ixory
07-14-2007, 10:01 PM
Badminton/China Masters: Choong Hann makes final as Chong Wei exits fighting
By : K.M. Boopathy
NST Online (http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/Sport/20070715084739/Article/index_html)
http://www.nst.com.my/Sunday/Sport/20070715084739/insidepix1
Wong Choong Hann beat Przemyslaw Wacha of Poland 17-21, 21-13, 21-13 to make the final of the China Masters in Chengdu yesterday.
WONG Choong Hann advanced to the final as expected but the fighting display from Lee Chong Wei in his loss to World No 1 Lin Dan in the China Masters in Chengdu yesterday put the Malaysian in good stead ahead of next month’s World Championships.
The unseeded Choong Hann was made to struggle by another surprise semi-finalist, Przemyslaw Wacha of Poland before securing a 17-21, 21-13, 21-13 win in 42 minutes to reach his first major final since the 2003 World Championships.
The odds were stacked against Chong Wei, the World No 3, but he forced Lin Dan to dig deep into his reserves before the Chinese ace clinched a 15-21, 21-14, 21-15 win in an exciting 52-minute battle.
Chong Wei started the first game so brightly that he looked capable of snatching back-to-back victories over his fierce rival, after having beaten Lin Dan in the Sudirman Cup in Glasgow last month.
Chong Wei mixed court craft with aggression to outplay Lin Dan who struggled to find his rhythm and started making uncharacteristic errors, surrendering the first game 21-15.
Lin Dan proved why he is the world champion by stamping his authority in the second and third games.
Lin Dan then denied Chong Wei victory by taking the next two games 21-14, 21-15.
Take no credit away from Chong Wei as he made life difficult for Lin Dan in his own den and this will be a massive boost when he bids to become the first Malaysian to win a world title at Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Aug 13-19.
Tactical astuteness and calmness on court are the ingredients previously missing from Chong Wei’s game and with a crucial quarter-final victory over Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia already in the bag, he is probably the man to beat in the World Championships.
"My aim in the China Masters was to do my best against Lin Dan and I still have to work on my fitness and focus on my preparations for the World Championships," said Chong Wei in a telephone interview from Chengdu.
"Lin Dan has proved he is still the better player.
"I feel no pressure at all playing Lin Dan or Taufik and I will be the underdog in the World Championships. This is a good situation for me.
"It was completely different in the last World Championships (in Madrid) where there was so much pressure on me. The pressure now is actually on Lin Dan and other rivals."
Meanwhile, Choong Hann, Malaysia’s sole survivor in the tournament, will be aiming to clinch his second title in China after having won the 2002 China Open where he defeated the then World No 1 Chen Hong of China in the final.
Choong Hann started the tournament by toppling the same opponent, Chen Hong, in the first round but the 30-year-old Malaysian needs more than luck for his final hurdle will be the formidable Lin Dan.
If Choong Hann does the unthinkable, the defeat will be a blow to Lin Dan’s title defence in the World Championships.
In the men’s doubles, Tan Bin Shen-Ong Soon Hock’s run came to a tame end as they were beaten 21-9, 21-15 by World No 1 Fu Haifeng-Cai Yun of China in just 25 minutes.
Results — (All s-finals) Men’s singles: Lin Dan (Chn) bt Lee Chong Wei (Mas) 15-21, 21-14, 21-15; Wong Choong Hann (Mas) bt Przemyslaw Wacha (Pol) 17-21, 21-13, 21-13.
Doubles: Fu Haifeng-Cai Yun (Chn) bt Tan Bin Shen-Ong Soon Hock (Mas) 21-9, 21-15; Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan (Ina) bt Luluk Hadiyanto-Alven Yulianto (Ina) 14-21, 21-13, 21-16.
Women’s singles: Xie Xingfang (Chn) bt Yip Pui Yin (HK) 21-6, 21-16; Zhang Ning (Chn) bt Pi Hongyan (Fra) 21-18, 21-6.
Doubles: Zhao Tingting-Yang Wei (Chn) bt Gail Emms-Donna Kellogg (Eng) 21-9, 21-16; Lilyana Natsir-Vita Marissa (Ina) bt Du Jing-Yu Yang (Chn) 11-21, 22-20, 21-18.
Mixed doubles: Zhang Bo-Gao Ling (Chn) bt Nathan Robertson-Gail Emms (Eng) 21-18, 21-12; Anthony Clark-Donna Kellogg (Eng) bt Nova Widianto-Lilyana Natsir (Ina) 21-18, 21-18.
By : K.M. Boopathy
NST Online (http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/Sport/20070715084739/Article/index_html)
http://www.nst.com.my/Sunday/Sport/20070715084739/insidepix1
Wong Choong Hann beat Przemyslaw Wacha of Poland 17-21, 21-13, 21-13 to make the final of the China Masters in Chengdu yesterday.
WONG Choong Hann advanced to the final as expected but the fighting display from Lee Chong Wei in his loss to World No 1 Lin Dan in the China Masters in Chengdu yesterday put the Malaysian in good stead ahead of next month’s World Championships.
The unseeded Choong Hann was made to struggle by another surprise semi-finalist, Przemyslaw Wacha of Poland before securing a 17-21, 21-13, 21-13 win in 42 minutes to reach his first major final since the 2003 World Championships.
The odds were stacked against Chong Wei, the World No 3, but he forced Lin Dan to dig deep into his reserves before the Chinese ace clinched a 15-21, 21-14, 21-15 win in an exciting 52-minute battle.
Chong Wei started the first game so brightly that he looked capable of snatching back-to-back victories over his fierce rival, after having beaten Lin Dan in the Sudirman Cup in Glasgow last month.
Chong Wei mixed court craft with aggression to outplay Lin Dan who struggled to find his rhythm and started making uncharacteristic errors, surrendering the first game 21-15.
Lin Dan proved why he is the world champion by stamping his authority in the second and third games.
Lin Dan then denied Chong Wei victory by taking the next two games 21-14, 21-15.
Take no credit away from Chong Wei as he made life difficult for Lin Dan in his own den and this will be a massive boost when he bids to become the first Malaysian to win a world title at Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Aug 13-19.
Tactical astuteness and calmness on court are the ingredients previously missing from Chong Wei’s game and with a crucial quarter-final victory over Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia already in the bag, he is probably the man to beat in the World Championships.
"My aim in the China Masters was to do my best against Lin Dan and I still have to work on my fitness and focus on my preparations for the World Championships," said Chong Wei in a telephone interview from Chengdu.
"Lin Dan has proved he is still the better player.
"I feel no pressure at all playing Lin Dan or Taufik and I will be the underdog in the World Championships. This is a good situation for me.
"It was completely different in the last World Championships (in Madrid) where there was so much pressure on me. The pressure now is actually on Lin Dan and other rivals."
Meanwhile, Choong Hann, Malaysia’s sole survivor in the tournament, will be aiming to clinch his second title in China after having won the 2002 China Open where he defeated the then World No 1 Chen Hong of China in the final.
Choong Hann started the tournament by toppling the same opponent, Chen Hong, in the first round but the 30-year-old Malaysian needs more than luck for his final hurdle will be the formidable Lin Dan.
If Choong Hann does the unthinkable, the defeat will be a blow to Lin Dan’s title defence in the World Championships.
In the men’s doubles, Tan Bin Shen-Ong Soon Hock’s run came to a tame end as they were beaten 21-9, 21-15 by World No 1 Fu Haifeng-Cai Yun of China in just 25 minutes.
Results — (All s-finals) Men’s singles: Lin Dan (Chn) bt Lee Chong Wei (Mas) 15-21, 21-14, 21-15; Wong Choong Hann (Mas) bt Przemyslaw Wacha (Pol) 17-21, 21-13, 21-13.
Doubles: Fu Haifeng-Cai Yun (Chn) bt Tan Bin Shen-Ong Soon Hock (Mas) 21-9, 21-15; Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan (Ina) bt Luluk Hadiyanto-Alven Yulianto (Ina) 14-21, 21-13, 21-16.
Women’s singles: Xie Xingfang (Chn) bt Yip Pui Yin (HK) 21-6, 21-16; Zhang Ning (Chn) bt Pi Hongyan (Fra) 21-18, 21-6.
Doubles: Zhao Tingting-Yang Wei (Chn) bt Gail Emms-Donna Kellogg (Eng) 21-9, 21-16; Lilyana Natsir-Vita Marissa (Ina) bt Du Jing-Yu Yang (Chn) 11-21, 22-20, 21-18.
Mixed doubles: Zhang Bo-Gao Ling (Chn) bt Nathan Robertson-Gail Emms (Eng) 21-18, 21-12; Anthony Clark-Donna Kellogg (Eng) bt Nova Widianto-Lilyana Natsir (Ina) 21-18, 21-18.