Felicia_txh
08-03-2007, 01:40 AM
By : K.M. Boopathy (boopathy@nst.com.my)
http://www.nst.com.my/Friday/Sport/20070803075100/insidepix1
Zakry Latif (foreground) and Fairuzizuan Tazari are seeded seventh for the World Championships.
MEN’S singles Lee Chong Wei and doubles Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, as expected, were seeded second but the relatively new combination of Fairuzizuan Tazari-Zakry Latif were pleasantly surprised after being seeded seventh for the World Badminton Championships at Putra Stadium on Aug 1 (http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/Sport/20070803075100/Article/index_html#)3-19.
Fairuz-Zakry were not expected to be seeded as they are ranked World No 33 but a strong showing in their first three tournaments — the Asian Championships in April and Singapore and Indonesia Opens in May — earned them a seeding.
This means that all four Malaysian pairs are seeded for the World Championships as veterans Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah are the sixth seeds while Tan Bin Shen-Ong Soon Hock are seeded 16th.
National doubles coach Rexy Mainaky was delighted with the seedings, saying there is a possibility of two pairs making the semi-finals.
"The seedings have been good to us, especially with Fairuz-Zakry in the top eight. This means we have the chance to have two pairs in the semi-finals," said Rexy.
"At least, our top three pairs will not meet each other until the quarter-finals and that is very important if we want to go for the title.
"It is also good that Bin Shen-Soon Hock are in the seedings list as this will also give them a chance to progress."
Kien Keat-Boon Heong are seeded behind defending champions Fu Haifeng-Cai Yun of China while Indonesia’s Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan and Denmark’s Jens Eriksen-Martin Lundgaard Hansen are the third and fourth seeds respectively.
Two other top eight seeds are the Indonesian-American combination of Candra Wijaya-Tony Gunawan (fifth) and Indonesian pair Luluk Hadiyanto-Alven Yulianto (eighth).
Kien Keat-Boon Heong could also be in a situation where they might meet either Tan Fook-Wan Wah or Fairuz-Zakry in the last eight.
This will ensure at least a Malaysian pair in the semi-finals but Zakry hopes to avoid his compatriots so that Fairuz and him will be able to achieve their personal target of reaching the top four.
"I’m surprised to be seeded but it’s a relief we don’t have to meet the top pairs early. The biggest worry is playing our compatriots and we hope that we can avoid them," said Zakry.
"This will not only give us the chance to achieve our semi-final target but other Malaysian pairs can also go through.
"This is good enough for us and we must try to make the most of it."
In the men’s singles, Chong Wei is seeded second behind World No 1 Lin Dan of China whose compatriots Chen Jin and Bao Chunlai are seeded third and fourth respectively.
Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia, the 20 (http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/Sport/20070803075100/Article/index_html#)05 champion, looms dangerously as the eighth seed and Chong Wei would be hoping to avoid him in a possible quarter-final clash.
The other top eight seeds are Denmark’s Peter Gade Christensen (fifth), Chen Yu of China (sixth) and another Dane Kenneth Jonassen (seventh).
Hafiz Hashim is seeded 13th while the women’s singles saw Wong Mew Choo seeded 10th.
In the women’s doubles, Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui are the only seeded Malaysian pair at eighth.
( adapted fr NST)
http://www.nst.com.my/Friday/Sport/20070803075100/insidepix1
Zakry Latif (foreground) and Fairuzizuan Tazari are seeded seventh for the World Championships.
MEN’S singles Lee Chong Wei and doubles Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, as expected, were seeded second but the relatively new combination of Fairuzizuan Tazari-Zakry Latif were pleasantly surprised after being seeded seventh for the World Badminton Championships at Putra Stadium on Aug 1 (http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/Sport/20070803075100/Article/index_html#)3-19.
Fairuz-Zakry were not expected to be seeded as they are ranked World No 33 but a strong showing in their first three tournaments — the Asian Championships in April and Singapore and Indonesia Opens in May — earned them a seeding.
This means that all four Malaysian pairs are seeded for the World Championships as veterans Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah are the sixth seeds while Tan Bin Shen-Ong Soon Hock are seeded 16th.
National doubles coach Rexy Mainaky was delighted with the seedings, saying there is a possibility of two pairs making the semi-finals.
"The seedings have been good to us, especially with Fairuz-Zakry in the top eight. This means we have the chance to have two pairs in the semi-finals," said Rexy.
"At least, our top three pairs will not meet each other until the quarter-finals and that is very important if we want to go for the title.
"It is also good that Bin Shen-Soon Hock are in the seedings list as this will also give them a chance to progress."
Kien Keat-Boon Heong are seeded behind defending champions Fu Haifeng-Cai Yun of China while Indonesia’s Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan and Denmark’s Jens Eriksen-Martin Lundgaard Hansen are the third and fourth seeds respectively.
Two other top eight seeds are the Indonesian-American combination of Candra Wijaya-Tony Gunawan (fifth) and Indonesian pair Luluk Hadiyanto-Alven Yulianto (eighth).
Kien Keat-Boon Heong could also be in a situation where they might meet either Tan Fook-Wan Wah or Fairuz-Zakry in the last eight.
This will ensure at least a Malaysian pair in the semi-finals but Zakry hopes to avoid his compatriots so that Fairuz and him will be able to achieve their personal target of reaching the top four.
"I’m surprised to be seeded but it’s a relief we don’t have to meet the top pairs early. The biggest worry is playing our compatriots and we hope that we can avoid them," said Zakry.
"This will not only give us the chance to achieve our semi-final target but other Malaysian pairs can also go through.
"This is good enough for us and we must try to make the most of it."
In the men’s singles, Chong Wei is seeded second behind World No 1 Lin Dan of China whose compatriots Chen Jin and Bao Chunlai are seeded third and fourth respectively.
Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia, the 20 (http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/Sport/20070803075100/Article/index_html#)05 champion, looms dangerously as the eighth seed and Chong Wei would be hoping to avoid him in a possible quarter-final clash.
The other top eight seeds are Denmark’s Peter Gade Christensen (fifth), Chen Yu of China (sixth) and another Dane Kenneth Jonassen (seventh).
Hafiz Hashim is seeded 13th while the women’s singles saw Wong Mew Choo seeded 10th.
In the women’s doubles, Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui are the only seeded Malaysian pair at eighth.
( adapted fr NST)