Malaysia’s Datuk Lee Chong Wei 李宗伟 beats China’s Lin Dan 林丹 12-21, 21-18, and 21-14 at the Korea Open Super Series badminton championships in Seoul, South Korea yesterday to win his first title of the year. Finally!
OMG did you notice Lin Dan hair style?! So damn “Leong” lor… Haha… Would all the China men follow his hairstyle now? You wanna cut such hair style boh? Haha.
No matter where Lee Chong Wei place the shutter Lin Dan will be there before the shutter even reach the court. Reading his mind well! Lin Dan made Datuk Lee Chong Wei run like a dog yet Chong Wei still can’t return the cock well. Mistake & unforced error keep on happening.
On the other hand, the 2nd and rubber set, Datuk Lee Chong re-bounced! I thought macam Lin Dan “fong sui” one leh? Or they already discussed letting who win & how many games to play? Arggh. If it’s real I did happy for #LCW, but I think it’s not and it’s the mindset that make Chong Wei bounced back and defeat Lin Dan! Good Job! Malaysia Boleh!
See how Datuk Lee make money? It’s only 1st 8 days of the year and he made USD75k = ~MYR225k! How to make such amount of money!
Datuk Lee Chong Wei 李宗伟 is still World Number 1 & above Lin Dan 林丹!
Chong Wei downs Lin Dan to reaffirm his Olympic intentions
PETALING JAYA: World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei stamped his credentials as a potential candidate to win Malaysia’s first Olympic gold medal with a scintillating victory over nemesis Lin Dan in the Korea Open yesterday.
The 29-year-old Chong Wei overcame a listless start to carve out a 12-21, 21-18, 21-14 win over four-time world champion Lin Dan of China in a physically taxing one-hour and 15-minute men’s singles final at the US$1mil tournament in Seoul.
The brilliant start to the year earned him a cool US$75,000 (RM235,875) ang pow for the upcoming Chinese New Year.
And there could be more when he goes after his eighth home title at the US$400,000 Maybank Malaysia Open, which begins on Wednesday at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
A rivalry unmatched: Lee Chong Wei and Lin Dan on the podium after their Korean Open men’s singles final yesterday. Chong Wei won 12-21, 21-18, 21-14. — AFP
It was his second Korean Open title after having won it in 2010 and his ninth career win over Lin Dan in 27 clashes.
Yesterday’s win erased fears that Chong Wei will always be in the shadow of the Chinese star – especially after losing in the World Championships, China and Hong Kong Opens last year.
The most painful defeat came at the world meet when Chong Wei lost despite leading 20-18 in the decider in the final.
Yesterday, Chong Wei’s display showed that he has got over the disappointments.
“It is a new year and I wanted a fresh start. It is great to start the Olympic year with a title by beating my close rival Lin Dan. This is a positive sign for me ahead of the Olympic Games,” said Chong Wei in a telephone interview.
“The win is a confidence booster for me. It was a physically draining match but it was really worth it.”
It was not all that smooth sailing for Chong Wei when the opening game saw the best and also worst of him. He was doing fine – playing well at the net and taking time to open up the game – until 6-6 and then he lost the plot to allow Lin Dan to pull away for an easy 21-12 win. Not many would have put their money on Chong Wei to recover from the lopsided opening game setback but he did. He took all that was thrown at him and then executed some exquisite moves at 18-18 to romp home for victory in the second game.
Chong Wei continued to show more urgency and aggression in the decider to outfox Lin Dan and at one point, the latter was left shaking his head in disbelief over the Malaysian’s deception.
And to top his misery, Lin Dan’s game was littered with uncharacteristic mistakes and it saw the Chinese finally giving up the fight and the Korean Open crown to Chong Wei.
“The first game against Lin Dan did not go as I planned but I kept chanting in my heart that I could pull through if I stayed focused. The win in the second game gave me all the confidence that I needed to go all the way.”
“This is a great start for me and from now it is important that I keep the momentum going and stay injury-free.
“I will return home tomorrow (today) and focus on the Malaysia Open. I do not want to disappoint my fans and I will go all out to keep my unbeaten run intact on home soil.”
Both his coaches – Tey Seu Bock and Rashid Sidek – who were with him in Seoul, were delighted.
Said Rashid: “It is rare to see Lin Dan losing his focus but today he did. And this is all due to Chong Wei’s superb comeback. He did well to change and vary his game to make Lin Dan very uncomfortable today.”
Said Seu Bock: “Credit should be given to Chong Wei for the hard work he put in today. This win will be a big boost to his morale. Of course, Lin Dan and his other team-mates will come back stronger at the Malaysia Open but if there is one place where it is difficult to beat Chong Wei, it is on his home ground.
“Physically, both players have been pushed to the limit but I am confident that Chong Wei will recover in time.”
Lee Chong Wei 李宗伟 still cannot beat Lin Dan 林丹 in yesterday match but I strongly believe that in the next meet or till next year Olympic Datuk Lee Chong Wei will surely beat Lin Dan! So far Lin Dan is still stronger than Chong Wei not in terms of skill but just that Datuk Lee fear of him mentally? Hmm…
China’s superstar Lin Dan 林丹 shattered Chong Wei’s 李宗伟 dream of becoming Malaysia’s first world champion in 1 hour 22 mins men’s singles final.
Lee Chong Wei 李宗伟 lost to Lin Dan 林丹 in Badminton World Championships but it’s a close fight I must agree! Every badminton fans will surely enjoyed the game and the way the fight till the last point.
1st Game 20-22 : Won by Lee Chong Wei 李宗伟
2nd Game 21-14 : Won by Lin Dan 林丹
3rd Game 23-21 : Won by Lin Dan 林丹
Datuk Lee, you can do it! I still want to see some stunning act from you and beat Lin Dan pls!
CHINA’s Lin Dan took of his shirt to reveal his rippling musles before running around the court in sheer joy.
After lying low throughout this week, he was in the mood for celebration – especially after beating world number one Lee Chong Wei 20-22, 21-14, 23-21 in remarkable fashion.
The sensational come-from-behind win – especially after trailing 12-16 and 18-20 in the decider – saw Lin Dan winning his fourth world title, a first by a player in the world series. It was his 17th win over Chong Wei over 24 matches since they first crossed swords in 2004. It was also Lin Dan’s second win over Chong Wei this year after the victory at the US$1.2 mil South Korea Open final in Seoul.
And when asked about his victory, Lin Dan said that he wanted to quickly end the game because he did not have much time to go sight-seeing in London and had wanted to buy gifts for his wife Xie Xingfang.
The greatest: China’s Lin Dan celebrating after defeating Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei in the men’s singles final yesterday.
“The match was going too long and I wanted to just win it. Fortunately, I did not make as many mistakes as Chong Wei did towards the end,” said Lin Dan.
“This is my first visit to London and I have not had time to do some sight seeing. I want to buy clothes for my wife,” he said in a packed press conference, which drew laughter.
When asked about the way he celebrated the win yesterday, he said: “Yes, I was a bit emotional. Chong Wei played well and I have to work hard to get back into the game after the first game defeat.”
“I am glad that we (Chong Wei and I) were able to give the fans a great badminton show. I saw a lot of quality matches from men’s singles players in this world meet.
“I am a badminton ambassador and it is my responsibility to maintain the interest of the the badminton fans,” said the 28-year-old Lin Dan. When asked about his Olympic Games preparation, he said: “This win here has put me in the right track for my Olympic Games preparations for next year at the same venue. I am happy and pleased with everything that has taken place here,” he added.
IT was a magical moment at the Wembley Arena yesterday but it did not belong to Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei.
Yesterday, China’s superstar Lin Dan shattered Chong Wei’s dream of becoming Malaysia’s first world champion when he came from behind twice in the decider to troop home with a sensational 20-22, 21-14, 23-21 win in an adrenaline-pumping, one-hour-and-22 minute men’s singles final.
The 29-year-old Chong Wei had held the upper hand at 16-12 and 20-18 in the decider in the dream final of the World Championships between the two greatest men’s singles players but luck deserted him at the crucial state.
And to add misery to his agonising defeat, Chong Wei, who put up a sombre face during the victory ceremony, rushed out with cramps on both his legs and was lying in a corner with tears in his eyes.
It was truly a sad end for Chong Wei, who had been so convincing and confident in his play throughout the week, sparking a great hope for Malaysia to produce a first winner since the tournament’s inception in 1977.
Dejected: Lee Chong Wei making a call back stage after his loss to Lin Dan in the final.
On Saturday, he had reached his first final in his sixth attempt in the world meet to become only the second Malaysian after Wong Choong Hann to do so.
After a good rub-down, Chong Wei said that he was disappointed with the outcome but vowed to move forward – with his focus on next year’s Olympic Games.
“I had two chances to end the game but it did not happen for me … Lin Dan took a great gamble at the crucial stage and I was quite unlucky,” said Chong Wei.
“I gave my all. This is my best and closest match against Lin Dan. It hurts to lose by two points in this manner.
“I may have lost to him but I showed that nothing much separates us. I made some mistakes today but I will be ready for him the next time.
“I am still happy with my achievement of reaching my first final here. It has been a good season. I have reached every final since the start of this year.
“I will shift my attention to the Olympic Games. It is 11 months away and I want to better prepared.
And he gave the Malaysian fans some good news: “I may have lost the opportunity to become the country’s first champion but I am coming back. I will be back in 2013 to get it right,” added Chong Wei, who left for home yesterday.
It started with three quick easy points for Chong Wei following Lin Dan’s unusual poor service return shots.
Then, the real battle began with Chong Wei and Lin Dan trying to outfox each other with their blistering pace, punishing smashes, unbelievable netplays and incredible retrieves.
The Malaysian stayed ahead to take a 20-18 lead but Lin Dan was always dangerously snapping at his heels. Lin Dan’s brilliance at the net saw him levelling at 20-20 but a quick recovery saw the Malaysian taking the first game at 22-20.
The second game went on in the same fashion but this time, Lin Dan dictated the pace until 11-9. A brief nervy spell by a slower Chong Wei saw Lin Dan taking a 17-10 lead and eventually forcing a rubber game with a 21-14 win.
Both came back recharged and determined to outdo each other and what a fight it was.
The decider was a thriller with both displaying class and quality but it was Lin Dan who had a better finish to nick his fourth world title to emerge as the world’s greatest player.
Finally Datuk Lee Chong Wei 李宗伟 beat the Super Dan (Lin Dan 林丹)! It was awesome to see how Lee Chong Wei play in the games. Datuk Lee once again showed that he’s world no.1! Congrats! Datuk Lee won in 2 straight games 21-17, 21-17. Datuk Lee has finally overcome his fear and manage to control Lin Dan!
It’s really great and you could see that there’s tons of people mention about the great win in Twitter. You can check all the tweets that with the hashtag #LCW,#MalaysiaBoleh, #AllEngland
Some even mention that why there’s no Public Holiday? But according to our PM’s @NajibRazak Twitter there’s no Public Holiday. Lolz.
NajibRazak Mohd Najib Tun Razak
Sorry tmrw not a public holiday. We have to rejoice in Chong Wei’s victory n at the same time work hard so that we have more victories.
Check out the video footage on how Lee Chong Wei cleared the final shot to win the All England title against Lin Dan!
This time Lin Dan cannot take off his shirt and do naked hip-hop dance but it’s our Malaysia Hero Datuk Lee that dance with his jersey and kissing on Malaysia flag! I just love his attitude! Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong, please learn from your senior!
PETALING JAYA: For the first time, Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei truly felt on top of the world.
Great win: A smiling Chong Wei holds aloft the coveted All-England men’s singles trophy. — AP
Yesterday, Chong Wei showed who was the real boss on the court when he defeated his nemesis, Lin Dan of China, 21-17, 21-17 in a highly-charged 52-minute final to retain the All-England title.
It was a priceless win and an ecstatic Chong Wei slumped to his knees in sheer delight before rising to the thunderous applause of the fans at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham.
It was the first time that Chong Wei had beaten Lin Dan to win a major title and the record between the two archrivals now stands at 7-18.
With the win, too, Chong Wei reaffirmed his status as the world No. 1 and also hung on to the number one standing in the Super Series rankings.
And Chong Wei also became the first Malaysian to retain the All-England title since Eddy Choong pulled off the feat in 1956 and 1957.
But more importantly, the win yesterday showed that Chong Wei has the ability to come out of Lin Dan’s shadow and be a real challenger for the Olympic gold in London next year.
Lin Dan, gunning for a second consecutive Premier Super Series title after nailing the first in South Korea, got off to a smashing start but it was not too long before Chong Wei got into the groove.
Looking more confident and focused in his approach, Chong Wei piled up the pressure on the three-time world champion, often catching Lin Dan with his clever moves at the net and showing incredible defence to frustrate the Chinese.
They were tied at 8-8 and at one stage Lin Dan was affected by a bad line call and it allowed Chong Wei to pull away to 17-10.
Smashing finale: Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei goes down on his knees to celebrate his victory over China’s Lin Dan at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham yesterday. — AFP
But Lin Dan, who was ironically more interested in playing rallies than using his lethal attacking shots, fought back to 17-18. But that was as far as he went as Chong Wei snapped out of the spell to take the first game.
The second game was even tighter as both tried to outfox each other with their tight net shots and super fast counter attacks until they were tied at 17-17.
Instead of buckling under pressure like he used to before, a cool and composed Chong Wei romped home to take four points in a row to land himself a third title of the year after victories at the Super Series Masters Finals in Taiwan and Malaysia Open in January.
National coach Rashid Sidek hailed Chong Wei’s achievement as a big breakthrough.
“He played a superb game and was able to overcome the psychological barrier against Lin Dan,” he said in a telephone interview.
“He not only handle the challenge from Lin Dan well but he also executed excellent counter attacks to pressure Lin Dan. That to me is a big improvement.
“Today, Lin Dan was making most of the mistakes and he was unable to kill some of Chong Wei’s shots. Chong Wei, on the other hand, maintained a consistent pace.
“Chong Wei has always been criticised for winning the small tournaments. But this time, he defeated Lin Dan for a big one.”
Too disappointed… Datuk Lee Chong Wei 李宗伟 again fail to bring down Lin Dan 林丹. Lee Chong Wei lost to Lin Dan again! 13-21, 21-15, 10-21 no gold for Malaysia in Badminton.
Super Dan 超级丹 won again this time! Lin Dan beat Datuk Lee Chong Wei in style and yet Datuk Lee tried his best becoming the first Malaysian men’s singles champion in 40 years at the Asian Games but not avail.
Lin Dan salute to his fans in Guangzhou.
Lin Dan just love punching in the air and taking off his shirt to the deafening roars of the home crowd. He just love to show his sexy naked body with six-packs!
I did a live tweet for the Asian Game badminton final yesterday of Lin Dan vs Datuk Lee Chong Wei, you can see how excited the game and most importantly Lee Chong Wei tried his best and I think Lin Dan still the best badminton player in the world even Datuk Lee is world number 1 in badminton now.
Super Dan bags it all
THE world’s most celebrated men’s singles badminton player, Lin Dan of China, finally has it all.
He fitted the final piece of the jigsaw in his immaculate career winnings by nailing the elusive Asian Games title in front of his adoring fans at the Tianhe Gymnasium yesterday.
And “Super Dan” did it in super style, defeating world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei 21-13, 15-21, 21-10 in the final.
And then he celebrated the victory in the only way he knew – letting out a loud cry, punching the air repeatedly and taking off his shirt to the deafening roars of the home crowd.
And he did a little more yesterday after the usual salute. He threw his shoes and sweat-soaked shirt to the delirious crowd.
With the triumph in the Guangzhou Asiad, the 27-year-old Olympic and three-time world champion has won all the major titles on offer in world badminton.
As for Chong Wei, his losing streak against Lin Dan on China soil continued and his hopes of becoming the first Malaysian men’s singles champion in 40 years at the Asian Games went up in smoke.
Punch Gunalan won the last Malaysian gold medal in the event at the 1970 Games in Bangkok.
Chong Wei was too disappointed and distraught to turn up for the post-match media conference. Said team manager Datuk Maijol Mahap: “He is sitting at a corner. The defeat was too disappointing for him.
Please let him be, for now.”
A thrilled Lin Dan, however, took his time to answer all the questions thrown at him.
“I have reached my target.
“I have won all the major titles that a player can win. This is really a wonderful moment for me,” he said.
“Of all the titles that I have won, the 2004 Thomas Cup Finals, however, will hold a special spot for me. It was the beginning of my rise as a player. And the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games was an important one too.”
Although buoyed by his exploits, Lin Dan gave due credit to Chong Wei’s fighting spirit yesterday.
“This is my best Asian Games final. There was pressure on both of us. We played well even though it was so tough. Honestly, I was the lucky one to win.
“I give my due respect to Chong Wei. He really fought very hard today.”
Lin Dan showed he was much superior in the first game with his stronger attack taking him to an 11-6 lead.
Chong Wei came back from the game break with his brilliant deceptive shots to take three consecutive points but Lin Dan replied with a flurry of smashes to extend his lead to 15-9.
The Malaysian tried to break Lin Dan’s momentum but, in his haste, made too many mistakes to hand the game to his pumped up rival.
Chong Wei upped the tempo in the second game as Lin Dan appeared to take his foot off the pedal to allow the Malaysian to force a decider.
Lin Dan was devastating in the rubber game, leading 11-4 at the game break before romping home for the gold medal.
It was a sad day for Malaysia. We couldn’t deliver even a single point even with thousands of support and cheering from Malaysia fans in Bukit Jalil Putra Stadium indoor stadium. Dato Lee Chong Wei could not get hold of the game and Lin Dan was the one who control of the whole game.
“Today, China proved that they have a better team than ours. China’s players showcased better quality. Our players tried their best but they were simply not good enough,” said Rashid.
I think we need to brush up our players and we are just over confident and China players are still as great as the Great Wall of China and it’s unbreakable.
If Lee Chong Wei could deliver the first point in 1st Single for Malaysia against China Lin Dan, we still have hope and it will bring up the spirits of other players too! But unfortunately Chong Wei could not make it.
Lin Dan won 21-17, 21-8 to hand Chong Wei his first defeat in 19 matches with the much awaited Chong Wei-Lin Dan encounter lasting 48 minutes. The win stretched Lin Dan’s wins over Chong Wei to 14 against six defeats.
Look at Lin Dan sexy body after he won and took off his shirt, he dance in cloud nine too! He’s just too great…
Khoo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong was the hope to leave up the spirits but they fail to beat Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng they are just too good in handling in their games. Cai Yung-Yu Haifeng put China 2-0 in front in the semi-finals of the Thomas Cup when they beat the Malaysian pair of Koo Kean Keat-Tan Boon Heong 21-15, 21-10.
Thomas Cup Final will be China vs Indonesia and the interesting match will be Lin Dan vs Taufik!
THOUSANDS of cheering Malaysian fans created an electrifying atmosphere at the Putra Stadium.
But their efforts failed to lift the spirit of the Malaysian players, who succumbed to three quick blows to go down 0-3 to defending champions China in the Thomas Cup semi-finals last night.
The defeat shattered Malaysia’s dream of ending an 18-year wait to lift the Cup they last won in 1992.
Malaysia Down and out of Thomas Cup: Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei goes down on his knees after failing to return Lin Dan’s shot in the first singles last night. Chong Wei lost 17-21, 8-21. Malaysia went on to lose the semi-final 0-3.
The semi-final was an anti-climax tie for Malaysia as the top players – world No. 1s Lee Chong Wei and Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong – failed to live up to expectations.
After playing so confidently in his previous two ties, Chong Wei wilted under pressure and went down tamely 17-21, 8-21 to his nemesis Lin Dan.
Hopes were then high on Kien Keat-Boon Heong to level the tie but they too found Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng too hot too handle, going down 15-21, 10-21 in just 36 minutes.
The hopes of the nation was then on the shoulders of veteran Wong Choong Hann to save the tie but he too crumbled under the weight of expectations, going down 16-21, 7-21 in 41 minutes.
And it was all over for Malaysia.
Invincible: China’s Fu Haifeng (left) and Cai Yun celebrating after beating Malaysia’s Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong in their first doubles match on Friday night. – AP
China will take on Indonesia in the final tomorrow.
The tame defeat of skipper Chong Wei came as a surprise and the Malaysian said that Lin Dan’s aggressive display at the start of the match broke his rhythm.
“He took a 10-3 lead in the opening game and that rattled me. I lost my focus and found it hard to narrow the gap,” said Chong Wei.
It was Chong Wei’s 15th defeat to Lin Dan in 21 meetings over the last six years.
I’ve got the rhythm: China’s Lin Dan performing a break dance after beating Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei in their Thomas Cup semi-final first singles match Friday night. – Bernama
“It suddenly felt like the court was too small and I could not see any space to hit the shuttle. I was demoralised when he retrieved all my attacking shots,” said Chong Wei.
“All of a sudden I felt that my standard had dropped. Lin Dan was too good today.”
National coach Rexy Mainaky pinned high hopes on Kien Keat-Boon Heong but, instead of enjoying the home advantage, they were beaten mercilessly by the fast attacking Chinese pair.
Boon Heong admitted that “we lost to a better pair”.
“They were good in all departments today. They were fast in their attack, solid in defence and able to read our game,” said Boon Heong.
“Overall, they were more solid. Kien Keat and I tried our best but it just did not happen for us.”
Said Kien Keat: “We have lost to them in team events for four times. It is not because we are not good team players. We are but they were just too good today. We will work harder to get the better of them.”
Gracious winner: Chen Jin (left) consoling Malaysia’s Wong Choong Hann after scoring the winning point for China
After the defeats of Chong Wei and Kien Keat-Boon Heong, Malaysian fans knew the battle was all over.
As expected, Choong Hann, despite pockets of brilliance, found his younger opponent Chen Jin a tough nut to crack.
With his defeat, Malaysia’s agonising wait for the Thomas Cup which they last won in 1992, continues.
Okay, Malaysia is set to fight against China this coming Friday for the Thomas Cup Semi Finals! Stay tuned! I must say today all our Malaysia players is in much better form compared to yesterday and the 2nd double been replace with Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif / Thien How Hoon which showed better fighting spirit but their understanding of each other is not there as this was the 1st time they paired up~! Still good result and good fighting spirits!
It will be excited to watch China vs Malaysia in this Thomas Cup Semi Finals. The most awaited match will be Datuk Lee Chong Wei vs Lin Dan. Will Datuk Lee deliver our first point in this semi? Hopefully!
Koo Kien Keat & Tan Boon Heong in joy!
Jongensen [Denmark] bt Wong Choong Han [Malaysia] – Joy vs Sorrow
Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif / Hoon Thien How – They are the much better pair.
Hafiz Hashim – Hero of the night!
Thomas Cup Quarter Finals Result
Peter Hoeg Gade vs Chong Wei Lee : 17-21, 17-21 (49mins) Carsten Mogensen / Mathias Boe vs Kean Keat Koo / Boon Heong Tan : 17-21, 19-21 (41mins)
Jorgensen vs Choong Han Wong : 22-20, 16-21, 21-18 (72 mins)
Lars Paaske / Jonas Rasmussen vs Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif / Thien How Hoon : 24-26, 21-12, 21-19 (74mins) Joachim Persson vs Mohd Hafiz Hashim : 12-21, 10-21 (31mins)
Our girls lost in Uber Cup. Indonesia beat Malaysia 3-0. Wong Meow Choo did not deliver the crucial points and she apologized for her defeat. Our team could not go on to semi finals in Uber Cup.
KUALA LUMPUR (12 MAY 2010) – Muhd Hafiz Hashim, the 2003 All England champion, powered Malaysia into the Thomas Cup semi-finals with a thrilling 3-2 win over Denmark in the quarter-finals – setting off celebrations inside and outside the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
Hafiz was the man of the hour – just when things looked bad for the Malaysians.
The Kelantan-born 28-year-old Hafiz tamed Denmark’s Joachim Persson 21-12, 21-10 in 31 minutes.
The ‘Mexican Wave’ which have been missing for quite sometime, was done several times by the home fans – to motivate the Malaysian players and the atmosphere was electrifying.
Just when Hafiz was to begin his press conference, team captain Datuk Lee Chong Wei came up to pass his mobile phone to Hafiz.
On the line was Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) patron Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib TunAbdul Razak, to congratulate Hafiz on his win and for taking Malaysia into the semis.
In the semi-finals tomorrow, Malaysia will be up against defending champions China.
In the other semi-final Indonesia, 3-0 winners over India in the quarter-finals, will meet Japan who stopped Germany 3-1.
“I cannot describe my feeling in securing the winning point to keep Malaysia in the tournament and a place in the semifinals,” said Hafiz, whose big smile spoke of the jubilation in the Malaysian camp.
It was an almost similar scene as it was yesterday – with Malaysia taking a pyschological 2-0 lead over Denmark – before they allowed their opponents to claw back into the game 2-2 going into the crucial third singles.
Chong Wei started the ball rolling when he beat Denmark’s veteran Peter-Gade Christensen 21-17, 21-17 in a 49 minute thriller. Kien Keat-Boon Heong stayed for a shorter period on the court in their 21-17, 21-19 win over Carsten Mogensen-Mathias Boe. The match lasted 41 minutes.
But Denmark reduced the deficit when 21-year-old Jan O Jorgensen outlasted Malaysia’s veteran Wong Choong Hann 22-20, 16-21, 21-18 which had the crowd on their feet during the 72 minutes they were on the court.
Malaysia sprang a surprise by naming a scratch pair – pairing Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif with Hoon Thien How for the second doubles. The Malaysia started well by winning the first set 26-24 but lost the next two 12-21, 19-21 in a 74 minute match.
The score stood at 2-2 and it was left to Hafiz to deliver.
And he did it in style. Hafiz turned out to be Malaysia’s hero while Persson, Denmark’s hero in Tokyo four years ago when he beat Kwan Beng Hong for the winning point in their 3-2 win over Malaysia, was left in tears.
The ending was different from the 3-2 loss they surrendered to Japan, where instead of the gloom, there celebrations all around the stadium which was packed with nearly 10,000 spectators.
The last time Malaysia won the Cup was in 1992 in Kuala Lumpur, beating Indonesia 3-2 in the final. Malaysia were runners up in 1994, 1998 and 2002, losing Indonesia on each occasion.
“I gave my best. I could have done any much more on a night when Hafiz played really well. He deserved the win. Four years ago I beat Beng Hong to take my team into the final. But I could not repeat this tonight,” said Persson.
Just back from the Thomas Cup match between Malaysia vs Japan and Malaysia did badly from second single on wards. Scored with 1st Single : Lee Chong Wei and 1st Double : Koo Kien Keat / Tan Boon Heong.
I got myself RM33 Thomas Cup ticket, wanted to get the silver which is RM63 but the nice seat sold out so have to get the higher teir which is actually good too.
A lot of audience were too disappointed… The whole stadium just boo the double coz the bad result n shouted balik kampung! Aiyoyo… Some even shouted Hafiz = Habis?? We will still support all our players! Please score well in the next match!
Hmm a bit down coz never get to see Lee Chong Wei match yesterday coz I was late and Wong Mew Choo did not play yesterday also a bit let down. On the other hand our young Uber cup player Sonia Cheah was the only hightlight yesterday! Keep up the good work and you may be the next Wong Mew Choo, just make sure you get the experience.
In the quarter-finals (Today), Malaysia will take on Denmark while China will meet Korea again for a place in the semifinal. Could we make it to Semi Final? Could our player take it seriously and play it with all their strength? Please don’t disappoint us again!
When a player did badly it will surely get boo but Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari lost his cool and retaliating to the foul language and a vulgar sign shown by a fan. Please behave and do your best in all the up coming games before Rexy decided to change players!
On the other hand, there’s few counter selling sports equipment like racquet, shoe, jersey, pants etc. There’s a booth by Li Ning too. I saw a racquet which cost RM1k + wow! If you want to get something when you are there, remember to bring enough cash. You could do the Country printing on your shirt too for RM8 if I’m not mistaken. I have few shirt printed “MALAYSIA” =p
If you are going to watch Thomas Cup match make sure be there early to get good seating (there will be ppl selling illegal tickets “wong ngau fei” 王牛票 at lower price outside the counter too but make sure not to be cheated) and good parking too! The food and drinks are at higher cost too! I heard some uncle and aunty said watch at home better, watch her got no reply and don’t know which player are playing… lol
Result of Malaysia vs Japan (Thomas Cup)
Chong Wei Lee vs Kenichi Tago : 21-12, 21-13 (38mins)
Kean Keat Koo / Boon Heong Tan vs oriyasu Hirata / Hirokatsu Hashimoto : 21-13, 21-17 (27mins)
Choong Han Wong vs Sho Sasaki : 17-21, 18-21 (44mins)
Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari / Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif vs Kenichi Hayakawa / Kenta Kazuno : 15-21, 12-21 (27mins)
Mohd Hafiz Hashim vs Shoji Sato : 10-21, 21-14, 18-21 (62mins)
Result of Malaysia vs China (Uber Cup)
Wang Yihan vs Sanatasah Saniru : 21-11, 21-8
Ma Jin-Wang Xiaoli vs Goh Liu Ying-Ng Hui Lin : 21-8, 21-10
Wang Xin vs Tee Jing Yee : 21-12, 21-5
Du Jing-Yu Yang vs Woon Khe Wei-Vivian Hoo Kah Mun : 21-9, 21-9
Jiang Yanjiao vs Sonia Cheah : 21-15, 21-13
Quarter Final Matches.
12noon
Thomas Cup
China vs South Korea
Indonesia vs India
Uber Cup
Malaysia vs Indonesia
Japan vs Denmark
6.00pm
Thomas Cup
Malaysia vs Denmark
Germany vs Japan
Uber Cup
China vs India
Russia vs South Korea
THOMAS CUP: MALAYSIA GIVE UP LEAD TO LOSE 3-2 TO JAPAN
KUALA LUMPUR (11 MAY 2010) – Malaysia Muhd Hafiz Hashim just could not lift his game in the vital point as Japan came from 2-0 down to beat Malaysia 3-2 in their Group B Thomas Cup match.
Following the win tonight, Japan were seeded for the quarter-final draw as group champions while Malaysia were unseeded as the group runners-up.
In the quarter-finals, Malaysia will take on Denmark while China will meet Korea again for a place in the semifinal.
The other quarter-final matches will see Japan taking on Germany while India will meet Indonesia.
“We will be better prepared to face Denmark in the quarter-final. Any team in the quarter-finals are tough opponents. It won’t be easy but we will take heart from the defeat to Japan and go all out to get into the semi-finals. The tournament is into its third day but we were playing only our first match,” said chief coach Rashid Sidek.
“This, to a certain extent did affect our overall performamce although we led 2-0 after the first two matches through Lee Chong Wei in the first singles and the first doubles through Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong.”
Japan coach Keita Masuda said after Chong Wei’s 21-12, 21-13 win over Japanese No 1 Kenichi Tago: “(Lee) Chong Wei was simply too good today.”
However, Malaysia failed to ride on their 2-0 lead after Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong won the first doubles with a 21-13, 21-17 win over Noriyasu Hirata-Hirokatsu Hashimoto.
Japan came back strongly to draw level at 2-2 after Sho Sasaki beat Wong Choong Hann in the second singles and Kenichi Hayakawa-Kento Kazuno won the second doubles against Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif 21-15, 21-12.
It was then left to Muhd Hafiz Hashim to deliver the third and winning point but the 2003 All England champion was no match against Shoji Sato who won 21-10, 14-21, 21-18.
Msuda, a former doubles player who last played in the Beijing Olympics in 2008 with Ohtsuka Tadashi where they reached the quarter-finals of the men’s doubles, believes Chong Wei was also better prepared to face Tago in the Thomas Cup.
“It was a close battle in the All England final. But today Chong Wei was simply in his class and the vociferous home crowd also gave him the edge,” added Masuda.
Later, Chong Wei told a press conference that he was indeed ‘well and better prepared’ for this match after studying a video recording of the Japanese’s game which he discussed with coach Datuk Misbun Sidek.
“In the All England final, I was unprepared for Tago. He was a surprise finalist and I did not know his game well. But today, I was well prepared and knew what to do. The big crowd support also drove me on,” said Chong Wei.
Koo Kean Kiet-Tan Boon Heong made it 2-0 for Malaysia when they beat Noriyasu Hirata-Hirokatsu Hashimoto 21-13, 21-17 in 27 minutes.
“I am very satisfied. We were well prepared not only for this match but also for this tournament. First set we played simple but in the second set we played more aggressive and tried some more daring shots,” said Kien Keat.
Boon Heong, however, said it would have been better if the Malaysians had played Nigeria in the first match on Sunday to ‘get the feel of the tournament and the environment inside the stadium.’
Veteran Wong Choong Hann failed to deliver the third and winning point for Malaysia when he fell 17-21, 18-21 to Sho Sasaki in the second singles.
“I blame myself for the defeat. This is the first time I played Sasaki. But it has not affected my confidence although I am well aware that my opponents in the coming matches will be much more tougher,” said Choong Hann
As for Hafiz, he said: “I made unforced errors to hand the Japanese the win. The pressure was on me to deliver with the score tied at 2-2. But I promise to redeem myself in the next match.
“There is still another chance for us to prove our worth and stay in contention.”
Japan stun Malaysia and Fairuzizuan loses his cool
MALAYSIA went down to Japan for the first time in the history of the Thomas Cup Finals on a night when emotions ran high at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil. They were beaten 2-3 in a tie to decide the Group B winners.
And doubles shuttler Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari is staring at disciplinary action for losing his cool and retaliating to the foul language and a vulgar sign shown by a fan.
The ugly incident took place after Fairuzizuan-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif had lost 15-21, 12-21 to Kenichi Hayakawa-Kenta Kazuno in the second doubles match to allow Japan to draw level at 2-2.
And Mohd Hafiz Hashim failed to clinch the winning point in the decider, losing 10-21, 21-14, 18-21 in a 62-minute battle against Shoji Sato.
Joy and sorrow: Japan’s Shoji Sato is ecstatic after defeating Malaysia’s Mohd Hafiz Hashim 21-10, 14-21, 21-18 to clinch his team’s winning point Tuesday. – KAMARUL ARIFFIN / The Star
With the defeat, Malaysia lost the third seeding in the draw for the knockout stage and they will play against Denmark in the quarter-finals today.
National doubles chief coach Rexy Mainaky apologised for Fairuzizuan’s bad behaviour and felt that his charge should have been strong enough to deal with the heckling fans.
“I apologise to the nation. The Prime Minister’s wife (Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor) was present among the spectators and I am sorry that this happened,” said Rexy.
“The fans have the right to feel unhappy over our players’ performances. Our players did not do well and I take responsibility of their performances. Fairuzizuan should have remained calm and should not have reacted even though what the fan said was unacceptable.
“He did not behave as a world-class player. He has to pay for this behaviour and we will deal with that later. For now, I will have some homework to do.
“I will have to decide whether I want to field them (Fairuzizuan and Zakry) for the next tie or whether to send in a scratch combination.”
A teary-eyed Fairuzizuan was apologetic at the press conference.
“I was under tremendous pressure and that did not help when the fans were not on my side. I was cool about it until this one particular fan showed the sign. I reacted … I am sorry for that,” he said.
World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei had given Malaysia a great start in the tie, scoring a convincing 21-12, 21-13 win over Kenichi Tago.
“It was a good win for me but it was unfortunate that we lost. I hope the fans will be more supportive and not turn against us when we are down,” said Chong Wei.
Behave yourself: National doubles chief coach Rexy Mainaky (right) trying to cool down an emotional Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari at the Putra Stadium Tuesday night.
Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong defeated Noriyasu Hirata-Hirokatsu Hashimoto to put Malaysia 2-0 up but all went bad for Malaysia after Wong Choong Hann’s 17-21, 18-21 defeat by Sho Sasaki.
A disappointed Choong Hann, who was recalled to don national colours after a two-year lapse, said it was not his lack of fitness that let him down.
“I was hesitant and was uncomfortable with the way I played. I was playing against Sasaki for the first time and he did well to play a patient game,” said the world No. 16.
Japan’s doubles chief coach Park Joo-bong said that their plan was to win two singles matches and one doubles.
“But we were surprised with Sasaki’s win. We had expected Tago to pull off a surprise for us,” he said.
“Sasaki made all the difference for us. We thought that experience would take Choong Hann through but he did not look good physically. He was sending half-court returns. This is a great day for Japan.”
The 2010 Thomas & Uber Cup will be the 26th tournament of the Thomas Cup and 23rd tournament of the Uber Cup, the most important badminton tournaments in men’s and women’s team competition, respectively.
The final rounds will be held from May 9 to May 16 at Putra Indoor Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The Thomas Cup – “Men’s Team World Badminton Championship”, held every two years, is the most sought after men’s team trophy for badminton. Only three nations have won the Thomas Cup since its inception in 1948; Malaysia, Indonesia and China.
China has won that last three Thomas Cups held in Jakarta in 2004,Sendai/Tokyo in 2006 and Jakarta 2008.The next Men’s Team World Badminton Championship for the Thomas Cup will be hosted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 09 – 16 May 2010.
The Thomas Cup championships will be combined again with the Uber Cup – the Women’s Team World Badminton Championship.
Formerly known as ‘The International Badminton Championship Challenge Cup’, the silver-gilt trophy is usually referred to by its more familiar title of ‘The Thomas Cup’.
The Thomas Cup competition in 1948 was BWF’s first major international tournament. The trophy was donated by the first president of the world body, Sir George Thomas.
Today is the 1st day of the match but the luck is with Malaysia Team as Nigeria do not show up as there’s a travel delay, it should considered as a walk over then? Will Malaysia reach final? I’m dying to watch it this Sunday, please do not disappoint me! Malaysia Boleh!
NIGERIA NO-SHOW IN THOMAS CUP OPENER AGAINST MALAYSIA
KUALA LUMPUR (9 MAY 2010) – The Nigerian Thomas Cup team failed to arrive in Kuala Lumpur in time for their Group B match against Malaysia.
According to a statement issued by Badminton World Federation (BWF) media and communications manager S. Selvam the Nigerian team suffered a travel delay forcing the match, scheduled for 1800 hours (Malaysian time), to be put on hold.
“The tournament referee and other BWF officials will go through the tournament rules and regulations to decide on the fate of Nigeria in the tournament. A decision on the Nigerian team will be made in due course,” said Selvam.
Woots! Malaysia’s World No.1 Datuk Lee Chong Wei beat Thailand’s Boonsak Ponsana in Malaysia Open Finals at Stadium Putra Bukit Jalil. Lee Chong Wei won 21-13, 21-7 in just 35 mins. This was Chong Wei sixth Malaysian Open badminton title. I would say it’s an easy match for Chong Wei and he played with confident and outplayed Ponsana.
See Ponsana was smiling when he made mistake and he knew that he could not fight with Lee Chong Wei.
Lee Chong Wei won USD15,000.00
Koo Kien Keat / Tan Boon Heong have beaten another China pair today in the finals after eliminating the younger China pair yesterday at semi finals. It was a tough rubber games with the China pair Zhendong GUO / Chen XU.
The China pair was good at attacking leaving KKK / TBH in defensive styles but after some guidance by Rexy, they went attacking all the way and finally Malaysia won and it was also due to the massive support by the audience! Kien Keat and Boon Heong even threw their racquets to the audiences! Arghh… too bad can’t manage to grab it. Koo Kien Keat / Tan Boon Heong won 21-15, 17-21, 21-16 in almost 1 hour.
This was the perfect net shot.
Jumping smash!
Juara Bergu 2010
Luckily the downpour happened right after the last match, if not the leaking of water will definitely affect us the audience.
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Just back from Stadium Putra Bukit Jalil, went there to watch Quarter Finals Malaysia Open and catched Datuk Lee Chong Wei in action. Woots! It’s a great sport. Recently just started to resume my weekly badminton session. Yes. Must keep fit la…
There’s a Mobile KFC Kiosk and Pizza Hut Kiosk. Do not worry you have nothing to eat, there’s food court inside Stadium Putra too.
This is the Hardcore Malaysia Badminton Supporter, you will see him everywhere when there’s Malaysia playing.
Hardcore Indonesia Badminton Supporter, a bit irritating la, when Malaysia playing Kacau saja…
Few things that disappoint me:-
1) They over sell the tickets for LT Premium which resulted some of the audiences seat along the stairway. If emergency or some unforeseen circumstances happened, then we might be stuck in the stadium and the consequences will be bad.
2) It was heavy rain outside, but it’s drizzling inside the hall. What does that mean? Yes, it’s leaking. Please fix it and yet once again we proofed that “Malaysia Boleh”. Luckily the rain drops / leak was at audience area if it’s in the court area then what a shame. So I was forced to wear rain coat at all time during the matches. Imagine that!
3) Rubbish everywhere leaving behind at the stadium. Please clear your own mess ppl!
Can you see that? Isn’t it an eyesore to you?
Jan O JORGENSEN – Shhhshhh… do not disturb me ok!?! At last he also lost to Tien Minh NGUYEN from Vietnam in just two game. This guy from Vietnam actually quite good and he beat Lee Chong Wei before. Will Lee Chong Wei and Tien Minh NGUYEN meet again in finals?
Quarter Finals Malaysia Open Results:
Men Singles: Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) vs Chen Jin (China) >> 21-14, 16-21, 21-15 in 70mins
Boonsak PONSANA (Thailand) vs Chong Wei Feng (Malaysia) >> 21-14 21-9 in 30mins
Women Doubles: Chin Eei Hui / Wong Pei Tty (Malaysia) vs Chia Chi CHOU / Chia Chen YANG (Chinese Taipei) >> 21-12, 21-12 in 28mins
Men Doubles:
I kill you!
Arghhh pain…!
Woo hoo. Won! Haha. Koo Kean Keat / Tan Boon Heong (Malaysia) vs Anthony CLARK / Nathan ROBERTSON (England) >> 21-12, 23-25, 21-11 in 55mins
If you are going to watch the Malaysia Open Semi Finals today and Malaysia Open Finals tomorrow, remember to park your car at Car Park D and it’s RM2.00 per entrance. Go early to secure a better parking place and a best seat. Will post more photo of Malaysia Open soon. Stay tuned.
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