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