Fairuzizuan-Vountus advance in Macau Open

PROFESSIONAL pair Fairuzizuan Tazari-Vountus Indra Mawan advanced to the quarter-finals of the Macau Open as veteran Wong Choong Hann's campaign came to an end in the third round yesterday.
Fairuz-Vountus upset third seeds Yonathan Dasuki-Hendra Gunawan of Indonesia 14-21, 22-20, 21-11 and will play another Indonesian pair Alvent Yulianto-Markis Kido in the last eight today.
National back-up pair Chooi Kah Ming-Ow Yao Han were shown the exit in the second round when they suffered a 21-17, 21-9 thrashing at the hands of South Koreans Yoo Yeon Seong-Shin Baek Cheol.
Choong Hann, 34, didn't have the energy to overcome K. Srikanth of India and suffered a 21-17, 15-21, 21-12 defeat in 53 minutes.
Women's doubles Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei lost 21-12, 18-21 21-6 to Taiwan's Wang Pei Rong-Wen Kuo Yu.
Meanwhile, Tain Aik Quan-Lai Pei Jing lost 21-17, 21-14 to top seeds Ahmad Tantowi-Liliyana Natsir of Indonesia in the mixed doubles.
The Macau Open didn't attract any top names who will be focusing on the Super Series Finals in Shenzhen on Dec 12-16.
Lee Chong Wei withdrew from the event to focus on the Super Series Finals while Liew Daren is the other Malaysian who have qualified for the event.
The other players in the men's singles who have qualified for the Super Series Finals are China's Chen Long and Du Pengyu, Japanese duo Kenichi Tago and Du Pengyu, Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand and Hu Yun of Hong Kong.
Courtesy of New Straits Times

Coach Kim Her expects Koo and Tan to spring a surprise in Shenzhen

Showing their ability: Koo Kien Keat (left) and Tan Boon Heong have shown their mettle recently by making three finals and one semi-final plus qualifying for the World Super Series Finals.

National doubles coach Tan Kim Her believes that top pair Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong have justified the coaches’ faith with their recent run of decent results.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong came under severe criticism before and during the London Olympics in July due to their poor form.
They were tipped to be split up by the BA of Malaysia (BAM) upon returning from London as many felt that they did not have any future as a pair.
But the BAM and the doubles coaches decided against it at the last moment and Kien Keat-Boon Heong have since picked up their form.
Since the Olympics, the pair have made the final of three tournaments – Japan Open, Denmark Open and Hong Kong Open – as well as the semi-finals of the China Open.
Although they have faltered at the final stages, Kien Keat-Boon Heong are now ranked second in the world and Kim Her is delighted at the way they have been playing.
“After the Olympics, many thought that their slump will continue,” he said.
“But that’s not been the case as Kien Keat-Boon Heong have been working harder."
“They are now even closer as a pair and have cleared up any misunderstandings they’ve had."
“To make three finals is a good result and I believe that they’ve shown that they can still play as pair and have much to offer."
“Although they have yet to win, I think they can spring a surprise at the BWF World Super Series Finals in Shenzhen next month.”
Kien Keat-Boon Heong qualified for the season-ending event from Dec 12-16 on merit by virtue of being at the top of the pack in the Super Series standings.
Only the top eight pairs in the standings qualify for the finals, with each country allowed to send two pairs if both are in the top eight.
With top China pair Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng failing to make the cut, Kien Keat-Boon Heong’s task of landing a major title should be a lot easier as they will have one less rival to deal with.
However, Kim Her warned Kien Keat-Boon Heong not to take it easy as the likes of Denmark’s Mathias Boe-Carsten Morgensen and China’s Hong Wei-Shen Ye could prove to be spoilers.
“Boe-Morgensen and Hong Wei-Shen Ye will be the clear threat as the rest of the field are not quite there yet,” said Kim Her.
The other qualifiers for the Super Series Finals are Japan’s Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa and Hirokatsu Hashimoto-Noriyasu Hirata, South Koreans Kim Ki-jung-Kim Sa-rang, Thailand’s Bodin Isaara-Maneepong Jongjit and Malaysian No. 2 Hoon Thien How-Tan Wee Kiong.
Courtesy of The Star

Steely Wei Feng sets sights on breaking into top 10

He may appear tad shy, but there is a glint of steely determination in the eyes of the 25-year-old Chong Wei Feng.
The Kedah-born shuttler’s commitment and dedication has seen him reach the semi-finals of the China Open (November) and Taiwan Open (October).
And the world No. 21 is impressed with his overall performance this year, especially since he has met his two objectives.
“One of my main targets was to be in the top 30 in the world rankings ... I’m now at No. 21,” said Wei Feng.
“I reached my first semi-finals in China ... that’s a pleasant thing for me.”
However, he is still reeling from the semi-final loss to Chen Long in the China Open.
“Unfortunately, I got off to a slow start and he (Chen Long) possessed the physical strength to control the game,” said Wei Feng.
“You have to be fast all the time when you face someone like him if you want to control the game.”
But that’s over and done with. Wei Feng has now set himself two main targets for next year.
“I intend to break into the top 10 and qualify for the World Cham­pion­ships next year,” he said.
Courtesy of The Star

Macau Open: Young Zulfadli goes down fighting to Hu Yun

Former world junior champion Zulfadli Zulkifli came mightily close to claiming his first big scalp but his inexperience showed as he went down fighting to Hong Kong’s Hu Yun in the first round of the Macau Open GP Gold yesterday.
The 19-year-old Zulfadli has yet to make his mark on the senior stage – a year after becoming the first Malaysian to win the World Junior title.
He had his chances against world No. 15 and fourth seed Hu Yun but faltered when it mattered most, losing 21-12, 11-21, 16-21.
The Selangor lad, who is currently ranked 62nd in the world, is gradually running out of time to show that his massive potential has not gone to waste.
It was also a sorry day for the Malaysian singles camp as Chan Kwong Beng and Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub fell by the wayside.
Kwong Beng, who has had a dreadful year which culminated in him dropping to No. 99th in the world, will certainly ponder his future after a tame 18-21, 11-21 defeat to unknown Taiwan’s Chun Shih Kuei.
Loh Wei Sheng, however provided some cheer when he beat Singapore’s Robin Gonansa 21-16, 21-11 to progress into the second round, where he will face fifth seed Wong Wing Ki of Hong Kong.
Former national Wong Choong Hann also showed that he still has some gas left in the tank with a comfortable 21-12, 21-16 win over Australia’s Michael Fariman.
Earlier in the qualifying rounds, all three mixed pairs of Ong Jian Guo-Woon Khe Wei, Lim Khim Wah-Vivian Hoo and Mohd Lufti Zaim-Chow Mei Kuan failed to progress to the main draw.
Courtesy of The Star

Hong Kong Open: Day 6 - Zhao Yunlei Double Leads Chinese Sweep

China duly swept the Yonex Sunrise Hong Kong Open today, with Chen Long and Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng preventing Malaysia from crashing the party.

The Chinese were assured of three gold medals before the start of play as they were all-China affairs. The main questions were whether No. 2 Chen Long (at left, right photo being congratulated by Lee) could upstage No. 1 Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia in the Men’s Singles final, and whether the Olympic champions Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng would be upset by Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong in Men’s Doubles. As it turned out, both these matches went China’s way in straight games. The other three finals went to the Olympic champions, with Zhao Yunlei claiming another double: Women’s Doubles with Tian Qing and Mixed Doubles with Zhang Nan. Li Xuerui (at right, photo below with Wang) took the Women’s Singles.

The Men’s Singles final was breath-taking in parts, though not quite living up to expectations. Lee was dominant early on, with his tremendous bursts of speed putting Chen under pressure, but as the match wore on, his rustiness became apparent. Unlike previous encounters between them, it was Chen who started to control the net. The world No. 2 recovered from 10-13 to draw level, and then pulled away, with Lee struggling to keep within reach. Unusually for Lee, his precision was off and he gifted points at crucial moments that helped Chen’s cause.

In the second game, Chen led throughout. Lee attempted to fight his way into the match, but Chen’s swiftness and defence was exceptional. At 8-6 came the rally of the match: Lee played three hairpin net shots, but Chen retrieved each of them until he forced the error from the Malaysian. The 21-19 21-17 triumph gave Chen his second straight Superseries title after the China Open.

“No excuses,” said Lee. “Chen Long was more stable today and was relaxed after the Olympics. I didn’t want to play here at first, as I wanted to rest after the wedding. I wasn’t able to play my normal match. I tried my best and didn’t have any target today, so I’m okay with the result.”

His opponent was complimentary in victory. “I have a lot to learn from players like Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei,” said Chen Long. “My biggest target is the World Championships. This (Hong Kong Open) was more to gain experience.”

The Women’s Singles final saw No. 2 Li Xuerui take the title over No. 1 Wang Yihan who retired at 21-12 11-3 as she was concerned about her right knee. Wang had been playing with it heavily-strapped throughout the tournament, and said she didn’t want to worsen it.

“I pushed myself a lot and did my best,” said Wang “but I didn’t want to injure myself, so I decided to retire.”

The first match of the day was a riveting contest between Olympic Women’s Doubles champions Tian Qing/Zhao Yunlei (right) and the pair that was disqualified from the Olympics, Yu Yang/Wang Xiaoli. The match was the longest of the five finals as the duos traded shot for shot, and it was eventually the composure of the Olympic champions that made the difference. They took the title 22-20 14-21 21-17.

The Mixed Doubles final was expected to be another marathon, pitting Olympic gold medallists, Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei, against the Olympic silver medallists, Xu Chen/Ma Jin. Zhang/Zhao won in London but Xu/Ma were on a hot streak, having won four Superseries in a row. The difference between the two sides was Zhao Yunlei. Despite having played her Women’s Doubles final earlier, the Olympic champion dominated the net against her opposite number Ma Jin. So steady was she at the forecourt that even the usually unflappable Ma Jin succumbed and the Olympic champions won in straight games, 21-17 21-17.

“I’m used to playing two events, so it was not a problem,” Zhao said, of winning two titles. “Even though we didn’t train much after the Olympics, I wasn’t particularly tired today.”

The final match of the tournament was Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng against Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong (all at left). The Malaysians started off promisingly, with a 10-4 lead, but the Chinese worked their way back through consistent big hitting. The Malaysians were brilliant and erratic by turns, thus unable to sustain the momentum after a hard-won point. They enjoyed a good spell late in the second game when they were down 10-17 – they lifted the shuttle and invited Fu and Cai to breach their defence, and they did return those thunderbolts to frustrate the Chinese briefly.

However, the deficit was too large to overcome, and they will rue a few missed chances. Upon converting match point, an excited Cai threw his racket in the air and stripped his shirt off. The 21-16 21-17 victory secured, the world and Olympic champions had helped China to a comprehensive rout of the opposition.

Hong Kong Open: Chen Long takes title, Kien Keat-Boon Heong also fall

LEE Chong Wei found his match in the final of the Hong Kong Open as Chen Long of China outplayed the World No 1 to secure the super series crown in Kowloon yesterday.
Chong Wei, despite reaching the final easily, lost steam as Chen Long's far superior physical condition helped him register a 21-19, 21-17 win in 57 minutes.
It was Chong Wei's first defeat since the London Olympics and lack of preparation, disrupted by his wedding on Nov 10, gave Chen Long the edge.
Chong Wei's involvement in the Macau Open will now turn into a holiday for him and wife Wong Mew Choo as the former is not in ideal condition to play in back-to-back tournaments.
The World Super Series Finals in Shenzen on Dec 12-16 will be his next outing where Chong Wei should be in a better position to seek revenge over Chen Long for his defeat yesterday.
Men's doubles Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, currently ranked World No 2, stretched their barren run in the super series to 35 months when they lost to Olympic champions Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng of China 21-16, 21-17 in 43 minutes.
The Hong Kong Open was their third final since the failure to capture a medal in the Olympics but Kien Keat-Boon Heong, yet again, failed to make a mark.
Cai Yun-Haifeng have not been at their best since returning to competition last month but still managed to notch their 11th win in 16 meetings with Kien Keat-Boon Heong.
The only relief for Kien Keat-Boon Heong was that Cai Yun-Haifeng's victory was still not enough to help them qualify for the Super Series Finals, meaning the Malaysians will have have one top pair less to worry about in their bid to make at least the semi-finals.
Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng's victory completed a China clean sweep in the last super series tournament of the year.
Courtesy of New Straits Times

Hong Kong Open: Day 2 - Indians Triumph; China Suffers in Men’s Singles

Indians, Kashyap Parupalli and Ajay Jayaram (home page), scored thrilling victories over higher-ranked opponents in opening-round Men’s Singles matches at the Yonex Sunrise Hong Kong Open today.

While No. 23 Parupalli edged past No. 10 Jan O Jorgensen in one of the closest matches of the year, 24-22 20-22 22-20, Jayaram held off recent China Open finalist, Wang Zhengming of China, 22-20 23-21. Jayaram saved two game points in the second game to squeeze past Wang.

The latter exited the tournament along with compatriots Chen Jin (3), Chen Yuekun, Du Pengyu; Chen Jin being surprised in straight games by Germany’s Marc Zwiebler (21-14 21-14). China’s three losses in Men’s Singles means all their hopes are now on Chen Long (2) in that category. Indonesia’s Taufik Hidayat also bowed out, though stretching young Japanese Takuma Ueda to three games.

“I know Taufik is near the end of his career, so this was my chance to beat him,” said 23-year-old Ueda who prevailed 19-21 23-21 21-16.

“I was nervous initially but, after Taufik won the first game, I calmed down and played better.”

Parupalli’s match against Jorgensen of Denmark was the day’s standout result. Jorgensen saved four game points in the opening game which Parupalli took 24-22. The Dane then held off a fightback from the Indian in the second, as Parupalli levelled an 18-20 deficit, but could not prevent Jorgensen from clinching it at 22-20. The pattern reversed in the decider, with Jorgensen fighting back from 15-19 to holding match point at 20-19, but Parupalli held firm to grab the next three points.

In Women’s Singles, the highest-profile loser was seventh seed Jiang Yanjiao of China, beaten by experienced Japanese Eriko Hirose in a close match, 19-21 22-20 21-18. Another three-game encounter saw veteran China-born Dutchwoman, Yao Jie (left), calling time on her career. The former European champion lost a gritty match to Thailand’s Busanan Ongbumrungpan, 21-8 20-22 21-19, and promptly announced her retirement.

It was not a happy campaign for Hong Kong players in their home Superseries. World No. 14 Hu Yun was the only winner out of seven singles competitors. Apart from Hu, the others – including Ng Ka Long, Wong Wing Ki and Chan Yan Kit in Men’s Singles, and Yip Pui Yin and Chan Tsz Ka in Women’s Singles – were first-round casualties. The scene was not any better in doubles. Five pairs in Women’s Doubles, including Poon Lok Yan and Tse Ying Suet (right), and one in Mixed Doubles were eliminated. Hu held off a late charge from world No. 6 Du Pengyu of China, 21-17 22-20 and will take on Abdul Latif of Malaysia next. Wong Wing Ki, who said he was looking forward to playing in the grand Hong Kong Coliseum for the second time, was beaten in three games by Indonesia’s Tommy Sugiarto.

“This is my sixth Hong Kong Open,” Wong said before the match. “Earlier, the hall was much smaller. I like it here because of the atmosphere, and my friends will be cheering for me.”

Meanwhile, both the top two seeds – Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) and Chen Long (China) – progressed into the next round easily. In the Men’s Doubles, the prominent upset was that of fourth seeds Bodin Issara/Maneepong Jongjit, beaten 21-18 21-10 by Lee Sheng Mu/Tsai Chia Hsin of Chinese Taipei.

Double Olympic gold medallist, Zhao Yunlei of China, advanced to the second round in both Women’s and Mixed Doubles with her respective partners – Tian Qing and Zhang Nan (left, with Zhao).