ixory
07-24-2007, 06:40 PM
http://thestar.com.my/images/spacer.gifMew Choo hopes to raise her game with help of Holland’s Yao Jie
By RAJES PAUL
The star online (http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2007/7/25/sports/18393527&sec=sports)
PETALING JAYA: National number one women’s singles shuttler Wong Mew Choo expects to raise her game to a higher level following the arrival of Holland’s Yao Jie ahead of the World Championships, which will be held in Kuala Lumpur next month.
Yao Jie formerly represented China but now plays for Holland and is their top ranked women’s singles player.
Yao Jie, ranked eighth in the world, got down to training at Gymnasium 2 of the National Sports Complex in Bukit Jalil yesterday and will remain here until the world meet is held at the nearby Putra Stadium from Aug 13-19.
The lanky shuttler is looking forward to sparring with Mew Choo, who is still recovering from a recent ankle injury.
Yao Jie is the second former China-born shuttler to spar here with Mew Choo. Former top Chinese singles player Zhou Mi was in Malaysia last year in the run-up to the world meet. Zhou Mi now plays for Hong Kong.
Mew Choo, ranked 11th in the world, will benefit in her preparations for the world meet with a quality sparring partner in Yao Jie.
At her peak, Yao Jie had beaten China’s current top three players – Zhang Ning, Xie Xingfang and Zhu Lin.
While Yao Jie also has the option of going back to her native country to train and to be closer to her ailing father, her decision to come here is also seen as a form of recognition on the improvement of the standard of Malaysian women’s singles players like Mew Choo, Julia Wong and Lydia Cheah.
In fact, Julia scored an upset win over Yao Jie in the first round of the Thailand Open early this month.
“I was offered the opportunity to come here to spar with the national team. The world meet will also be held here next month and I was informed that the Malaysian team would be training earlier at the venue,” said Yao Jie.
“I also have the option of returning to Hubei, China, to spar there but, in the end, I chose to come here.
“Mew Choo’s game is not bad and I believe both of us will benefit from this arrangement.
“Besides, the environment and facilities here are good,” added the 30-year-old.
Yao Jie has been suffering from a lack of good sparring partners since former Indonesian Olympic silver medallist Mia Audina decided to hang up her racquet last year.
Mia’s retirement forced Yao Jie to often train with the male players because she had no regular sparring partner.
“The guys play at a faster speed but they can be sensitive and get angry if I beat them at times, said Yao Jie, who is hoping to make a breakthrough in the world meet this time. “In Holland, there are not many players in the national team set-up. The juniors train together with the seniors and it is not easy for me to lift my game. “I have never reached the quarter-finals before. I hope to make it this time.”
By RAJES PAUL
The star online (http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2007/7/25/sports/18393527&sec=sports)
PETALING JAYA: National number one women’s singles shuttler Wong Mew Choo expects to raise her game to a higher level following the arrival of Holland’s Yao Jie ahead of the World Championships, which will be held in Kuala Lumpur next month.
Yao Jie formerly represented China but now plays for Holland and is their top ranked women’s singles player.
Yao Jie, ranked eighth in the world, got down to training at Gymnasium 2 of the National Sports Complex in Bukit Jalil yesterday and will remain here until the world meet is held at the nearby Putra Stadium from Aug 13-19.
The lanky shuttler is looking forward to sparring with Mew Choo, who is still recovering from a recent ankle injury.
Yao Jie is the second former China-born shuttler to spar here with Mew Choo. Former top Chinese singles player Zhou Mi was in Malaysia last year in the run-up to the world meet. Zhou Mi now plays for Hong Kong.
Mew Choo, ranked 11th in the world, will benefit in her preparations for the world meet with a quality sparring partner in Yao Jie.
At her peak, Yao Jie had beaten China’s current top three players – Zhang Ning, Xie Xingfang and Zhu Lin.
While Yao Jie also has the option of going back to her native country to train and to be closer to her ailing father, her decision to come here is also seen as a form of recognition on the improvement of the standard of Malaysian women’s singles players like Mew Choo, Julia Wong and Lydia Cheah.
In fact, Julia scored an upset win over Yao Jie in the first round of the Thailand Open early this month.
“I was offered the opportunity to come here to spar with the national team. The world meet will also be held here next month and I was informed that the Malaysian team would be training earlier at the venue,” said Yao Jie.
“I also have the option of returning to Hubei, China, to spar there but, in the end, I chose to come here.
“Mew Choo’s game is not bad and I believe both of us will benefit from this arrangement.
“Besides, the environment and facilities here are good,” added the 30-year-old.
Yao Jie has been suffering from a lack of good sparring partners since former Indonesian Olympic silver medallist Mia Audina decided to hang up her racquet last year.
Mia’s retirement forced Yao Jie to often train with the male players because she had no regular sparring partner.
“The guys play at a faster speed but they can be sensitive and get angry if I beat them at times, said Yao Jie, who is hoping to make a breakthrough in the world meet this time. “In Holland, there are not many players in the national team set-up. The juniors train together with the seniors and it is not easy for me to lift my game. “I have never reached the quarter-finals before. I hope to make it this time.”