i’m saimatkong

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!

Images Credit to ThomasUberKL2010

M’sia go down 0-3 to China in Thomas Cup semi

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.

Source : TheStar

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.”

Source : ThomasUberKL2010

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.”

Source : TheStar

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.

Source : thomasuberkl2010

Ticketing Info

Ticket Price

Seating Plan

Tournament Schedule

Official Website for Thomas Cup & Uber Cup 2010 : http://www.thomasuberkl2010.com/

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.

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.

Source : TheStar

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.

Source : TheStar

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.

Source : TheStar

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.

Source : TheStar

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.

Women’s doubles: Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty (Mas) bt Cheng Wen-hsing -Chien Yu-hsin (Tpe) 21-17, 21-17; Cheng Shu-Zhao Yunlie (Chn) bt Ha Jung-eun-Kim Min-jung (Kor) 21-13, 21-12.

Mixed doubles: Lee Yong-dae-Lee Hyo-jung (Kor) bt Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen (Den) 21-13, 21-13; Zheng Bo-Ma Jin (Chn) bt Thomas Laybourn-Kamilla Rytter Juhl (Den) 18-21, 21-17, 21-11.

Source : TheStar

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.

Photo from badmintoncentral

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.

Source : TheStar

Official Singapore Open Website : http://www.singaporebadmintonopen.sg/