TheStar Sept 17 '05

KUALA LUMPUR: National number one Lee Chong Wei will have one obstacle less to worry about in his bid to win his first international badminton title outside the country.

There will be no Chinese player in his path in the US$250,000 six-star Indonesian Open, which will be played in Jakarta next week.

China have decided to keep their players out for the second consecutive international tournament after their own inaugural China Masters, which was held in Beijing last month. They also gave last week's Asian Championships in Hyderabad a skip.

In the absence of the Chinese players, the top players challenging for the Indonesian Open men's singles title are home favourite Taufik Hidayat and the Danish duo of Kenneth Jonassen and Peter Gade-Christensen.

The 22-year-old Chong Wei, who has dropped one rung to number five in the world rankings, is looking forward to a good showing in Jakarta.

Since winning a bronze medal in the World Championships in Anaheim last month, Chong Wei had skipped two tournaments – the China Masters and the Asian Championships.

“I have had a good rest. I have got my rhythm back in training and the focus has been on refining my skills,” he said.

“My hope is to reach at least the semi-finals in the Indonesian Open. The absence of the Chinese, led by world number one Lin Dan, will make it easier on some of us.”

The two-time Malaysian Open champion added that the player to beat was Taufik, The reigning Olympics and world champion has won his home Open title five times since 1999.

“Two players are ranked higher than me – Peter and Kenneth. But Taufik (ranked seventh in the world) will be the clear favourite. Hopefully, I will not be drawn in the same half as him,” said Chong Wei, who crashed to a tame defeat in the semi-finals of the World Championships.

The draw for the Indonesian Open will be released today. The other Malaysian singles players for the Indonesian Open are Kuan Beng Hong, Wong Choong Hann, Roslin Hashim, James Chua, Yeoh Kay Bin, Lee Tsuen Seng, K. Yogendran and Pei Wei Chung.




CHONG WEI: The national number one hopes to reach at least the semi-finals of the Indonesian Open.

I do hope he can reach the final. But we will have to see the draws first.

I do hope he can reach the final. But we will have to see the draws first.

the draw is out (www.worldbadminton.net (http://www.worldbadminton.net)), fortunately, he is not in the same half with Taufik, so he has a chance to meet taufik in the final, let's hope for that :)

Thats good.. the draws really favours him. :)

but chong wei got lee hyun il and sony dwi kuncoro waiting for him before chong wei proceed to da final

BADMINTON/Indonesia Open: Taufik in Chong Wei’s way ("")
K.M. Boopathy (nstsport@nst.com.my)

Sept 17: TAUFIK Hidayat is almost invincible in the Indonesia Open and beating him would be the biggest challenge of Lee Chong Wei’s career when the six-star tournament begins in Jakarta on Wednesday. Taufik, only 24, has already won the tournament six times and is expected to meet second seed Chong Wei in the final and not many would bet against the Indonesian winning again.

Chong Wei should have no problems clearing the preliminary rounds. He will meet Michael Delille in the first round, is likely to meet compatriot James Chua in the second round and then Lee Tsuen Seng for a place in the quarter-finals.

In the last eight, Chong Wei should overcome seventh seed Lee Hyun Il of South Korea before setting up a tough encounter against another local favourite Sony Dwi Kuncoro in the semi-finals.

Sony is the only player who looks capable of denying a Chong Wei-Taufik final as the former himself will be gunning for his first Indonesian Open title.

Veteran Wong Choong Hann, the sixth seed, has an easy ride until the last eight but Sony, who won the Asian title for the third time in Hyderabad last week, is likely to put an end to the Malaysian’s run at that stage.

Asian Championship finalist Kuan Beng Hong, the fifth seed, is also likely to reach the quarter-finals where he will take on top seed Kenneth Jonassen of Denmark.

Beng Hong has an outside chance against Jonassen and even if he survives, Taufik will be too hot to handle in the semi-finals.

In the men’s doubles, sixth seeds Chan Chong Ming-Koo Kien Keat could be Malaysia’s best bets and have a realistic chance of reaching the semi-finals.

Chong Ming-Kien Keat’s first test will be against compatriots Tan Bin Shen-Ong Soon Hock in the third round and a win will pit them against second seeded Indonesians Luluk Hadiayanto-Alven Yulianto, or compatriots Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah.

If they survive, former world champions Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen of Denmark or Asian champions Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia will pose a threat in the last four.

Tan Fook-Wan Wah have a tough opening round against Athens Olympics bronze medallists Flandy Limpele-Eng Hian of Indonesia in the first round.

The other combinations are not expected to get past the preliminary rounds.

In the women’s singles, Wong Mew Choo will be involved in a first round match against Li Li of Singapore, the Malaysian’s biggest threat in the Manila Sea Games in December.

but chong wei got lee hyun il and sony dwi kuncoro waiting for him before chong wei proceed to da final

true, hyun ill seems to have his good form back recently, he already beat chong wei in Sing open, so this is going to be a test for chong wei before reaching to final, and also sony, believe that he has got his confidence back after wining the ABC recently, some more he is playing in front of indonesian crowd that should favor him also.