jimbo
08-02-2007, 10:57 PM
KUALA LUMPUR: National number one Lee Chong Wei is relishing his second seeding in the World Championships, which will be held at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil from Aug 13-19.
The 25-year-old Chong Wei felt that it has lessened the pressure on him to become the first Malaysian to win a title in the championships.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) announced the seedings for the championships yesterday and Chong Wei, who will be making his third appearance in the series, was placed in second spot behind China’s Lin Dan.
Chong Wei was the top seed in the last championships in Madrid last September but he crashed out in the quarter-finals. Following the defeat, he went through a lean spell for 11 months. In his debut in the championships in Anaheim in 2005, he was the fifth seed and made it to the semi-finals.
“I am happy that I have achieved my goal to be one of the top two seeds. The pressure of being the top seed is greater than being in any other position,” he said.
“I have never won a major international tournament as the top seed. I also did not live up to my top billing at the last World Championships. The burden of being the world’s top player is heavy.”
Since the inaugural tournament in 1977, only two players have won the title as the top seed – China’s Yang Yang (Jakarta ’89) and Indonesian Hariyanto Arbi (Lausanne ’95).
Ten others have failed to live up to their top billing – Danes Sven Pri (1977), Morten Frost Hansen (1983, 1987) and Peter Gade-Christensen (1999); India’s Prakash Padukone (1980); China’s Dong Jiong (1997), Chen Hong (2003) and Lin Dan (2005); Indonesians Ardy Wiranata (1991) and Hariyanto Arbi (1993); and Malaysia’s Mohd Roslin Hashim (2001).
China’s Zhao Jianhua did not start in Calgary in 1985.
Chong Wei, however, admitted that it would not be a smooth ride to become the world champion as the second seed.
“For now, Lin Dan, Taufik Hidayat and Peter Gade-Christensen will be the main challengers. I may have Taufik or Peter in my half of the draw (which will be conducted today),” said Chong Wei.
“China’s Chen Jin and Bao Chunlai did not do well in recent international tournaments but I reckon that they will bounce back stronger.
“I have an advantage of playing at home. I have trained hard and I certainly want to achieve my best results in the World Championships.” Besides Chong Wei, the other seeded Malaysian player is Mohd Hafiz Hashim at joint ninth-16th.
Roslin and Lee Tsuen Seng are unseeded.
(source: THE STAR)
The 25-year-old Chong Wei felt that it has lessened the pressure on him to become the first Malaysian to win a title in the championships.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) announced the seedings for the championships yesterday and Chong Wei, who will be making his third appearance in the series, was placed in second spot behind China’s Lin Dan.
Chong Wei was the top seed in the last championships in Madrid last September but he crashed out in the quarter-finals. Following the defeat, he went through a lean spell for 11 months. In his debut in the championships in Anaheim in 2005, he was the fifth seed and made it to the semi-finals.
“I am happy that I have achieved my goal to be one of the top two seeds. The pressure of being the top seed is greater than being in any other position,” he said.
“I have never won a major international tournament as the top seed. I also did not live up to my top billing at the last World Championships. The burden of being the world’s top player is heavy.”
Since the inaugural tournament in 1977, only two players have won the title as the top seed – China’s Yang Yang (Jakarta ’89) and Indonesian Hariyanto Arbi (Lausanne ’95).
Ten others have failed to live up to their top billing – Danes Sven Pri (1977), Morten Frost Hansen (1983, 1987) and Peter Gade-Christensen (1999); India’s Prakash Padukone (1980); China’s Dong Jiong (1997), Chen Hong (2003) and Lin Dan (2005); Indonesians Ardy Wiranata (1991) and Hariyanto Arbi (1993); and Malaysia’s Mohd Roslin Hashim (2001).
China’s Zhao Jianhua did not start in Calgary in 1985.
Chong Wei, however, admitted that it would not be a smooth ride to become the world champion as the second seed.
“For now, Lin Dan, Taufik Hidayat and Peter Gade-Christensen will be the main challengers. I may have Taufik or Peter in my half of the draw (which will be conducted today),” said Chong Wei.
“China’s Chen Jin and Bao Chunlai did not do well in recent international tournaments but I reckon that they will bounce back stronger.
“I have an advantage of playing at home. I have trained hard and I certainly want to achieve my best results in the World Championships.” Besides Chong Wei, the other seeded Malaysian player is Mohd Hafiz Hashim at joint ninth-16th.
Roslin and Lee Tsuen Seng are unseeded.
(source: THE STAR)