.

Although known more for their mixed doubles play, the duo were in their element in Malaysia and delighted the home crowd by getting their hands on the title after a thrilling 21-19, 21-18 victory over South Korea’s Ha Jung Eun-Kim Min Jung .

“It’s just amazing to finally win a women’s doubles Superseries event. It was a close match but we held on to take both games, even though the Chinese stars were pushing hard and had opportunities to get a win.”

The Danes are cuirrently ranked No. 10 in the world and need to be among the top eight pairs to get a ticket to London.

Meanwhile, Fang Chieh Min-Lee Sheng Mu (below), dismissed their chances of winning an Olympic medal despite winning the men’s doubles title in Kuala Lumpur.

The pair from Taipei edged South Korea’s Cho Gun Woo-Shin Baek Choel 16-21, 21-16, 21-16.

“We are not sure of qualifying for the Olympics so it is premature to even think of could win a medal,” said Chieh Min.

“We were lucky to win here and end our two-year Superseries as the top three pairs in the world (Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng, Jung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae and Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen) have skipped the tournament.”

Eight not enough as Chong Wei eyes Olympic gold

World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei won’t stop at winning eight home titles following his victory in the men’s singles final at the Maybank Malaysia Open presented by Proton on Sunday.

The Malaysian equalled his compatriot Wong Peng Soon’s record of eight men’s singles titles with his 41^st career tournament victory and 22 OSIM BWF World Superseries crown (right), when he crushed a shell-shocked Kenichi Tago (below), 21-6, 21-13 at Putra Stadium.
Immediately after his victory, Chong Wei declared he will try for a record ninth Malaysia Open title before quitting the sport in 2013, hopefully with an Olympic gold medal safely tucked away.
Known as the ‘King of the Superseries’ due to his dominant form in badminton’s premier tournaments – his 22 wins coming from just 62 Superseries men’s singles events – Chong Wei has made it known he cherishes the Olympic gold medal above all else, especially after falling short at the 2008 Olympic final.
“It feels great to have equalled a legend’s record and now I have set my sights on winning the country’s first Olympic gold medal,” said Chong Wei.
“I will sit down with my coaches and officials from the Badminton Association of Malaysia to chart out my course for the next six to seven months.
“There is the Thomas Cup and the All England, which are very important tournaments. I may play in one or two more tournaments but that’s it.
“All focus will be geared towards the London Olympics.”
Chong Wei’s other wins in the Malaysia Open came in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 and last year.
Peng Soon won his first two Malaysia Open titles in 1940 and 1941 before a break due to World War II prevented him from continuing his career until 1947 where he once again won the crown. He then won five titles in a row from 1949 to 1953.
Tago, looked intimidated by the capacity crowd who generated tons of atmosphere and noise inside the venue.
“I tried my best today, but Chong Wei was just too good. The crowd (below), was also fantastic and very noisy,” said Tago, who has now lost all three of his Superseries final appearances to Chong Wei.

Malaysia Open: Chong Wei reminds sceptics he’s still worth a crack at Olympic gold

LEE Chong Wei drummed out an emphatic message to the sceptics who do not think he is good for Olympic gold: Write him off at your peril.
The world No. 1 was devastating en route to winning his eighth home title at the Maybank Malaysia Open at Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
And he declared his hunger for more after defeating Kenichi Tago of Japan 21-6, 21-13 in a lopsided men’s singles final to notch his easiest win yet in the home series.
Chong Wei basked in the glory after the match. He soaked in the wild celebration at the stadium, acknowledged the support of the adoring fans and even took his time to share his joy with his brother’s baby boy.

With yesterday’s feat, the 29-year-old Chong Wei equalled the record of the late great Wong Peng Soon, who had captured the title eight times in 1940, 1941, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952 and 1953. Chong Wei is determined to make the record all his own with a ninth triumph next year.
It was Chong Wei’s second title in a week, marking a brilliant start to the New Year, having won the Korea Open by beating his nemesis Lin Dan of China in Seoul the previous Sunday. Yesterday, Chong Wei showed he was in a different league by extending his unbeaten run over Kenichi for the 11th time in sensational fashion.
The match was a foregone conclusion from the start as Chong Wei, spurred on by the fans, overpowered the tense Kenichi 21-6 in a flash. The second game could have ended just as fast if not for the short delay when Kenichi requested for the uneven white line on the court to be re-taped after taking a 2-1 lead.

Home comfort: Lee Chong Wei with the trophy and medal he received for winning the Malaysia Open yesterday. Chong Wei defeated Japan’s Kenichi Tago 21-6, 21-13 in the final.

The minor problem was quickly fixed and it did nothing to break Chong Wei’s rhythm as the Malaysian continued to dominate, romping home to victory 21-13.
“This is the easiest of all my Malaysia Open wins. I think Kenichi was overwhelmed by the crowd. This is the first time I have seen so many fans at a final here,” said a delighted Chong Wei.
“I’m grateful for their support. It’s great to win my eighth home title and I will definitely go for the ninth as no one has done it before.”
Chong Wei said winning back-to-back titles made for a great Chinese New Year celebration but he would remain cautious of a China backlash as far as his Olympic Games preparation was concerned.
“I ended last season with three semi-final defeats, in the China and Hong Kong Opens and the World Super Series Finals, to my rivals from China. It was towards the end of the year and I was mentally drained.
“I’m happy that I have got my momentum back again,” said Chong Wei.
“I beat Lin Dan at the Korea Open and Chen Long in the Malaysia Open. They are my two main rivals for the Olympics and I am naturally very happy as it is a major confidence boost.
“But I’m sure they will come back stronger. They will still be my main opponents in the battle for gold. I have to stay focused and not let these wins go to my head.”
On the lack of successors coming through, he said: “I haven’t seen any new talents making a mark in the Malaysia Open all these years. I hope more juniors will come through soon.”
Chong Wei said his book Dare to be a Champion, which was sold at the stadium for the first time yesterday, was meant to inspire the youngsters.

Danish delight: Christina Pedersen (top) and Kamilla Rytter Juhl celebrate after beating South Korea’s Ha Jungeun- Kim Min-jung 21-19, 21-18 to win the women’s doubles final yesterday.

“I have written about my humble beginnings. I hope my struggles and challenges will inspire them to go the extra mile.
“I’m living a comfortable life now but it all started in hardship.”
On his next mission, Chong Wei said he would lead the team to the Thomas Cup qualifying tournament in Macau from Feb 13-19.
”We don’t have a strong squad but I hope the younger players – Liew Daren and Mohd Arif Abdul Latif – will make an impact.
“I also hope Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong will regain their confidence and go all out in the qualifiers so we make it to the Finals,” he added.
For now, Chong Wei can spend some quality time with his family to celebrate the Chinese New Year. He deserves it.
Courtesy of The Star

Birthday girl Wang Yihan buries Malaysian jinx

World champion and current world No. 1 finally won a title in Malaysia when she captured the Maybank Malaysia Open presented by Proton on Sunday.

The Shanghai native (left), who turns 24 on Wednesday, was a beaten finalist at last year’s tournament and in 2010 she lost her match in the Uber Cup final at Putra Stadium which helped South Korea to a surprise victory in the women’s team world championships.
On Sunday, Wang Yihan made no mistakes as she outgunned 2010 Malaysia Open champion and teammate Wang Xin 21-19, 21-11 for her first OSIM BWF World Superseries title of the season.
“Last year I lost in the final (to Wang Shixian), so I'm happy to win my first title in Malaysia,” said an emotional Wang Yihan, who closed out 2011 by bagging the Li Ning BWF World Superseries Finals a month ago.
“The strong draft on the court did affect the way we played. To be honest, neither Shixian nor I were in the best conditions as it was a long hard 2011 and we have started the year with back-to-back tournaments, starting with South Korea last week.
“I learnt from my defeats in Malaysia, especially the 2010 Uber Cup and now I understand my weaknesses better.
“I'm thankful to come back so quickly. I lost in this venue twice in the past two years and this time I was determined to do better. That was what I’ve been thinking of since the quarter-finals.”
Wang Xin (right), who won a season leading four Superseries crowns in 2011 – Singapore, Denmark, French and Hong Kong – admitted her eagerness to wrap up the first game was the cause of her defeat.
“I didn’t feel good on the court. I wasn’t patient enough and I was not able to play my normal game,” said Wang Xin
“The first game was the key. The moment I loss it, I knew it would be difficult to come back.”
Meanwhile, world champions Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei also won their first ever Malaysia Open title when they defeated second seeds Xu Chen-Ma Jin in straight games (left).
The top seeds dominated their teammates from the start to carve out a 21-12, 21-9 victory.
“We were playing teammates and we couldn’t really get into the game the way we wanted it. It felt like a training match but overall we’re still happy to have won,” said Zhang Nan.
For full results, click here.
FINALS
Men
Singles: Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) bt Kenichi Tago (Japan) 21-6, 21-13.
Doubles: Fang Chieh Min-Lee Sheng Mu (Taipei) bt Cho Gun Woo-Shin Baek Choel (South Korea) 16-21, 21-16, 21-16.
Women
Singles: Wang Yihan (China) bt Wang Xin (China) 21-19, 21-11.
Doubles: Christinna Pedersen-Kamilla Rytter-Juhl (Denmark) bt Ha Jung Eun-Kim Min Jung (KOR) 21-19, 21-18.
Mixed doubles: Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei (China) bt Xu Chen-Ma Jin (China) 21-12, 21-9.