ants
01-11-2006, 06:17 PM
Jan 12. The STAR
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s top three - Lee Chong Wei, Mohd Hafiz Hashim and Wong Choong Hann - face tough Chinese hurdles in their hunt for the men’s singles title in the US$125,000 All-England badminton championships, which begin in Birmingham next Wednesday.
Third seed Chong Wei, who won the Swiss Open on Sunday, is tipped to reach the quarter-finals where he is likely to meet defending champion Chen Hong. Chong Wei was beaten by the fast-attacking Chinese in the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Choong Hann, the ninth seed, is in the same quarter of the draw with top seed and world number one Lin Dan. The two are expected to meet in the third round.
Hafiz, the 2003 All-England champion, has a tricky first-round match against world junior champion Chen Jin. If Hafiz, who was a second-round casualty in the Swiss Open, clears the obstacle he should be able to reach the last eight where he is likely to take on Denmark’s Peter Gade-Christensen.
Malaysia’s other representatives – Lee Tsuen Seng, Yeoh Kay Bin, Kuan Beng Hong, and Sairul Amar Ayob – are not expected to clear their early round matches.
In the men’s doubles, Swiss Open champions Chan Chong Ming-Koo Kien Keat are also tipped to face Chinese opponents. They are set to meet Guo Zhengdong-Xie Zhongbo in the third round. The fast-attacking Chinese second ranked pair were winners over Chong Ming-Kien Keat last year.
Veterans Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah have an easier draw. Tan Fook-Wan Wah, who were the 2004 All-England runners-up, are tipped to take on Indonesians Luluk Hadiyanto-Alven Yulianto in the quarter-finals and it should be a touch-and-go affair.
Malaysia’s three other pairs - national champion Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Lin Woon Fui, Tan Bin Shen-Ong Soon Hock and Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-Gan Teik Chai - are in for early disappointments as they are expected to meet top seeds Candra Wijaya-Sigit Budiarto of Indonesia, South Korea’s top pair Jung Jae-sung-Lee Yong-dae and Indonesians Markis Kidho-Hendra Setiawan respectively.
In the women’s singles, Wong Mew Choo will have to beat two Europeans – Julia Mann of England and then Denmark’s Tine Rasmussen – to reach the third round.
Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty, Malaysia’s top women’s doubles pair, will have to be extra cautious in their first round match after being drawn against Thailand’s Salakjit Ponsana-Monthila Meemek.
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s top three - Lee Chong Wei, Mohd Hafiz Hashim and Wong Choong Hann - face tough Chinese hurdles in their hunt for the men’s singles title in the US$125,000 All-England badminton championships, which begin in Birmingham next Wednesday.
Third seed Chong Wei, who won the Swiss Open on Sunday, is tipped to reach the quarter-finals where he is likely to meet defending champion Chen Hong. Chong Wei was beaten by the fast-attacking Chinese in the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Choong Hann, the ninth seed, is in the same quarter of the draw with top seed and world number one Lin Dan. The two are expected to meet in the third round.
Hafiz, the 2003 All-England champion, has a tricky first-round match against world junior champion Chen Jin. If Hafiz, who was a second-round casualty in the Swiss Open, clears the obstacle he should be able to reach the last eight where he is likely to take on Denmark’s Peter Gade-Christensen.
Malaysia’s other representatives – Lee Tsuen Seng, Yeoh Kay Bin, Kuan Beng Hong, and Sairul Amar Ayob – are not expected to clear their early round matches.
In the men’s doubles, Swiss Open champions Chan Chong Ming-Koo Kien Keat are also tipped to face Chinese opponents. They are set to meet Guo Zhengdong-Xie Zhongbo in the third round. The fast-attacking Chinese second ranked pair were winners over Chong Ming-Kien Keat last year.
Veterans Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah have an easier draw. Tan Fook-Wan Wah, who were the 2004 All-England runners-up, are tipped to take on Indonesians Luluk Hadiyanto-Alven Yulianto in the quarter-finals and it should be a touch-and-go affair.
Malaysia’s three other pairs - national champion Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Lin Woon Fui, Tan Bin Shen-Ong Soon Hock and Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-Gan Teik Chai - are in for early disappointments as they are expected to meet top seeds Candra Wijaya-Sigit Budiarto of Indonesia, South Korea’s top pair Jung Jae-sung-Lee Yong-dae and Indonesians Markis Kidho-Hendra Setiawan respectively.
In the women’s singles, Wong Mew Choo will have to beat two Europeans – Julia Mann of England and then Denmark’s Tine Rasmussen – to reach the third round.
Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty, Malaysia’s top women’s doubles pair, will have to be extra cautious in their first round match after being drawn against Thailand’s Salakjit Ponsana-Monthila Meemek.