Lee gets the better of Lin Dan

Richard Eaton reports

Lee Chong Wei successfully defended his All-England Open men's singles title when he beat his greatest rival, Lin Dan, the Olympic champion from China, by 21-17, 21-17 in the final.

The top-seeded Malaysian's triumph came as a surprise to many people, for Lin had beaten Lee in three games the month before last at the world's first million dollar tournament, the Korean Open.

That was the Chinese legend's 15th success in 22 encounters with Lee, and he had seemed back to somewhere near his best after an abdominal injury.

But this time Lin rarely tried the fierce airborne attacks for which he has become famous, and Lee's superb movement and excellent shuttle control in the resulting game of cat-and-mouse proved marginally superior.

"I played safe today – I didn't go for the points at all," Lee said. "But I was mentally strong this time."

He immediately got a call from the prime minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Sri Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak, who told him "good job".

It became evident that Lee might score a famous victory soon after the interval in the first game, when he surged from 11-10 to 17-10 and looked well in control at 18-12.

Some of the rallies were flat and fast, but many of them involve probing clears, lifts and drops, and clever manoeuvring. It was not till the second game that Lin tried to apply much force with his overhead.

However he got back to 17-18 thanks to wonderful accuracy and consistency, and at that moment it seemed that Lee might be wobbling mentally.

But Lin unaccountably tried a clipped drop which fell too short and found the net, and that reduced the psychological pressure on his edgy opponent immensely.

Lee concluded that game with a squall of smashes and hurtled to a lead of 8-2 in the second game. It was then that Lin tried a few of his once-famous aerial bombardments, getting ceilingwards and levering the shuttle down more steeply.

But they were intermittent efforts, and gradually the match slipped back into its cagey patterns once Lin had got back on even terms.

From 17-all Lee made his final push. A disguised return and smash got him the lead again, an overhead drop got him to 19-17, and an amazing block winner from point blank range got him to match point which he converted when Lin was pressured into switching a net shot across court and narrowly wide.

"It didn't work out as well as I thought," said Lin. "I made more errors than usual."

The defeat means Lin failed to achieve a fifth All-England Open title, which would have been a unique achievement in the open era.

The next All-England, five months before the 2012 Olympics, will be his last before his retirement.

All England: Double joy for Malaysia as Koo-Tan make the final

Doubles shuttlers Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong exacted sweet revenge on China’s Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng to reach the All-England final in style yesterday.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong, the 2007 All-England champions, got off to a blistering start before having to stave off a rejuvenated challenge from Cai Yun-Haifeng in the second game.
But the Malaysians finally prevailed 21-11, 23-21 to set up a final date with Denmark’s Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen.
The Danes, chasing their maiden All-England title, were on top of their game too, overcoming a strong challenge from China’s Chai-Biao-Guo Zhengdong to prevail 26-24, 21-12 in the other semi-final.
It was truly a great day for Kien Keat-Boon Heong as the Malaysians have not beaten the Chinese pair since their win at the 2009 Sudirman Cup.
In fact, Cai Yun-Haifeng were the ones who dashed the Malaysians’ hopes of becoming the first world champions after beating them in the final of the World Championships in Paris last year.
On Friday, the fifth-seeded Kien Keat-Boon Heong choked in the second game but managed to get their act together to defeat Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia 21-19, 23-25, 21-11 in a 49-minute quarter-final battle.
The win also made up for their loss to the Indonesians in the final of the Asian Games in Guangzhou last November. In fact, it was the Malaysians’ first win over the Indonesians since the 2009 SEA Games in Laos (team event).
Earlier, qualifiers Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-Hoon Thien How failed to make it a double joy for Malaysia when they went down fighting 19-21, 18-21 to top seeds Boe-Mogensen in the quarter-finals on Friday.
But Zakry-Thien How can walk tall, having redeemed their battered pride.
The duo had been struggling to form a solid partnership prior to the All-England but they justified themselves by beating seventh seeds Lee Sheng-mu-Fang Chieh-min of Taiwan and Japan’s Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa en route to their top eight finish.
Courtesy of The Star

Chong Wei ke suku akhir

JAGUH badminton negara, Datuk Lee Chong Wei tidak berdepan masalah untuk mara ke peringkat suku akhir Kejohanan Badminton Seluruh England 2011.

Tampil dengan status selaku juara bertahan, pemain berusia 29 tahun itu mudah mengetepikan cabaran pemain China, Boa Chunlai 21-16, 21-16 pada aksi pusingan kedua di Birmingham, England semalam.

Keputusan itu sekali gus melebarkan rekod kemenangan Chong Wei ke atas Chunlai dengan memenangi 10 perlawanan daripada 14 pertemuan sebelum ini.

Terdahulu, Chong Wei yang merupakan pemain ranking No. 1 dunia mara ke pusingan kedua selepas mencatatkan kemenangan ke atas Brice Leverdez dari Perancis 21-9, 21-11 pada aksi pusingan pertama kelmarin.

Bagaimanapun, laluan buat Chong Wei mempertahankan gelaran juara yang dimenanginya tahun lalu kini semakin sukar bermula daripada peringkat suku akhir yang berlangsung hari ini.

Pada aksi suku akhir hari ini, Chong Wei bakal berdepan pemenang perlawanan di antara Boonsak Ponsana dari Thailand dengan perseorangan Korea Selatan, Lee Hyun Il.

Sementara itu, dua beregu lelaki negara, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong serta Mohd. Zakry Abdul Latif-Hoon Thien How turut melayakkan diri ke peringkat suku akhir selepas menewaskan lawan masing-masing.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong mara selepas menang 21-10, 22-20 ke atas beregu Taiwan, Chen Hung Ling-Lin Yu Lang manakala Zakry-Thien How membenam cabaran gandingan Jepun, Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa 12-21, 21-14, 21-19.

Sumber : Kosmo

Keputusan Badminton Pusingan Pertama All England 2011

Mew Choo tersingkir
Oleh Ahmad Fiesal Othman
fsal@bharian.com.my
2011/03/10

CABARAN negara dalam perseorangan wanita di kejohanan badminton Seluruh England berakhir, lewat malam tadi apabila wakil tunggal, Wong Mew Choo tewas kepada pilihan ketiga kejohanan Wang Xin dari China dalam pusingan pertama.

Mew Choo yang mara ke separuh akhir Terbuka Jerman, minggu lalu tewas 21-16, 21-16 dalam masa 34 minit, untuk mengulangi detik kecewa terkandas dalam peringkat sama, tahun lalu kepada seorang lagi pemain China, Yanjiao Jiang.

Apapun, kem negara ceria merakamkan kejayaan beregu lelaki, Mohd Zakry Mohd Latiff-Hoon Thien How yang mencatat kemenangan mudah ke atas pasangan Taiwan, Fang Chieh Min-Lee Sheng Mu dan layak ke pusingan kedua.

Mohd Zakry-Thien How yang mara ke suku suku akhir Terbuka Malaysia dan Terbuka Korea sebelum kecundang di pusingan pertama pada Terbuka Jerman, minggu lalu tampak mudah menewaskan pilihan kelapan kejohanan itu dengan keputusan 21-14, 21-19 dalam masa hanya 27 minit.

Dalam pusingan kedua, hari ini, Mohd Zakry-Thien How berdepan pemenang antara satu lagi pasangan Malaysia, Mak Hee Chun-Tan Wee Kiong yang menentang pasangan Jepun Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa yang berlangsung lewat malam tadi.

Namun, jejak langkah mereka gagal diikuti Mohd Fairuzizuan Tazari Mohd Tazari-Ong Soon Hock yang tewas kepada pilihan kelapan dari Indonesia Mohammad Ahsan-Bona Septano 21-10, 19-21, 21-14 dalam tempoh 46 minit.

Juara bertahan, Lee Chong Wei turun ke gelanggang, lewat malam tadi menentang pemain Perancis, Brice Leverdez manakala beregu lelaki utama negara, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong - pilihan kelima kejohanan - menentang pasangan kelayakan dari Russia, Vitalij Durkin-Alexandr Nikolaenko.

Chong Wei’s world No. 1 status under serious threat

Lee Chong Wei’s three-year reign as the top ranked player in the BWF World Super Series is under serious threat at the All-England, which begins today in Birmingham.

The Malaysian is at the risk of dropping one rung to the No. 2 spot in the Super Series ranking if he fails in the defence of the title and China’s Lin Dan takes the crown.

And with his status and pride at stake, expect a determined Chong Wei to go the extra mile in the championships.

The prestigious All-England is a Premier Super Series event and offers US$350,000 in prize money for the first time.

The rivalry has grown very close between Chong Wei and Lin Dan in the World Super Series with the Malaysian winning the season-opening event at home with Lin Dan closing in by defeating the world No. 1 in the final of the South Korea Open a week later.

In the past, Lin Dan had chosen to skip many of the Super Series tournaments but with BWF making it compulsory for all the top 10 players to compete, the badminton stage has suddenly become more competitive and exciting for the fans.

Barring any upsets, top seed Chong Wei and Lin Dan are expected to clash in the All-England final.

Chong Wei said that he had not lost the fire to win the All-England title for a second time but he would tread with caution on the way he approached his matches.

“Of course, I would like to retain the title but the journey will not be easy.

“I have made mistakes in the past by putting too much pressure on myself from the start,” he said.

“I want to take it one day at a time. It’s getting tougher and tougher every year.”

Following the withdrawal of Japan’s Sho Sasaki, Chong Wei will take on qualifier Brice Leverdez of France in the first round today.

The others in his half of the draw include Indonesians Sony Dwi Kuncoro and Simon Santoso, China’s Bao Chunlai and Chen Long and Denmark’s Peter-Gade Christensen.

Third seed and four-time All-England champion Lin Dan meets veteran Malaysian Wong Choong Hann in the opening round and others in the half of the draw are second seed Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia, Chinese Chen Jin, Wang Zhengming and Du Pengyu, and South Korean Park Sung-hwan.

While hopes are high on Chong Wei to keep the flag flying high for Malaysia in the men’s singles, things are looking unpredictable in the men’s doubles.

National back-up coach Tan Kim Her, however, chose to be optimistic – at least with the chances of his charges, Mak Hee Chun-Tan Wee Kiong.

“It has not been rosy for Mak and Tan. But I will be happy if they can reach the quarter-finals.

“They still have time to prove themselves,” he said.

“They are ranked 33rd in the world. They can break into the top 24 before the qualification period for the world championships ends in April if they believe in themselves.”

The duo will play against Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa in the first round today and they are in the same quarter as top seeds Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen and seventh seeds Fang Chieh-min-Lee Sheng-mu of Taiwan.

The other Malaysian men’s pairs in the fray are Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-Hoon Thien How, Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Ong Soon Hock, Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen and Chan Peng Soon-Lim Khim Wah.

The elite shuttlers performed below expectations at the preceding German Open and there is hope for them to redeem their pride in Birmingham.

It can be an early exit for Wong Mew Choo as she is down to play against third seed Wang Xin of China in the opening round today.

Courtesy of The Star

Big names head for Birmingham

Nathan Robertson and England’s other top players will take on the best in the world next month with the entry list for the Yonex All England Open Championships looking like a Who’s Who of badminton.

The oldest Open championships in the sport is one of the five new Premier events in this year’s OSIM BWF Super Series and the stars will really be out at the National indoor Arena in Birmingham from March 8-13.

This will be the 28th consecutive year of Yonex sponsorship of the All England, making it one of the most enduring partnerships in world sport. And what a turn-out!

Commonwealth silver and European bronze medallist Rajiv Ouseph, who has just won his fourth National title, is guaranteed a place in the draw as he stands proudly in the world’s top 16. He is joined by Malaysia’s defending champion and Commonwealth gold medallist Lee Chong Wei, China’s four-times champion and triple world champion Lin Dan, world champion and 2008 winner Chen Jin and world runner-up and former Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat.

The line-up is so strong that all but two of the world’s top 30 have entered. Carl Baxter, the England No 2 and three-times English national runner-up, will have to come through the qualifying to make the main draw even though he is No 36 in the world

Of the three past and present world champions in the line-up, Taufik is the only one yet to win the All England despite two final appearances. And you can’t ever discount Denmark’s five-times European and 1999 All England champion Peter Gade, who at the age of 34 is still up there near the top of the pile at world No 4.

Last year’s All England visitors will remember vividly the quarter-final between Gade and Taufik which the Dane won 20-22, 22-20, 22-20 before losing to Lee Chong Wei in the semi-finals.

In the women’s singles, Scotland’s Susan Egelstaff has gained a place in the main draw but and England’s Elizabeth Cann must come through qualifying as they prepare to go head to head over the next year in the race to qualify for London 2012.

The year-long Olympic qualifying period starts on May 1 and all the top players are now looking to pick up big ranking points as they jockey for position.

Like the men’s event, all the top women will be competing with the notable exception of world champion Wang Lin, who has been out injured since the autumn. But defending champion Tine Baun of Denmark will again take on the best from Asia with world No 1 Wang Shixian, world No 2 and 2010 runner-up Wang Yihan and world runner-up Wang Xin joined by India’s Commonwealth champion Saina Nehwal in the line-up.

There are seven Chinese in the world’s top 20 – which illustrates just how difficult it will be for Baun as she bids for a third All England title after being in the last three finals – she lost to Wang Yihan in 2009.

Home hopes once again rest with Robertson and Jenny Wallwork, the Commonwealth silver and European bronze medallists. Robertson is the only home player in the tournament with an All England title to his name after his win with Gail Emms in 2005. In 2004 they had won the Olympic silver medal and by 2006 they had lifted the world title.

Earlier this month Robertson won a sixth national mixed doubles title and his second with Wallwork after four with Emms. But he needs no reminding that the quality of the opposition will be a world apart when he arrives in Birmingham.

China’s defending champions Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei head the challenge along with former world champions Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Juhl, the 2005 runners-up.

Last year’s winner Ma Jin, who also went on to lift the world title with Zheng Bo, is back in Birmingham with a new man at her side in Xu Chen while new world No 1s Tao Jiaming and Tian Qing will also pose a huge threat.

But home fans can also look to young Chris Adcock and Scotland’s Imogen Bankier as well as Robert Blair and Gabby White to make an impact. Adcock and Bankier won the Scottish, Irish and Italian Internationals to launch their new partnership at the end of 2010 while Blair and White reached last month’s semi-finals on the Malaysian Open after coming through the qualifying rounds.

The big disappointment for England fans is the fact that Anthony Clark and Chris Langridge have only made the reserve list in the men’s doubles but Chris Adcock and Andrew Ellis and Marcus Ellis and Peter Mills are in the main draw to challenge players like Denmark’s defending champion Jonas Rasmussen and new partner Mads Conrad-Petersen following the retirement of Lars Paaske.

World No 1 pair and 2010 runners-up Carsten Mogensen and Matthias Boe are the other big Danish hopes while Korea’s Jung Jae Sung and Lee Yong Dae, Malaysia’s Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong, former champions and reigning world champions Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng, and Indonesia’s former world champions Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan are the leading title contenders.

Blair must once again come through qualifying with men’s doubles partner Flandy Limpele, the Indonesian who was runner-up in 2002 when he was based at Milton Keynes as an England sparring partner with team-mate Eng Hian.

In the women’s doubles European bronze medallists Heather Olver and Mariana Agathangelou and Commonwealth Games fourth place pair Wallwork and White are neck and neck in the world’s top 25 but the big threat will come from the world and defending champions Yu Yang and Du Jing, albeit with new partners. Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli are world No1s while Du Jing and Pan Pan are No 11s. With China providing all four semi-finalists last year you wouldn’t be against their dominance going on after 13 title triumphs in the last 15 years.

2010 Was History...Can He Retain This Year Title?

  [1] Lee Chong Wai (Mas) bt Kenichi Tago (Jpn)
          21-19, 21-19 (47m)

Lee wins the all-England at last
Richard Eaton

Lee Chong Wei, the man who has dominated the Super Series circuit without winning the major titles, went some way to improving his big occasion record by capturing the All-England Open.

The top-seeded Malaysian did that with a 21-19, 21-19 win over Kenichi Tago, the first Japanese male finalist for nearly half a century in which Lee's experience just got him through in the tight finishes in both games.

Lee also became the first man to win three Super Series titles in a row, having captured the titles in Seoul and Kuala Lumpur in January.

Just before giving his press conference Lee received a phone call of congratulations form the Malaysian prime minister, Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, and came into the room buzzing with the thrill.

"It was a big relief to win and a big dream especially as its the 100th anniversary of the All-England," said Lee. "It's going to help me in a big way. I didn't think I played my very best but I did enough."

But the his 20-year-old unseeded opponent, who had already accounted for three seeded opponents, once again impressed with his speed and attacking verve, and was not far from causing another upset.

Lee's capture of the title in the 100th tournament of the world's oldest badminton event, even though he looked a worthy favourite, may not convince everyone that he is now the best player in the world

That is because Lin Dan of China won both the Olympic and World titles, skipped the first two Super Series of the year and mysteriously lost to his compatriot Bao Chunlai here.

But Lee did suggest that he is adding a better big match temperament to his blistering speed, great defence, and cleverly timed counter-attacks, and may be improve enough to challenge Lin Dan's ambition to retire as Olympic champion at London 2012.

Lee also recovered from an uncertain start, going 0-4, 5-10 and 11-15 down to an opponent who had nothing to lose and came out attacking whenever he could.

The Malaysian made a well-timed push with six points to reach 17-15, and when Tago got back to 19-20 Lee had a slice of good fortune when his attempted kill took a net cord which left his opponent for dead.

Lee played more relaxedly after that, getting to 6-1 quickly. Even when Tago caught him at 11-11 and kept in touch up till 17-18, Lee was playing more aggressively himself now.

This time at 20-19 he won the crucial point more worthily, choosing an accurate push down the middle, awkwardly close to Tago's body, to make the championship-grabbing winner.

Lee celebrated by burying his forehead on the court, by hurrying to thank his coach Misbun Sidek, and by raising both fists to the crowd. It may prove a turning point in his career.
 

International Badminton Tournament For March 2011

 Date                                  Title                                         
01-06 Mac        YONEX German Open Badminton   
08-13 Mac        All England Super Series                  
15-20 Mac        WILSON Swiss Open 2011            
17-22 Mac        Banuinvest International 2011           
24-27 Mac        YONEX Polish International Open   
31 Mac-3 Apr   LINING New Zealand International