For my 100th posting, I thought I'll be the first to report that James Chua has done it! The unseeded youngster has upset Ong Ewe Hock to win the M'sian Open. Here's the report copied from Star online:

PENANG: Unseeded James Chua finally made it to the big time, beating defending champion Ong Ewe Hock in straight games to win the men’s singles title at the Malaysian Open badminton championships for his first-ever crown in the World Grand Prix Circuit at the Penang International Sports Arena yesterday.

The 23-year-old Sarawakian, runner-up in the Swiss Open in March this year, took 41 minutes to beat veteran and fifth seed Ewe Hock 15-10, 15-6 to take home US$9,600.

James was not at all surprised to emerge champion.

“I have been trying to win international honours for some time and I’m proud that I have finally achieved it,” said James who stunned national number one Wong Choong Hann and Lee Tsuen Seng en route to the final.

Ewe Hock, who collected US$4,800 for his efforts, said he was not disappointed to lose the title.

“I have given my best...I’m not disappointed over this defeat,” said the 30-year-old Ewe Hock.

There was no double joy for Malaysia as Choong Tan Fook and Chang Kim Wai failed to win the men’s doubles title. The unseeded pair went down 14-17, 3-15 to China’s Liu Yong and Chen Qiqiu in 40 minutes.

In the women’s singles, China’s Hu Ting stunned top seed Camilla Martin of Denmark 11-8, 11-6 to emerge champion.

China picked up their third title when Huang Nanyan-Yang Wei beat Zhang Yawen-Zhao Tingting in an all-Chinese affair in the women’s doubles.



Final results
MEN’S SINGLES: James Chua (Mas) bt Ong Ewe Hock (Mas) 15-10, 15-6.

MEN’S DOUBLES: Liu Yong-Chen Qiqiu (Chn) bt Choong Tan Fook-Chang Kim Wai (Mas) 17-14, 15-3.

WOMEN’S SINGLES: Hu Ting (Chn) bt Camilla Martin (Den) 11-8, 11-6.

WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Huang Nanyan-Yang Wei (Chn) bt Zhang Yawen-Zhao Tingting (Chn) 11-5, 11-5.

Adelina: bummer about the M'sians losing in the men's doubles though :( China got some consolation for not having any of its players in the men's final by taking the women's singles and doubles..good on them! :)

Wanted Ewe Hock to win actually.. but anyway... Well done James!!!!

It remains a question mark whether if James is capable of winning the title if his opponents are not his compatriots.
In other words, is he capable of winning if he meets
- Chen Yu in QF, instead of Wong Choong Hann
- Xia Xuanze in semis, instead of Lee Tsuen Seng
- Bao Chunlai/Lin Dan in final, instead of Ong Ewe Hock

Can he beat 3 successive Chinese players in a row???

i think james chua won it fair and square at the MAL open. Yes, doubt is still there as to who J. Chua can beat on an individual basis as in man to man MS. This is the same as doubting Brazil's gold in world cup as brazil didn't play all the teams to become #1.

Originally posted by whizkelv
It remains a question mark whether if James is capable of winning the title if his opponents are not his compatriots.
In other words, is he capable of winning if he meets
- Chen Yu in QF, instead of Wong Choong Hann
- Xia Xuanze in semis, instead of Lee Tsuen Seng
- Bao Chunlai/Lin Dan in final, instead of Ong Ewe Hock

Can he beat 3 successive Chinese players in a row???

I personally think that although he beat all MAL players to win the title, he still deserved the victory (agreeing with Cooler) because he beat players who beat Chen Yu, Xia Xuanze Bao Chunlai/Lin Dan..and therefore he beat players that are better than those Chinese players to win the title. Admittedly, it helps that they are all Malaysians and it probably made him fee less nervous playing against his own teammates plus knowing their game helps. Still..to be fair, I think given the way the badminton tournaments are held, i.e in a knockout system, you can actually say the eventual winner didn't actually beat X player or Y player and only beat the Z player..
so wa the eventual winner really that good given he didn't beat the more in form X and Y player and only be the Z player who say, upset the other two? So I don't think u can gauge whether a player should deserve the championship based on who he beats..so we will just have to accept that if Xia Xuanze and co. are that good, they should have beaten Wong Choong Han and co., but instead, the lost to better players, who then eventually lost to even a better player..James Chua..*grin* :P

Adelina, who sees things very philosophically! :p

Hi Adelina,
I agree with you. James win it fair and square and is the better player that day. However the question mark will always be (due to his record), will he be able to actually beat any players of substance from countries apart from Malaysia. He has not demonstrated such ability; albeit emerging runner-up in the Swiss Open, but that was a 3* event only where most of the top guns of the day skips. The question still begs to be answered and maybe will be in the next Open tournament in Taipeh.

Wish him luck in Taipeh!;)

But it's very puzzling to see Lee Tsuen Seng played so poorly in semis. He really played badly.... does not look like the player who had beaten Taufik Hidayat in TC final. All his attacking shots either landed out or hitted the net.

Or is he really fear of James Chua?