Sports fans can enjoy Liverpool TV, Chelsea TV, Barcelona TV and Live Boxing
Sports fans in Malaysia will soon be able to get more live adrenalin action sports on Astro with the launch of a new channel Astro SuperSport 2 (Channel 816) from Wednesday 18 November 2009.
Astro SuperSport 2 (Channel 816) brings sports fans more choices in global sporting events like BWF Badminton, ATP Tennis, Italian Serie A, French Ligue 1 and American sports such as NFL and NHL to name a few. In addition, selected live boxing matches which were previously pay-per-view is now available on this new channel, giving our sports avid customers more value at no added cost.
Lee Choong Khay, Head of Sports Business at Astro said “With ASSP2, we now have 6 best in class sports offering on our platform for an entry price of RM 66.95. We expect our customers to find Astro SuperSport 2 a good value proposition with the inclusion of new programmes and added hours of fresh sports content”.
Furthermore, football fans will have more new football programmes such as Chelsea TV, Liverpool TV and Barcelona TV where fans can watch match highlights of premier league games plus UEFA Champions League and FA Cup games, pre and post match reactions, latest news and interviews with past and present football legends, exclusive behind the scenes footage and replay of classic matches.
Astro is truly the home of sports content with even more exciting sports action on Astro SuperSport 2 coming soon to all Astro sports subscribers beginning Wednesday 18 November 2009 on Channel 816 at no additional cost.
**Manchester United TV will be shown on Astro SuperSport (CH 811)
Apart from that, you may catch YONEX SUNRISE HONG KONG OPEN SUPER SERIES 2009 semi-final today and final tomorrow on Astro SuperSport (CH 811)
BWF SuperSeries: Hong Kong Open 2009
14 Nov 1300 Semi Finals (Live)
15 Nov 1330 Finals (Live)
Women’s Double
Eei Hui CHIN / Pei Tty WONG [MAS] vs Jing DU / Yang YU [CHN]
Men’s Double
Lars PAASKE / Jonas RASMUSSEN [DEN] vs Tan Fook CHOONG / Wan Wah LEE [MAS]
Men’s Single
Chong Wei LEE [MAS] vs Chunlai BAO [CHN]
Lin Dan is not in this Hong Kong Super Series. Hope our Datuk Lee Chong Wei could make it to final and grab the title this time!
Watch Live Badminton Hong Kong Open Super Series? Watch the live score here
After Lee Chong Wei crashed to Indonesia Sony Dwi Kuncoro @ Badminton World Championships in India, it followed by the crashed of our double pairs, Koo Kien Keat – Tan Boon Heong and Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari – Mohd Zakry Abdul respectively. There was a hope there that all Malaysia finals but it was all vanished.
Semi Final Result:
[Korea] Jae Sung JUNG / Yong Dae LEE vs [Malaysia] Kien Keat KOO / Boon Heong TAN : 16-21, 21-14, 22-20 in 53 mins.
[China] Yun CAI / Haifeng FU vs [Malaysia] Mohd Zakry ABDUL LATIF / Mohd Fairuzizuan MOHD TAZARI : 18-21, 24-22, 21-15 in 57mins.
The finals is dominated by China except the mixed double. China really strong and Malaysia players pls show your discipline can be strong. Lin Dan will still be champion in favor of China.
WORLD No. 1 Lee Chong Wei was crushed by Sony Dwi Kuncoro yet again in the World Championships at the Gachibowli Stadium yesterday.
Surprisingly, though, the Malaysian did not take the defeat too badly.
The top seed was hailed as Malaysia’s great hope to end the country’s elusive chase for a world title but yesterday Chong Wei showed the ugly side of his game to lose 16-21, 21-14, 12-21 to Sony in the quarter-finals of the men’s singles match that lasted an hour.
Ironically, it was Sony who dashed Chong Wei’s dream of a first world title at the previous world meet in Kuala Lumpur, stopping the Malaysian in the third round.
And yesterday, Sony showed the same drive and determination while Chong Wei looked lost and out of sorts from the start.
“I gave it my all. After the first game defeat, I fought back. But it was not to be my day today,” said Chong Wei, who hardly showed any signs of being terribly upset.
“My strength is in net play but it worked against me. I was sending half court returns and my defence was weak.
“I have to accept this defeat. I know people will be angry with me but it just seems that I am not lucky when it comes to the World Championships.”
What a win: Sony celebrates after beating Chong Wei in the quarter-finals on Friday. Sony won 21-16, 14-21, 21-12. Starpic by S.S. Kanesan
His best achievement in four world outings thus far has been a semi-final finish in Anaheim in 2005.
When asked why he was all smiles despite the defeat, he said: “I am putting on a brave front here, but inside I am hurting. I wanted, as much as anyone else, to do well here.”
A confident display by Sony in the first game ripped Chong Wei’s confidence into tatters right from the start. The Malaysian was slower than usual and did not show any urgency in his game, giving room for Sony to take control of the game.
Chong Wei, who has won four Open titles this year, sparked hopes of a great fightback after taking the second game but it all fell flat when he adopted a cautious approach in the decider, hardly showing any aggression.
The Beijing Olympic Games silver medallist said he would discuss with coach Misbun Sidek about taking a long break from competition.
“I have been listed for the Macau Open but I will talk with my coach to skip the tournament. I need a break. I may come back refreshed after a break to continue my chase for a world title and an Olympic title,” said Chong Wei.
Sony’s reward for taking out Chong Wei is a semi-final date with Lin Dan of China.
Lin Dan was pushed to the limit before prevailing 22-20, 21-16 over the evergreen Peter-Gade Christensen.
The other semi-final will be between second seed Chen Jin and Indonesian Taufik Hidayat, who is eyeing his second world crown.
Men’s singles: Chen Jin (Chn) bt Simon Santoso (Ina) 21-10, 21-13; Sony Dwi Kuncoro (Ina) bt Lee Chong Wei (Mas) 21-16, 14-21, 21-12; Lin Dan (Chn) bt Peter-Gade Christensen (Den) 22-20, 21-16; Taufik Hidayat (Ina) bt Jan O Jorgensen (Den) 21-19, 21-19.
Wow, can you believe it or not, Datuk Lee Chong Wei bringing along 2 personal cooks to prepare meals for him when he competes in the World Championships next month in India. So this time round he has not excuses to say food poisoning or sick or whatsoever just do your best and get the champion and make Malaysia proud of you, World No. 1!
World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei need not fear food poisoning again
KUALA LUMPUR: World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei should not worry about having a repeat of a food poisoning episode in India when he competes in the World Championships.
Two cooks will accompany the Malaysian team for the championships, which will be held in Hyderabad from Aug 10-16.
In fact, the Malaysia team will stay at an apartment just 15 minutes away from the venue, the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, instead of the official hotel to enable the cooks to prepare the food.
The cooks made a visit to Hyderabad recently to ensure that all the facilities and kitchen utensils would be at place when they make a return with the team for the championships.
Healthy eating assured: Lee Chong Wei will have the services of two Malaysian cooks in Hyderabad during the World Championships.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia’s (BAM) general manager, Kenny Goh, said that they were leaving no stones unturned to ensure that all was well with the players when they compete in Hyderabad.
At the India Open at the same venue in April, Chong Wei suffered food poisoning after consuming food from outside the hotel. It resulted in a first-round defeat by Chen Long of China.
“The World Championships are important for us and we are making sure that all areas of preparation are looked into,” said Kenny.
“We are not staying in the official hotel with the players from other countries. We have decided to stay in an apartment to allow our cooks to prepare food for our players, coaches and support team.”
The other support team members in the Malaysian squad include physical trainers, a psychologist, nutritionist and sports code expert.
The Malaysian team, bidding to win their first-ever world championship title, will leave for Hyderabad on Aug 8.
Chong Wei is now in Seoul for a 10-day training stint under Li Mao and Misbun Sidek.
Wow, finally a good show from Lee Chong Wei, Chin Eei Hui & Wong Pei Tty to show that they are no. 1 in Badminton. Malaysia Boleh, they both really show their spirit in this Indonesia Open Final, despite being “BOO” by the Indonesia fans they still able to make it, that’s the spirit! The only dissapointment is that our Malaysian Men’s double, Koo Kien Keat & Tan Boon Heong, did not make it to the final. Nonetheless, it’s a good show and performance from Malaysia team.
The men’s double final between Korea and China was very excited and it was a close fight between them, I must say Lee Yong Dae surely has potential to be the best badminton player as he’s very committed and strong mind.
Fearless Chong Wei stuns Taufik
PETALING JAYA: Intimidation from the Indonesian fans did not stop Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei from defeating local favourite Taufik Hidayat to lift the Indonesia Open men’s singles title at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta yesterday.
The world No. 1 carved out a stunning 21-9, 21-14 win over Taufik to justify his top billing in the eighth leg of the Super Series. It was the second time that Chong Wei won the title after 2007.
Chong Wei was in total command of the match against the six-time Indonesian Open champion, who has left the national team to fend on his own as an independent player.
The win for Chong Wei certainly made up for the disappointment of losing to Vietnamese Nguyen Tien Minh in the second round of the preceding Singapore Open.
National singles chief coach Rashid Sidek was happy with Chong Wei’s quick rebound in form.
“Chong Wei showed strong mental strength today. He did not let the spectators get to him. Instead, he was confident all the way,” he said.
“Even a short spell in the second game did not get him down. Instead, he showed the true quality of a world No. 1 player in his game against Taufik.
“It is a great day for Malaysia. It is the first time that we have won two titles in the Indonesia Open.”
Malaysia’s other title came in the women’s doubles through world No. 1 Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty, who defeated Cheng Shu-Zhao Yunley of China.
On the next assignment in the Malaysian Open Gold Grand Prix, which begins on Wednesday in Johor Baru, Rashid predicts another final encounter between Chong Wei and Taufik.
“They are the top two seeds and barring any upsets and fatigue, I hope Chong Wei can go all the way to win the Open at home too,” he said.
“Chong Wei definitely played better than he did in the Singapore Open. He is certainly shaping up well for the world championships (in India in August).”
Meanwhile, Lee Yong-dae of South Korea made up for his disappointment in the mixed doubles by winning the men’s doubles title with Jung Jae-sung. The duo played superbly to beat China’s Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng 21-15, 21-18 in a tight 43-minute battle.
Earlier, Yong-dae and his Olympic Games gold medal-winning mixed doubles partner, Lee Hyo-jung, went down 17-21, 21-8, 16-21 to China’s Zheng Bo-Ma Jin.
Badminton: Eei Hui-Pei Tty finally justify their No. 1 status
PETALING JAYA: It was a day of firsts for Malaysia’s Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty and India’s Saina Nehwal when they prevented a China domination in the women’s badminton events of the Indonesia Open at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta yesterday.
Eei Hui-Pei Tty ended six months of disappointment when they justified their world No. 1 status for the first time, beating China’s Cheng Shu-Zhao Yunlei 21-16, 21-16 in a 37-minute final match.
It was sweet revenge for the Malaysians, who were beaten by the Chinese pair once before in the final of the Japan Open last year.
For Eei Hui-Pei Tty, it was their third international Open title after their success in the Danish Open and the Super Series Masters Finals last year.
Malaysia’s Wong Pei Tty (right) and Chin Eei Hui bite medals after defeating China’s Chen Shu and Zhao Yunlie during their women’s doubles final match at Istora Bung Karno stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia. -AP
Their good run in the second half of last year saw them take the world No. 1 ranking in January but since then, they failed miserably and did not feature in a final until yesterday. And a back injury to Eei Hui in March did not help their cause. But yesterday, all went right for Eei Hui-Pei Tty.
“Honestly, the win here is something that is difficult for me to believe. We were not thinking about our world No. 1 status. We just took a match at a time,” said Pei Tty in a telephone interview.
“But to come this far and win our first title this year here in Indonesia is really great. I think, the turning point for us was our first-ever win over the Koreans (Lee Hyo-jung-Lee Kyung-won in the quarter-finals). It lifted a big burden off our shoulders. It gave us a lot of confidence to go all out in the final.”
The 29-year-old Pei Tty gave credit to Eei Hui, who celebrated her 27th birthday on Thursday, for her quick comeback from injury.
“It is common to be injured but Eei Hui certainly did great to make a strong comeback sooner than expected. It involves a lot of hardship.”
Eei Hui said that they played the right tactical game to get the better of the Chinese.
“Cheng Shu, especially, was making a lot of mistakes. She was our target for the day. Our defence was also solid and that frustrated our opponents,” she said.
“We certainly surprised ourselves with the win here. All the top pairs were in the competition and it definitely gives us confidence and a new hope to do well in the world championships (in India from Aug 10-16). But we still need to brush up some areas of our game.”
The next tournament for Pei Tty-Eei Hui is the Malaysian Open Gold Grand Prix, beginning on Wednesday in Johor Baru.
In the women’s singles, 19-year-old Saina scored a major breakthrough in her career when she put up a brilliant show, especially in the decider, to stun Wang Lin of China 12-21, 21-8, 21-9 in a 49-minute thriller.
It was Saina’s first Super Series title and it certainly gave her a huge dose of confidence ahead of the world championships in Hyderabad. Just a day ago, the former world junior champion, beat world No. 3 Lu Lan of China.
For the record, it is rare for China to return home without a title from either the women’s singles or doubles.
Luckily Lin Dan was beaten by his team mate Chen Jin in Quarter Final then only Chong Wei no need to fight with Lin Dan in Semi Final. Too bad once again Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong crashed to the China Cai Yun and Fu Hai Feng… Now only left single, Lee Chong Wei and double, Chin Eei Hui & Wong Pei Tty to fight for it. Gambateh and Malaysia Boleh!
PETALING JAYA: Lee Chong Wei and Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty lived up to their world No. 1 tags to reach the Indonesian Open finals of the men’s singles and women’s doubles events at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta yesterday.
But the country’s top men’s doubles pair of Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong crashed 21-18, 11-21, 15-21 to the China’s powerful combination of Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng.
Chong Wei overcame a gritty Chen Jin of China 21-15, 22-20 in 46 minutes to set up a dream final for the home fans.
Today, he will take on Taufik Hidayat, Indonesia’s most celebrated player with an impressive six Indonesian Open titles under his belt.
National singles chief coach Rashid Sidek expects the men’s singles final to be an evenly-contested affair.
“Chong Wei has regained his confidence and is showing better control of his game. Chen Jin gave a good fight but Chong Wei did not crack under pressure,” said Rashid in a telephone interview.
“The fans will swamp the stadium here (today) to root for Taufik. Chong Wei will have to handle the situation well. It could either make or break him.
“It will be a great achievement for Chong Wei to win the title for the second time under such circumstances.”
Chong Wei, who did the country proud when he won the Indonesian Open in 2007, skipped the tournament last year.
Eei Hui-Pei Tty, meanwhile, continued their gallant run to reach the final after a sensational 21-17, 21-17 win over Taiwan’s Cheng Wen-hsing-Chien Yu-hsin.
This is the first time that Eei Hui-Pei Tty have reached a final as the world’s number one ranked pair. Today, they will take on China’s Cheng Shu-Zhao Yunlie with the hope of making another breakthrough in the Indonesian Open by beating the pair for the first time.
On Friday, the Malaysian pair played superbly to beat South Korea’s top pair of Lee Hyo-jung-Lee Kyung-jung for the first time in seven years.
“They played fantastic badminton to get the better of them,” said national doubles coach Rosman Razak.
“I am really delighted to see Eei Hui-Pei Tty come this far. They are very confident of their game and are enjoying themselves. They are not putting undue pressure on themselves.
“It will be tough against the China pair but we are keeping our fingers crossed that the duo will be able to win their first Open title as the world number one.”
On Kien Keat-Boon Heong’s defeat, Rosman said: “Koo’s net play let him down today. It could have been a perfect day for Malaysia if our top pair had better control at the front during the decider. It is unfortunate that they lost.”
SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
Men’s singles: Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Chen Jin (Chn) 21-15, 22-20; Taufik Hidayat (Ina) bt Sony Dwi Kuncoro (Ina) 21-17, 21-14.
Men’s doubles: Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng (Chn) bt Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (Mas) 18-21, 21-11, 21-15; Lee Yong-dae-Jung Jae-sung (Kor) bt Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan (Ina) 21-19, 21-17.
Women’s singles: Wang Lin (Chn) bt Xie Xingfang (Chn) 21-19, 21-13; Saina Nehwal (Ind) bt Lu Lan (Chn) 25-23, 21-19.
My brother who is working in Singapore went to watch the badminton match live but he called me telling me that Lee Chong Wei lost to a Vietnam’s guy named Nguyen Tien Minh whom I do not even know who is that.
What a shame indeed but I thought this Singapore Open should be kacang putih for him because this biggest rival Lin Dan from China is not competing. Hope trashed. What more our double pair Koo Kien Keat & Tan Boon Heong also lost in the game. So this weekend I will not stick to the Singapore Open as both my favorite also lost.
KUALA LUMPUR: World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei’s hopes of retaining his first badminton title outside Malaysia ended when he fell to a shock second round loss to Vietnam’s Nguyen Tien Minh in the Singapore Open last night.
The tournament also lost its second seed after top Dane and former All-England champion Peter-Gade Christensen was bundled out 19-21, 21-16, 13-21 by India’s Anup Sridhar.
Stunner: Vietnam’s Nguyen Tien Minh packed off Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei in the Singapore Open.
There was more bad news from the Malaysian doubles camp when top hopes and Swiss Open champions Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong fell to a surprise 13-21, 21-19, 21-14 defeat by England’s Nathan Robertson-Anthony Clark.
But it was the unheralded Vietnamese who produced the biggest upset of the tournament when he sent Chong Wei packing 24-22, 20-22, 21-19 in one hour.
The top seeded Malaysian failed to contain the onslaught from Tien Minh, who reached game point first to win the first game 24-22.
He then had Chong Wei hanging by the scruff of his neck before the Malaysian saved four game points to force a decider.
Chong Wei must have thought his problems were over when he led 18-16 in the decider but the Vietnamese caught up before eventually prevailing to secure his biggest career win so far.
It was the second successive early round setback for the Olympic silver medallist, after an upset stomach caused him to concede a first round defeat to China’s Chen Long in the Indian Open in March.
Malaysia will have no representative in the men’s singles after veteran Wong Choong Hann failed to get the better of Bao Chunlai of China.
The unseeded Chinese won 21-16, 21-17 in 36 minutes to set up a quarter-final clash with Tien Minh.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong’s defeat left former national pair Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen as the unlikely survivors in the men’s doubles.
Teik Chai-Bin Shen beat Fang Chieh-min-Lee Mu-shen 21-16, 21-15 and will play fourth seeds Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen of Denmark for a place in the semi-finals.
In the women’s doubles, top seeds Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty made it to the last eight after beating Dutch pair Rachel Van Cutsen-Paulien Van Dooremalen 21-16, 21-15.
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Quite disappointed as I thought at least world no.1 Datuk Lee Chong Wei could have beat Lin Dan and double Koo Kien Keat & Tan Boon Heong could deliver another point too but it’s down at 3-0 and China was the Champion of LI NING 2009 SUDIRMAN CUP. In the LI NING 2009 SUDIRMAN CUP Finals, China beat Korea 3-0, China was well prepared and just too strong to be defeated. Guess Malaysian players have to work hard and train even harder for the world meet this August in India.
李宁2009年苏迪曼杯世界羽毛球混合团体锦标赛 Li Ning 2009 Sudirman Cup Official Web site : http://www.gzba.org/
Lin Dan and Cai Yun-Haifeng snuff out Malaysian hopes in semis
By RAJES PAUL
PETALING JAYA: China hit Malaysia where it hurts most en route to outclassing our shuttlers 3-0 in the semi-finals of the Sudirman Cup mixed team world badminton championship in Guangzhou yesterday.
Malaysia had been banking on world No. 1 men’s singles shuttler Lee Chong Wei and men’s doubles ace Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong to steal the points against the six-time champions but the trio collapsed when it mattered most.
Expectations were high on Chong Wei to spark a great fightback after the defeat of the mixed doubles pair of Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Wong Pei Tty in the opening match of the semi-final tie.
Fairuzizuan-Pei Tty handed China a 1-0 lead after going down tamely 11-21, 14-21 to All-England champions He Hanbin-Yu Yang in just 34 minutes.
Sheer joy: China’s Lin Dan celebrates after beating Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia in their semi-final tie. China won 3-0 and will meet South Korea in the final. — AFP
Chong Wei went in with hopes of levelling the tie but found the super fit Lin Dan too hot to handle, going down 16-21, 16-21 in a 56-minute battle.
The signs were all there that it was going to be the muscular Lin Dan’s day when the fired-up Chinese raced to a 5-0 lead in the first game.
A frustrated Chong Wei tried to step up a gear but sloppy attacking play prevented him from keeping pace with Lin Dan.
The second game saw better aggression from Chong Wei but Lin Dan’s court control was so solid that there was nothing Chong Wei could do.
“I gave my best but I made simple mistakes today. But I am satisfied to have given him a good fight,” said Chong Wei yesterday.
“But I will be more prepared when I meet him at the World Championships (in India in August).”
It was then up to Kien Keat-Boon Heong to save the tie for Malaysia but the duo went down fighting 21-19, 15-21, 21-23 to Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng in a 66-minute battle.
Swiss Open champions Kien Keat-Boon Heong got off to a superb start but, as the game progressed, they lived dangerously before winning the first game 21-19.
The Malaysians gave their best in the next two games but could not crack the Chinese pair.
And with the comeback win, Cai Yun-Haifeng proved that the men’s doubles is no longer their weakest link in the team.
With the tie already decided, the two dead matches – Wong Mew Choo versus Wang Yihan and Chin Eei Hui-Ng Hui Lin versus Du Jing-Yu Yang – were not played.
National chief coach Rashid Sidek said they had expected to steal at least one point in the tie yesterday.
“Our hope was on the men’s singles and doubles. But Lin Dan came really prepared to face Chong Wei today,” said Rashid in a telephone interview.
“Lin Dan had better quality in his game. Chong Wei has to cut down on his mistakes. Chong Wei was better in the long rallies but Lin Dan held the advantage with his short explosive returns.
“We also had high hopes on the men’s doubles. They had the chance and played well but they were just not good enough to beat the Chinese pair.”
China will take on South Korea in the final. The Koreans made short work of Indonesia with a 3-1 win in the other semi-final.
Malaysia showed a tough fight in the Yonex Sunrise India Open 2009 at Hyderabad although World no.1 Lee Chong Wei lost in the 1st match of the India Open due to food poisoning. This will be the testing ground for them before the World Meet at the same location India. I enjoyed the game of Julia Wong and Pi Hongyan, it was a good match between them.
Only thing is there’s too much unforced error and a lot of the return were actually push too far behind the line and wondering is it the court too small and did not follow the international badminton court standard, I think it shouldn’t be ler? When it was most excited time, it rain and Astro cannot receive any signal, sigh!
After that it was well played by our veteran pair Chong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah, and it was impressive, they only took 17mins to beat Singapore (Hendri Kurniawan Saputra-Hendra Wijaya), then Taufik beat Hafiz. Hafiz is a cool man and he has his own character while playing. =)
Tan Fook-Wan Wah save the day for Malaysia
By RAJES PAUL
PETALING JAYA: Veterans Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah were the saving grace for Malaysia in the India Open at Hyderabad yesterday after Mohd Hafiz Hashim and Julia Wong served up double disappointments in the men’s and women’s singles finals.
Tan Fook-Wan Wah took only 17 minutes to demolish Hendri Kurniawan Saputra-Hendra Wijaya of Singapore 21-9, 21-11 in one of the most lopsided men’s doubles finals.
Despite playing in a weakened field, the win was important for Wan Wah-Tan Fook.
The former national pair are hoping to be named as the third Malaysian men’s pair for the World Championships, which will be held at the same venue from Aug 6-10.
The other two pairs assured of their places are Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif.
No sweat: Lee Wan Wah (left) and Choong Tan Fook showing off their India Open media after winning the men’s doubles title yesterday.-AFP
Wan Wah said that they were happy to save the day for Malaysia.
“Overall, we are satisfied although the field was not so strong. We probably scored our easiest ever win in a final match,” said Wan Wah in a telephone interview.
“This is the last tournament for us to impress the selectors because we are not going for the ABC (Asian Badminton Championships in Suwon from April 7-12). We have done our part (by winning the India Open) and now it is up to the selectors to decide whether to select us for the world meet.
“We will continue with our training and get ready for the next four tournaments (the Opens in the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia next month).”
Hafiz and Julia failed to make it a triple joy for Malaysia, losing their final matches in contrasting fashion.
Hafiz’s dream to win his first title in two years and ending his losing streak against Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia did not materialise when he went down 18-21, 19-21 in 30 minutes.
There were glimpses of Hafiz’s past brilliance but his inability to adapt to the draught in the stadium and inconsistent performances, especially at the crucial stages, saw the Malaysian bowing out to the fired-up Indonesian.
Julia Wong posing on the podium with her medal and cheque in Hyderabad on Sunday. – AFP
But for Julia, it was a big disappointment after coming agonisingly close to winning her first career title.
She was devastated after going down fighting 21-17, 15-21, 14-21 to world number four Pi Hongyan of France in a 54-minute battle.
“This is the closest that I came to winning a title. I was leading in the rubber game but yet I allowed her to get back into the match. I am truly very disappointed with myself,” said Julia.
“I played too safely in the second game. I should have wrapped up the match by playing more aggressively. My next tournament is the ABC and I will be out to give a better showing.”
Julia can walk tall despite the defeat. She put up a great fight and displayed variety in her attacking shots but unfortunately, it was the China-born player who came out superior when it mattered most.
Wow… Datuk Lee Chong Wei boleh! Last week Lee Chong Wei just lost to Lin Dan in All England 2009 but today he gave a good fighting spirit and he really show that he’s world number 1! Great job Lee Chong Wei. His form of playing is far better than Lin Dan. He able to run and cover most of the shot placed by Lin Dan. Lee Chong Wei manage to take the 1st game against Lin Dan and control of the game and the mind of Lin Dan quite well. Good Job!
In the game Lin Dan was a bit frustrated over some line judgment and the net call by the line judge and the umpire, it’s shown on screen that he actually threw his racquet! That’s was bad and no sportsmanship perhaps? This time round, Lee Chong Wei show patient and he slowly force Lin Dan to make uncountable mistakes and Chong Wei able to recover most of Lin Dan smashes as well. I think Lee Chong Wei get hold of how Lin Dan’s tactic and style and able to force Lin Dan to make more mistakes.
Chong Wei turns tables on Lin Dan to regain Swiss Open title
PETALING JAYA: World No. 1 Chong Wei turned the tables on his bitter rival Lin Dan to regain the Swiss Open men’s singles title in Basel yesterday.
After losing to the Chinese superstar in the final of the preceding All-England in Birmingham last week, Chong Wei, who won the Swiss Open title in 2006 and was the runner-up to Lin Dan last year, gave a much better performance to beat the Olympic champion 21-16, 21-16 in 52 minutes.
Sweet victory: Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei (right) posing with Lin Dan of China after their Swiss Open men’s singles final in Basel yesterday. Chong Wei won 21-16, 21-16. — MARKO KUNZ
It was the sixth time in 18 meetings that Chong Wei managed to beat Lin Dan.
His previous win over the Chinese was in the Thomas Cup (world men’s team championship) semi-final tie in Jakarta last May before crashing to tame defeats in the final of the Beijing Olympics, China Open and the All-England.
But yesterday, it was the 27-year-old Chong Wei’s turn to take glory in his fourth consecutive Super Series final appearance this year. He was the champion in the season-opening Malaysian Open and was the runner-up in the Korean Open.
Chong Wei and Lin Dan qualified for the final in contrasting fashions on Saturday.
The Malaysian dropped a game against unheralded Dane Jan O Jorgensen before securing a 21-12, 20-22, 21-9 win in 51 minutes while Lin Dan cruised to a 21-13, 21-14 win over compatriot Chen Jin.
Chong Wei was delighted to get the better of Lin Dan.
“This is also the first title I won outside Malaysia since I became the world No. 1 after the Olympics last August.
“I just told myself I had nothing to lose but to give my best,” he said in a telephone interview. Singles chief coach Rashid Sidek also felt that Chong Wei was able to play because he did not put pressure on himself to win the match.
“Lin Dan did not looked that sharp today and most of his shots were off target. But it did not take anything away from Chong Wei as he still played a quality game,” said Rashid.
On the other hand, it was a good news to Malaysia too as we won the Men’s Double too. Koo Kien Keat / Tan Boon Heong beat Mathias BOE Carsten MOGENSEN in just two straight games too. I think this time, Koo and Tan easily beat the danish pair maybe because of their commitment and well preparation. Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong regain this Swiss title two years back.
Koo and Tan back as champions too
PETALING JAYA: It was sweet revenge for Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong when they beat Danes Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen to win the Swiss Open men’s doubles title in Basel yesterday.
The Malaysian second seeds sent Boe-Mogensen packing in 38 minutes, winning the match 21-14, 21-18 to regain the title they won in 2007. It was also their first Super Series title in Europe in almost two years.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong, who won their last Super Series title at the Denmark Open in October 2007, had lost tamely to the current top Danish pair in the quarter-finals of the All-England in Birmingham last week.
The Malaysian duo came into the final with a gallant 23-21, 18-21, 21-14 win over All-England champions Fu Haifeng-Cai Yun of China in the semi-finals on Saturday.
They fought for 56 minutes to earn the title showdown against Boe-Mogensen, who overcame fifth seeds Lee Yong-dae-Shin Baek-choel of South Korea 19-21, 21-19, 21-14.
Winning their first title of the year could see Kien Keat-Boon Heong making their way back among the top four in the world ranking list.
When Kien Keat-Boon Heong last won the Swiss Open title, they were on a hot streak after ending a 25-year men’s doubles title drought for Malaysia at the All-England a week earlier.
Then as a newly-formed pair, they took world badminton by storm and won the gold medal in the Doha Asian Games in December 2006 before claiming the 2007 season-opening Malaysian Open crown as well.
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