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.”
Went to Stadium Putra Bukit Jalil during the quarter final and semi final for Malaysia Open 2011. Quite disappointed because of Lin Dan walkover and let his team mate Chen Long quality to semi final.
It’s due to he suffered a recurrence of an old injury on his left abdominal area, but I supposed is one of the China tactic to ask Lin Dan to walkover to give way to Chen Long? Hmm just too bad can’t witness Lee Chong Wei vs Lin Dan again. It will be a great game if they were to meet up.
On friday I still can see Misbun appear as Lee Chong Wei coach. When Misbun Sidek entered into the arena, there’s thunderous applause and support from the crowds. Hope Misbun will continue to support our Malaysian players!
I’m glad that Lee Chong Wei grab the 7th Malaysia Title and hope he will continue to make Malaysia proud!
Checkout the video I posted for Lee Chong Wei vs Chen Long on Semi Finals.
Chong Wei defeats Taufik for seventh home title
Lee Chong Wei defeated Taufik Hidayat 21-8, 21-17 to win the men’s singles title in the Malaysia Open badminton championships on Sunday.
KUALA LUMPUR: World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei defeated Indonesia’s Taufik Hidayat to win the men’s singles title in the Malaysia Open badminton championships on Sunday.
Chong Wei won 21-8, 21-17 in just 35 minutes to bag his seventh home Open crown and 16th BWF Super Series title.
The Malaysian was in full control in the first set and had his opponent scrambling to return shots from all corners of the court.
Chong Wei was especially deadly at the net, winning numerous points with his deft touches.
The second set started just like the first, with Chong Wei racing to a 17-7 lead. But just when it looked like a thrashing, Taufik put up a gallant fight-back to narrow the deficit to 17-15.
However, Chong Wei regained his composure and wrapped up the set and match 21-17 in 18 minutes.
Earlier, Chai Biao-Guo Zhengdong from China beat Danish pair Mads Conrad-Petersen and Jonas Rasmussen 21-16, 21-14 to claim the men’s doubles title.
Chong Wei crushes Chen Long for explosive final date with Taufik
By RAJES PAUL
IT was a fun day for shuttler Lee Chong Wei when he checked into the Malaysia Open final in ruthless fashion to keep alive the hope of becoming home champion for the seventh time.
Yesterday, the world number one crushed Chen Long of China 21-9, 21-9 in a lop-sided 39-minute semi-final match in front of vociferous home fans at the Putra Stadium.
He will play against an on-fire Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia in today’s final and based on the current form of these two players, an explosive match is on the cards.
Yesterday, Chong Wei, boosted again by the presence of his coach Misbun Sidek, who was smartly dressed in a chequered shirt, showed no mercy to Chen Long.
Turning on the style: Lee Chong Wei returning a backhand shot to China’s Chen Long during their semi-final match yesterday. Chong Wei won 21-9, 21-9.
And Chen Long, despite an extra day’s rest after enjoying a walkover from injured compatriot Lin Dan in the quarter-finals on Friday, was unable to keep up with the fiery pace.
The Malaysian never took his feet off the pedal although he had a big lead over Chen Long throughout the match.
And at one stage, he even did a little jig after saving an almost impossible deep baseline return from Chen Long and it brought out a big uproar from the delirious fans.
Chong Wei said he went into the match with the intention of crushing Chen Long’s spirit from the start. “He is China’s upcoming youngster and it is dangerous to give him room to build up his confidence. I just went all out,” said Chong Wei.
Taufik Hidayat.
“I was very confident after taking the first game. All my strokes and counter attacks worked well for me and I just continued to enjoy myself. It felt really good.”
On his match against Taufik today, he said: “It is a familiar face but his condition seems to be better here. I will be ready. This is my homeground and I am determined to go out there and win my seventh Malaysia Open title.”
Chong Wei is the winner of the editions from 2004-2006 and 2008-2010.
Taufik, who won the 2000 Malaysia Open, is hoping to turn back the clock.
“I wish that I can go back several years. It will put me in a better position to challenge Chong Wei,” said the 30-year-old Taufik, who is one year older than the Malaysian.
“He is on top of his game as I was at one point of time. I have lost to him many times over the last two years but I beat him at the last World Championships.
“I feel good right now and I am hoping to get off to a great start this year. I will give my best against him and see what happens.”
Taufik was pleased with his superb 21-15, 21-19 win over compatriot Simon Santoso yesterday.
“I was a class above him in the opening game. I had a good lead in the second but I took it easy and Simon caught up. Fortunately, I made up for my hastiness to end the match early,” he said.
“It will be a different ball game against Chong Wei tomorrow and hopefully, I will be able to raise my game even higher,” added Taufik.
Despite the disappointment over Chen Long’s meek defeat yesterday, China can still afford a big smile. They are assured of three titles today as it will be all-China finals in the women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles events.
Semi-final results
Men
Single: Taufik Hidayat (Ina) bt Simon Santoso (Ina) 21-15, 21-19; Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Chen Long (Chn) 21-9, 21-9.
Singles: Wang Yihan (Chn) bt Wang Xin (Chn) 21-18, 21-18; Wang Shixian (Chn) bt Jiang Yanjiao (Chn) 21-19, 21-17.
Doubles: Wang Xiaoli-Yu Yang (Chn) bt Cheng Shu-Ma Jin (Chn) 22-20, 21-19; Zhao Yunlei-Tian Qing (Chn) bt Du Jing-Pan Pan (Chn) 23-21, 21-18.
Mixed doubles: He Hanbin-Ma Jin (Chn) bt Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen (Den) 21-17, 17-14 (rtd); Tao Jiaming-Tian Qing (Chn) bt Robert Blair-Gabrielle White (Sco-Eng) 21-11, 21-15.
THE man in the spotlight – national coach Misbun Sidek – has chosen to delay the meeting with Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Datuk Seri Nadzmi Mohd Salleh.
And due to this, the BAM’s council, who will meet today, is unlikely to make any major decision.
However, according to one of the council members yesterday, they are determined to get Nadzmi to make a stand over the whole matter surrounding Misbun.
Yesterday, Nadzmi said that Misbun had sent a text message to him, saying that he would prefer to meet after the Malaysia Open, which will end today at Putra Stadium.
“He wants to stay focused on the Malaysia Open and I respect that. I will meet him after that,” said Nadzmi.
Misbun pulled a shocker when he tendered his resignation on Dec 31. However, he has been asked to re-consider his decision by the BAM exco.
Misbun has not made up his mind on his status but he has showed up to support and coach world number one Lee Chong Wei since the second day of the home competition here in Bukit Jalil.
There were high hopes that Misbun would meet Nadzmi before today’s council meeting so that the 30-member council members could be briefed on whether Misbun wished to retract his resignation letter and if he did, what are the conditions he wanted for his return.
Nadzmi said that his main objective today is to brief the council on Misbun’s decision to resign. “I want the council members to know want had happened. It is important to engage them and this is precisely why the meeting is taking place,” he said.
When asked whether any decision would be made today, Nadzmi said: “We will deliberate and discuss on Misbun’s resignation matter. But I promise that there will be an amicable decision on this matter.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
Very disappointed… Thought Datuk Lee manage to give a tougher fight but it only showed in 1st game. After that I think is the speed that separate both Lin Dan and Chong Wei, Lin Dan can kill in the speed of 266km/h +- that’s fast!
PETALING JAYA: World number one men’s singles shuttler Lee Chong Wei’s hopes of winning his first All-England title were torn to pieces by a ruthless Lin Dan who led a China cleansweep in Birmingham yesterday.
The 27-year-old Chong Wei found his nemesis too hot to handle and went down 19-21, 12-21 in 43-minute match that saw the Malaysian struggling to keep up with the fiery pace set by the Chinese.
It was Chong Wei’s fifth defeat to Lin Dan since he prevailed over the Chinese at the Japan Open in September 2007.
Four in the bag: Lin Dan lifting the All-England trophy. — AP
Still, it was a better display from Chong Wei after his demoralising losses to Lin Dan at the Beijing Olympic Games and China Open last year.
The first game saw the speedy and attack-minded Lin Dan taking a healthy 8-2 lead before Chong Wei caught up — thanks mainly to uncharacteristic mistakes made by the China ace.
The only time that Lin Dan must have felt threatened was when the Malaysian led at 17-16 and 19-17 in the opening game.
But there was just no holding back the pumped-up Lin Dan, who bounced back to clinch the first game.
The second game looked to be a close affair, with leads exchanging hands until 6-6. After that, Chong Wei slowed down while Lin Dan continued to dominate the game, entertaining the crowd with his variety of leaping smashes.
This was mighty Lin Dan’s fourth All-England title in six years and it showed that a three-month break had done nothing to douse his fire.
If he can maintain his form, it will not be too long before Lin Dan regains the world No. 1 ranking.
Despite another defeat, national singles coach Misbun Sidek was not too disappointed with his blue-eyed boy Chong Wei.
“I have to give Lin Dan due respect for adopting the right strategy and tactics to beat Chong Wei today,” said Misbun in a telephone interview from Birmingham yesterday.
“Chong Wei played well but Lin Dan was just too fast. During the rallies, Lin Dan will just break away so fast that it was hard for Chong Wei to keep up.
“In terms of standard, I will still say that very little separates them. Lin Dan has variety in his attacking armoury and, maybe, this is one area Chong Wei will have to work on.”
Misbun, however, applauded Chong Wei for finishing as runner-up.
“It is still an achievement for Chong Wei to have reached the final for the first time. I know how much hard work he has put into achieving this breakthrough performance,” said Misbun.
And Chong Wei may get the chance to settle the score in next week’s Swiss Open in Basel. A final between Chong Wei and Lin Dan is on the cards if both can live up to their billing.
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