Day 1...

...hmmm, not much action. Arrived earlier in the day & the organizer were still setting up the place with abt 1 hr to go..

..but we're fully underway with the Qualification Rd.

..now, waiting and pondering if our dear DinkAlot will show up..:confused::confused:..hmmmm..

videos highlights of Day 1 action will be up later...stay tuned..

wow,chris
tell us more^^

..well, basically it was a very slow day. A day for those Qualifiers who wanted to get into the main draw. Unfortunately, from what i witnessed, none of them really stood out.

There were supposed to be a couple or so Qualifying Singles matches, but it wasn't meant to be as it turned out to be all Doubles matches galore..On top of that, all, except one match, lasted for 2 games..:p

One player which got a bit of my attention is David Neumann (i have a video of him playing). He has this rather peculiar way of serving. In his XD match, he would serve a side-forehand serve. But in the MD match, he would do your usual backhand serve. But there's more to his backhand serve. What he would do is move his racket from one side to another, delaying the actual serve to abt 4-5 seconds.

They were using 4 courts for today. Not sure if they would keep it the same for R32 and R16.

Crowd wasn't a lot. But i would guess it would be quite full tomorrow as Taufik, and a lot of other players/pairs, will be competing .

After the Qualifying Rd ended, a horde of players converged on all the courts to partake in a training session. If i recall, i saw David Snider (CAN) doing some sort of floor exercise, using some kind of a rubber tubing on his hip/waist.

Anyway, hopefully tomorrow will present a much entertaining day..

owh, so here we go!!
of course we all are hungry for more tidbits and side news action in this usa open, chris!:)
keep it coming!

I am planning on going to this for the first time, when should I start lining for Saturday's finals matches to get a good seat? I heard the doors open at 5.

Thanks for the info so far.

I saw Taufik's game tonight against a local player named Tam Nguyen. I was kinda disappointed cause I didn't see much action from Taufik. He probably only used 10-20% of his skills to beat Nguyen 21-3, 21-10 in 16 minutes. He was toying around this local player with a few tricks and one or two 'weak' smashes. Nguyen got most of his points from Taufik's errors or from his usual laziness not trying hard enough to return the shuttlecock. I have to give Nguyen credit when he dare to challenge Taufik on the net several times and try to hit the shuttle cock to Taufik's backhand several times (he ended up getting punished by Taufik).

The funny thing was: Nguyen was so proud (and honored) to be able to play Taufik. He always have his smile before, during and after the game. The funny thing was: after the game he took a picture in front of the score board with his name and Taufik's name on it with the score of 21-10. Everyone applauded him when he did that. Although he lost, I'm sure he will always remember forever this rare opportunity to play the great Taufik Hidayat.

...just want to share these before my mind is really toast & i forget everything..:p

..2nd day turned to be a more entertaining day. There were a few matches which caught my attention and definitely caught the badminton-thirsty crowd.

- The match between Nick Jinadasa vs. Charles Pyne (Jamaica) turned out to be a pretty competitive match. I think it's the longest Singles match of the day, if not one of the longest. Both sides were pretty even, it just at the end, the more persistent Nick was able to pull through.

- The MD match between Halim & Phillip vs. Flores & Quang MN turned out to be a crowd pleaser. After losing the 1st game, the former regroup and slowly but surely clawed their way back. Add the boisterous crowd support and one of the local fan favorite pairs made it through to the R16.

- The crowd definitely was hooting and cheering for the elder Rudy Gunawan in his MD match. Pairing with Ignatius Rusli (who's back after a brief career stint in INA), the elder Gunawan still showed that age really does not matter as they beat their younger counterparts. And he still is going strong...

hmm, let's see what else.....Ohhh..

- The XD match between Kowi & Santoso vs. Do & Ying Chen turned out to be interesting after the former lost focus towards the end of the 2nd game.

- Another local XD pair, Gunawan & Ketpura also drew thunderous crowd support, after they trailed in their match vs. the pair from CAN. In the 2nd & 3rd game, the savvy Gunawan showed who's boss in the doubles field as he regained control and brought back the confidence needed for a pleasant come from behind win.

- The 2 CHN Taipei's Mens' Singles players are definitely the ones to watch. I wouldn't be surprised if they reach the QF or even the Semis Rd. However, in Doubles, they weren't so dominating as they lost to the Lin brothers.

- Agus Wijaya didn't encounter any obstacles. He was in control in both of his Singles as well as Doubles events.

- The English boys of Ellis & George really played well in upsetting the pairing of Kowi & Gouw. Sharp and formidable in their game.

- Lee Hock Lai was, again, the motor behind the engine of his partnership with Priscilla Lun. However, with Priscilla hobbled by an ankle injury, suffered earlier in her WS match, it was more than what Mr. Lee could handle as they lost a tough one to the Canadian pair.

- As for Taufik. Well, he came out of nowhere (his match being delayed for several minuted), he wowed the crowd, he played the crowd, he toyed with his opponent, he left an indelible mark for his opponent and he disappeared into the thin Orange County air, the same way he arrived for his match. Same sentiment as what Seasider wrote.:)

- Finally "officially" met and chatted a bit with smashie54. Wow, she really has a plan for her near future, looking to expand her baddy career in Denmark. Nice to finally meet you, Lauren & hope for the best in your future endeavor. I hope i wasn't being too chatty..:p;)

...i think that's all i can remember:p...will post more if i recall anything interesting...for now, it's back to work with the videos and pics...

Daylightkiller took some pics, maybe he wants to get us going first with the Day 2 pics??..;):cool:

chris, how many brain cells have u killed to write those?:D
anyway , thanks for the daily recap:)

..so, after the last match ended, and my back nearly about to explode, i passed by Sattawat and asked him, if he had advanced to the R16 and who would he meet next?..He looked at me and started to smile, and before he whispered another word, i strung out "Are you meeting Taufik?!?!"...After i blurted that out, Sattawat pulled a smile which turned into a wide grin and said, "Yes, i'll be meeting Taufik tomorrow"...Now, i don't know if that's a smile of giddiness of being able to play against Taufik or was it a smile of "Oh boy, here comes Mr. Taufik!".

Anyway, i congratulated him and wished him good luck in his match vs. Taufik which Sattawat graciously replied, if i recall correctly, "It's okay, it'll be a good experience for me."...:cool:

David Snider defeats Lee Hock Lai 21-15 21-12. :D
Sorry for all you guys that PAWED against the Pan Am Champ.

Thanks for the recap! Had much fun reading it. :D

Will you post Taufik's match later?

...just want to share these before my mind is really toast & i forget everything..:p

..2nd day turned to be a more entertaining day. There were a few matches which caught my attention and definitely caught the badminton-thirsty crowd.

- The match between Nick Jinadasa vs. Charles Pyne (Jamaica) turned out to be a pretty competitive match. I think it's the longest Singles match of the day, if not one of the longest. Both sides were pretty even, it just at the end, the more persistent Nick was able to pull through.

- The MD match between Halim & Phillip vs. Flores & Quang MN turned out to be a crowd pleaser. After losing the 1st game, the former regroup and slowly but surely clawed their way back. Add the boisterous crowd support and one of the local fan favorite pairs made it through to the R16.

- The crowd definitely was hooting and cheering for the elder Rudy Gunawan in his MD match. Pairing with Ignatius Rusli (who's back after a brief career stint in INA), the elder Gunawan still showed that age really does not matter as they beat their younger counterparts. And he still is going strong...

hmm, let's see what else.....Ohhh..

- The XD match between Kowi & Santoso vs. Do & Ying Chen turned out to be interesting after the former lost focus towards the end of the 2nd game.

- Another local XD pair, Gunawan & Ketpura also drew thunderous crowd support, after they trailed in their match vs. the pair from CAN. In the 2nd & 3rd game, the savvy Gunawan showed who's boss in the doubles field as he regained control and brought back the confidence needed for a pleasant come from behind win.

- The 2 CHN Taipei's Mens' Singles players are definitely the ones to watch. I wouldn't be surprised if they reach the QF or even the Semis Rd. However, in Doubles, they weren't so dominating as they lost to the Lin brothers.

- Agus Wijaya didn't encounter any obstacles. He was in control in both of his Singles as well as Doubles events.

- The English boys of Ellis & George really played well in upsetting the pairing of Kowi & Gouw. Sharp and formidable in their game.

- Lee Hock Lai was, again, the motor behind the engine of his partnership with Priscilla Lun. However, with Priscilla hobbled by an ankle injury, suffered earlier in her WS match, it was more than what Mr. Lee could handle as they lost a tough one to the Canadian pair.

- As for Taufik. Well, he came out of nowhere (his match being delayed for several minuted), he wowed the crowd, he played the crowd, he toyed with his opponent, he left an indelible mark for his opponent and he disappeared into the thin Orange County air, the same way he arrived for his match. Same sentiment as what Seasider wrote.:)

- Finally "officially" met and chatted a bit with smashie54. Wow, she really has a plan for her near future, looking to expand her baddy career in Denmark. Nice to finally meet you, Lauren & hope for the best in your future endeavor. I hope i wasn't being too chatty..:p;)

...i think that's all i can remember:p...will post more if i recall anything interesting...for now, it's back to work with the videos and pics...

Daylightkiller took some pics, maybe he wants to get us going first with the Day 2 pics??..;):cool:

..so, after the last match ended, and my back nearly about to explode, i passed by Sattawat and asked him, if he had advanced to the R16 and who would he meet next?..He looked at me and started to smile, and before he whispered another word, i strung out "Are you meeting Taufik?!?!"...After i blurted that out, Sattawat pulled a smile which turned into a wide grin and said, "Yes, i'll be meeting Taufik tomorrow"...Now, i don't know if that's a smile of giddiness of being able to play against Taufik or was it a smile of "Oh boy, here comes Mr. Taufik!".

Anyway, i congratulated him and wished him good luck in his match vs. Taufik which Sattawat graciously replied, if i recall correctly, "It's okay, it'll be a free wash, rinse and wax job for me."...:cool:

note correction.....

David Snider defeats Lee Hock Lai 21-15 21-12. :D
Sorry for all you guys that PAWED against the Pan Am Champ.shhhhhhhhhh, PAW contest not over yet:D

oopz! my bad haha :o

M B Larsen defeats Chi Yuan Lu 18-21 21-18 21-12. (yay)
Stephen W defeats Agus Wijaya 21-17 21-16. (yay)

oopz! my bad haha :o

M B Larsen defeats Chi Yuan Lu 18-21 21-18 21-12. (yay)
Stephen W defeats Agus Wijaya 21-17 21-16. (yay)
i also thot stephen W would beat Agus in a close match but the paw point for Agus was too tempting.:o

..i just finished my dinner and the badmintoncentral.com media team is abt to pack up & leave OCBC...

Well, Sattawat tried his best but just came up short...I'll try to ask him later what he felt after playing against Taufik...;)

..will resume posting in a few hrs..:p

..okay, just a few comments before i bore you guys to death..

A few surprises tonight. Well, not really.

- First, Lee Hock Lai succumbed to Mr. Snider of Canada. I did not see the entire match, but from the scoreline, perhaps he's somewhat affected by last week's BBC tourney up in NorCal?

- Second, the match of the night definitely belonged to the MD match between Halim H. & Phillip Chew vs. the combo pairing of Koch and Zauner. The crowd cheering definitely kept me awake as i was losing it a bit trying to stay awake. They cheered the local pair almost non-stop. In the end, after a hard fought battle, i guess it wasn't meant to be for one of local favorite pairs.

- Third, it was indeed a battle of 2 pair of sisters when the Yeh twins faced off against the Thomas sisters. Yes, both pairs were also petite. The crowd support for the Yeh twins definitely aided them as they pulled off the longest match of the day by outlasting and perhaps out-staminizing their counterparts, the Thomas sisters, from Wales.

- Fourth, last yr's runner-up survived a scare after losing the 1st game to the CHN's Taipei's Chi Yuan LU. The 2 lanky players played their hearts out, but Martin's die-hard attitude pushed him through to the QF round.

- Yes, Taufik came, he enjoyed the crowd cheering for and against him and he left. Just like he did on Tuesday night. However, Sattawat gave Taufik a run, early on, as he challenged Taufik at the net (Sattawat even gave Taufik a taste of his net-play medicine which resulted in the crowd's approval). But at the end he just couldn't keep up with Mr. Hidayat. I didn't see Sattawat pose in front of the scoreboard, like Tam Nguyen did the previous night, but i definitely heard one of the largest applauses from the crowd for his effort.

hmm, what else??...

- Oh, the THL clothing line finally rolled out on Wednesday night. Fresh off the production line as they were hanged & put on display in a roller hanger type equipment. I asked one of the people there if they just brought it out and he said "Yes".
Too bad, i was so tired, that i totally forgot to take pics of his THL line. Maybe next time.

Alright, that's all for me to share..
...Will you post Taufik's match later?
..post what? his match videos? if so, yes, but only for a few minutes..Really, a few minutes is all you need to watch his performance in this tourney...Now with Lee Hock Lai going the same road as last yr, i wonder who will really challenge the Wild Child of Badminton??..hmmm..:confused:

..post what? his match videos? if so, yes, but only for a few minutes..Really, a few minutes is all you need to watch his performance in this tourney...Now with Lee Hock Lai going the same road as last yr, i wonder who will really challenge the Wild Child of Badminton??..hmmm..:confused:

Someone please record the match between David Snider and Taufik, I would like to see how Taufik toy with him. :rolleyes:

I watched your 6 day2 videos last night. Didn't see TH and any of the double matches. Will you be posting more day2 videos?

Thanks a lot for your effort!!

..post what? his match videos? if so, yes, but only for a few minutes..Really, a few minutes is all you need to watch his performance in this tourney...Now with Lee Hock Lai going the same road as last yr, i wonder who will really challenge the Wild Child of Badminton??..hmmm..:confused:

..really fast computer. Do you have 1 i can use right now so i can send all of the videos & have them all be ready by this evening??..:confused::crying:

Yes, there are more Day 2....and even Day 3 videos in the storage vault.

..i just need a computer upgrade....................................:(
Someone please record the match between David Snider and Taufik, I would like to see how Taufik toy with him. :rolleyes:
...this is gonna be the eeeeeeaaaaaasiest ever title for Taufik. If he doesn't win, then i think he should completely quit playing badminton.
I think he should come to the U.S. Open every yr so he'll win more titles..:cool:

Someone please record the match between David Snider and Taufik, I would like to see how Taufik toy with him. :rolleyes:canadian don't die easy, TH has to sweat this time:p

...this is gonna be the eeeeeeaaaaaasiest ever title for Taufik. If he doesn't win, then i think he should completely quit playing badminton.
I think he should come to the U.S. Open every yr so he'll win more titles..:cool:
IMO, he should restrict himself to exhibition matches when playing in areas like North America, South America, Africa and Australia (and the CIS area).

Without doubt, it's wonderful for US fans to be able to (again) see him play competitively at a local venue. But it's embarrassing to watch someone who has trumped the world's top singles players (and is still active on the elite circuit) now compete against Asian exports and other wannabes .

Perhaps it's commercial pressure (from Yonex) that pushes Taufik to play in these tournaments. Perhaps it is the (justified) availability of easy money. Perhaps it is a necessary confidence booster to be able to win some event occasionally.

All said and done, isn't this very much like Stephen Hawking competing in a school physics quiz? :o

But it's embarrassing to watch someone who has trumped the world's top singles players (and is still active on the elite circuit) now compete against Asian exports and other wannabes .


Don't see what's wrong with him taking part in the game. But it will be embarrassing if he couldn't win.;)

Don't see what's wrong with him taking part in the game. But it will be embarrassing if he couldn't win.;)

Agreed. And you wouldn't want to know what Mr.Cooler is going to say if that happen. :D

Agreed. And you wouldn't want to know what Mr.Cooler is going to say if that happen. :D
lol. Even if TH lose a set but still win the title, it is still embarassing but it would fade away pretty quick. No doubt yonex pushed TH to the US open but it's all good. If he truly says he want to spread badminton popularity around the globe, this is what he or any pros should do. Yes, exhibition would be better for TH because it would be less riskier for him but to reach the grassroot level, what TH is doing now in US open is all good for the badminton sport,and for his THL as wel:D.

I'd be honoured to meet Stephen Hawking let alone do a quiz with him :D

All said and done, isn't this very much like Stephen Hawking competing in a school physics quiz?

If you were a kid who took the physics quiz with Stephen Hawking, wouldn't you be much more inclined to pursue a physics career?

As one of the Asian exports myself, I think he's doing a great thing for badminton in the US, as long as he doesn't injure himself...

I agree with you this time. :D:eek:

In fact I hope other independents, like CH, would also consider competing in north america...

Of course it would be even better if players like LD would come, but we all know that's impossible...

lol. Even if TH lose a set but still win the title, it is still embarassing but it would fade away pretty quick. No doubt yonex pushed TH to the US open but it's all good. If he truly says he want to spread badminton popularity around the globe, this is what he or any pros should do. Yes, exhibition would be better for TH because it would be less riskier for him but to reach the grassroot level, what TH is doing now in US open is all good for the badminton sport,and for his THL as wel:D.

More players will come if US can get GP Gold next year...dont think we will get Super Series now....thats sad!!..I do hope Canada can get GP so US and Canada GP are good to get more players to come.....like AUS and NZ GP

Alvin/Jiangxue win the 1st game easily against Chandra Kowi/Mona Santoso 21-12.

lol. Even if TH lose a set but still win the title, it is still embarassing but it would fade away pretty quick. No doubt yonex pushed TH to the US open but it's all good. If he truly says he want to spread badminton popularity around the globe, this is what he or any pros should do. Yes, exhibition would be better for TH because it would be less riskier for him but to reach the grassroot level, what TH is doing now in US open is all good for the badminton sport,and for his THL as wel:D.

Maybe taking his daughter to Disneyland is a good reason for him to come back :)

Or maybe someone can entice him to be another Asian/Indonesian export and become a player/coach here (after his competitive plays of course) :)

Dream on, dream on, ...

Toby/Grace defeat last years XD champs 13-21 21-18 21-17
Good Job! Should be a really good match tomorrow against Alvin/Jiangxue.

Wow! Thought the WS match between M Li and Lili would be really close but 1st game Michelle took it pretty straightforward, 21-15.

What time does the Semi-Finals start tomorrow?

Wow! Thought the WS match between M Li and Lili would be really close but 1st game Michelle took it pretty straightforward, 21-15.

Who won the game? Tournament software is not showing the result of this game somehow.

Who won the game? Tournament software is not showing the result of this game somehow.

M Li won in rubber set. If I am not mistaken, 3rd set score was 21-15?

Who won the game? Tournament software is not showing the result of this game somehow.

Michelle Li beat Liliane Chow, 21-15 ; 16-21 ; 21-16 (from ts.com update).

I'd be honoured to meet Stephen Hawking let alone do a quiz with him :D


It's hard to see Prof Hawking these days. I don't see him much lately although we live in the same city(I rather call it a town although the government has named it a city). He has been really ill and spend alot of his time in the hospital. Can only hope that he will be fine.

Back to the topic. I am not impressed by TH's scores against his opponents :mad:

It's hard to see Prof Hawking these days. I don't see him much lately although we live in the same city(I rather call it a town although the government has named it a city). He has been really ill and spend alot of his time in the hospital. Can only hope that he will be fine.

Back to the topic. I am not impressed by TH's scores against his opponents :mad:

I think he is really taking it easy....from the videos....i can see he is not even breaking a sweat... too easy for him... period.

I think he is really taking it easy....from the videos....i can see he is not even breaking a sweat... too easy for him... period.

Yes, people come to watch him, and nobody want to see the match finish in 10 minutes. I think Taufik knows that also. :)

Seems no one is surprised by this? :confused:

M Li won in rubber set. If I am not mistaken, 3rd set score was 21-15?

Seems no one is surprised by this? :confused:
I guess no...hehe..Michele is a talented girl..she wanted to practice at Djarum again....she went to china for a week or two only

Seems no one is surprised by this? :confused:

I am surprised that she didn't win in 2 straight games. :D

..it was truly a wild day...be back later for the recap..:p

I am surprised that Jiang Xue Lian still plays well.....I remember seeing her and Chen Lin before and created some controversy in the past...I think they will win WD...

I saw one of her video on youtube like 2 or 3 years ago (Final of Canadian under 16 championship or something like that) and thought she was very good... Will we see her in the near future in any of the big tournaments?

Btw, seems Canadians are going strong in this US Open. :)

I guess no...hehe..Michele is a talented girl..she wanted to practice at Djarum again....she went to china for a week or two only

Who is the best WS in Canada right now?

I am surprised that she didn't win in 2 straight games. :D

Waiting... :D

Btw, could you tell me in which part of Day2 highlights will Mr. Hidayat make his debut? I went through the 12 parts available... :( Thanks a lot!

..it was truly a wild day...be back later for the recap..:p

Who is the best WS in Canada right now?
Still Anna Rice but Michele improves a lot..I think she will beat Mona santoso today...Mona is a double player not a really single player...suprised that she could progress to SF..I think Michele will get to final...

..it was truly a wild day...be back later for the recap..:p

Still Anna Rice but Michele improves a lot..I think she will beat Mona santoso today...Mona is a double player not a really single player...suprised that she could progress to SF..I think Michele will get to final...
Appreciate if u guys can come out with the preview of semi-finals.

Btw, how old are Michelle and Mona? I think Michelle might have the slight edge though.

I may be wrong, as far as I remember Michelle is like 18 or 19, while Mona is around 25.

Appreciate if u guys can come out with the preview of semi-finals.

Btw, how old are Michelle and Mona? I think Michelle might have the slight edge though.

..alrighty gang, sorry for waiting. Couldn't get my eyes to stay awake, even if i had to put on a masking tape to keep my eyelids open...:(

Anyway, here are my recaps on what i witnessed, as it was really my first time to finally sit down and enjoy the matches..I must say, Day 4 brought out the best matches of the tourney and wildest finish, so far..I'll tell you guys soon..:p

XD matches:
- Alvin LAU & Xuelian JIANG vs. Chandra KOWI & Mona SANTOSO. It was a match pitting the U.S.', arguably, 2nd best XD pair in Kowi & Santoso, against the newly combined Canadian pairing of Lau & Jiang. From the very get go, Lau and Jiang displayed a fast and an attacking oriented approach. They kept up the pace throughout the 1st game as the U.S. pair just wasn't able to establish their game until the 2nd game. In the end, the U.S. pair made it interesting, but it wasn't enough.

- Howard BACH & Eva LEE vs. Tony GUNAWAN & Nantana Cee KETPURA. Probably the most entertaining XD match of the day, if not the whole week. This time, pitting the U.S.’ #1 XD pair vs. arguably the best Men’s Doubles player in this current generation. The match was truly a delight. It featured the many exquisite deceptive x-court shots and wonderful placements. When I was watching it, I thought it was 2 vs. 1, as it seemed Tony was the only one defending his side of the court. He and Cee held their own, as they forced a rubber game, but it wasn’t meant for them as Bach and Lee proved to be much formidable opponents.

- Toby NG & Grace GAO vs. Halim Haryanto HO & Yun (Grace) PENG. The string of defending champions downfall began with this match. It was back & forth throughout the match but alas, the defending champs just couldn’t defend the barrage of attacks from the Canadian pair.

- William MILROY & Fiona MCKEE vs. Jacob CHEMNITZ & Lauren TODT. The Canadian pair proved to be much more solid and quick to the point of attack throughout the entire game. Coupled with quite a few errors from the new combo pairing of Todt & Chemnitz and the Canadians ended the match in 2 games.

So, it would be 3 Canadian pairs who will compete in the Semifinals Rd to earn their way for a chance to play in the Finals. My hunch say Bach & Lee and Lau & Jiang to advance.

I may be wrong, as far as I remember Michelle is like 18 or 19, while Mona is around 25.
U may be right....Michele does have the edge as Mona is not a real single player..reaching SF is good for Mona already....

WS matches:
- Nicole GRETHER vs. Rena WANG. The veteran vs. the junior. It was simply a no-match affair between the 2 players as the much more seasoned & physically stronger Nicole was too much for the rather green & petite Rena.

- Anna RICE vs. Eva LEE. It was a pretty well played match between the 2 players. Eva was in control most of the 1st game until Anna finally and slowly figured and fought her way back. In the 3rd game, the determined Anna just seemed to be more focused as she simply coasted to victory.

- Mona SANTOSO vs. Kuei Ya CHEN. It was no match for the much more experienced Mona as she cruised to a relatively easy straight games win.

- Michelle LI vs. Liliane CHOW. The best WS match of the night. And yes, Michelle did prove that her training really paid off. Her skill and game seemed to be much more improved than the last time I saw her. She seemed to be more smooth in her form and technique. From the very get-go, I could tell she would give Liliane, last yr’s defending WS champion, one heck of a battle. It turned out to be true as at the end, Liliane just didn’t have enough and the younger Michelle earned herself a win but not after a grueling effort against Lili. And now, it's has 2 fallend defending champions.

My hunch says, Rice and Li to reach the Finals.

MS matches:
- Carl BAXTER vs. Martin BILLE LARSEN. One of the most interesting matches of the day. It was back and forth, until the 3rd game when Carl finally put the brakes or stepped on the pedal to the metal and started to control the match. With his experience on his side and Martin’s errors, it was Carl’s match to take.

- Hsuan Yi HSUEH vs. Howard SHU. Well, from the start of the warmup to the first few points of the match, one could already tell the gap of their level of play is pretty deep. Hsuan Yi really was a class better.

- Taufik HIDAYAT vs. David SNIDER. I was going to write, “Taufik came, he saw, he entertained, and he left” again. But this time, Snider did indeed provide a much more resilient effort & worthwhile entertainment than Sattawat, at least throughout the whole match. From the scoreboard, one wouldn’t realize that it was really a very played match from both players. In one particular instance, i believe it was in the 1st game, after Taufik played a “mean” trick shot and left David wrong-footed. After that exchange, David seemed to be more energized and seemed to take the challenge as he strung a few pts together and Taufik committed more errors. I even wondered, has Taufik ran out of gas? But apparently he didn’t as he finished the 1st game with a couple of wonderful attacks. The 2nd game was more or less the same. The only difference was the last pt of the game which was somewhat controversial. What happened was, David made a loose return and Taufik pounced on the shuttle and his net smash seemed to sail just long. It happened so fast that the line judge probably didn’t see it. Even Taufik couldn’t believe the call as he bit and hung his arms around the net to get an approval. David also thought the shuttle landed long. From my point of view, it looked long. But the Umpire didn’t over-rule and a gracious David greeted a happy Taufik who was still clinging on to the net with both his arms, as he almost brought the entire netting equipment down. David did whisper something in Taufik’s ear as they congratulated each other. I wonder what did he say to Taufik??..

- Andrew DABEKA vs. Stefan WOJCIKIEWICZ. I had expected Andrew to return and at least reach the Final this yr. But lo and behold, I totally saw a completely & utterly an out of character Andrew. Now, I don’t know if he was physically fatigue, but he was all over the place and he fell on the court not once, but several times, trying to reach and chase the shuttle. He was like a totally different player out there, awkward footwork, late reactions and all. Or maybe the thought of possibly meeting Taufik reared in his mind and he became somewhat anxious. In the 2nd game, he made it interesting, but a few errors cost him the game. After the match, he made a Lin Dan move by approaching the crowd and offered everyone his racket. After he screamed “Who wants my racket?”, and I think I was the first one to raise my arm. But I guess sitting way too far up, he decided to throw it lower; if he did, he might’ve missed me and throw it into the window and break it. One guy was lucky enough, as Andrew threw a perfect lob straight to him; I guess Andrew was eyeing him the whole time. Too bad I didn’t capture the action.

I'd say Taufik and Hsueh to reach the Finals.

WD matches:
- Nicole GRETHER & Charmaine REID vs. Chin GO & Paula lynn O'Bañana. The score didn’t justify the action and excitement of the match but Nicole and Charmaine used their experience & rallied back in the 2nd game to secure a Semifinals berth. It was one of the most entertaining WD matches of the night as the crowd really got into it and supported Go & O’Bañana.

- Ruilin HUANG & Xuelian JIANG vs. Rulan YEH & Rulien YEH. Someone, in another thread, mentioned one or both of the players in the Canadian pair is from China. Well, they proved their level of play as they stormed their way into the Semifinals Rd with a convincing win. The Yeh twins simply had no answer. Although a few of their shrieks surely drew a bit of attention.

- Priscilla LUN & Mesinee MANGKALAKIRI vs. Panita PHONGASAVITHAS & Vimla PHONGASAVITHAS. This was also a very well played match. The Phongasavithas sisters took charge in the 1st game and squeaked out a close win. But it wasn’t until the 2nd game, where Mesinee and Priscilla started to find their groove. It continued in the rubber game where the more in-sync and confident Mesinee and Priscilla stayed true to their game and earned their way to the Semifinals Rd.

- Ying CHEN & Yun (Grace) PENG vs. Nantana Cee KETPURA & Eva LEE. The much more experienced pairing of Chen and Peng proved to be the difference. Eva had to do much of the work in her pairing. I really wonder what happened to her partnership with Mesinee? Or the coaches are thinking of partnering her and Mesinee with different & younger partners?

My forecast, the 4 ex-CHN players to advance to the Finals.

MD matches:
- Jurgen KOCH & Peter ZAUNER vs. Haeng Ham LEE & Derrick NG. A display of brute force and power. The Canadian was on the attack most of the match, but a more solid and stable Koch & Zauner were able to contain the attacks as they absorbed the heavy artilleries and advanced to the Semifinals Rd.

- William MILROY & Toby NG vs. Howard SHU & Agus WIJAYA. The much more consistent and coordinated pairing of Milroy & Ng proved to be too much for the scratch pairing of Shu & Wijaya, both of whom are basically Singles specialists.

-Howard BACH & Tony GUNAWAN vs. Joe MORGAN & James PHILLIPS. Least to say, it was the most uninteresting MD match of the day. The Americans totally outclassed their younger opponents. Howard & Gunawan is set to win the U.S. Open title, one more time, after a few yrs hiatus of not playing & winning the U.S. Open.

- Martin BILLE LARSEN & Jacob CHEMNITZ vs. Andrew ELLIS & Dean GEORGE. When I mentioned the QF day was a wild day, this match was the reason why. It was a perfect ending to the day. If watching a KKK & TBH on tv was nerve-wrecking, this match must be up there with one of those nerve-wrecking moments. If Hau-ge was there, he probably would go down and stay near the entrance door, couldn't stand the high tense moments>>TOO TENSE (TEGANG BANGET)!!!.;) I certainly could feel the butterflies and my nerves a bit shaking. Both pairs were pretty even. And Bille Larsen's humongous presence surely proved to be intimidating to the English pair. But the adventure and excitement didn’t start until the second half of the 3rd game. And that’s when the crowd began to get into the match, as the cheer and support started to magnify. With the score resembling a for-sure victory for the Danes, with 1 more pt to clinch, by some miracle, the English pair fought back. Little by little, error by error, smash by smash, the English pair actually climbed their way back from a 7 or 8 pts deficit to actually even the score at 20 a piece. With every single pt gained, the crowd's approval resonates even louder. From then on, it was a series of exchanges of errors and smashes until the score was at 27 a piece. At the end, with the Danes nearly on a complete meltdown, they were able to capitalize on the English players’ errors and none the most dramatic than the last pt, when one of the English players rushed and netted a serve return. After that, Chemnitz quickly fell to the ground, Bille Larsen raised his hands and the crowd gave a thunderous ovation to both pairs who provided a great entertaining match. Disappointing finish for the English pair but they sure provided a sparkling display of effort and grit.

My hunch says Bach & Gunawan to advance and probably Koch & Zauner. Although Bille Larsen & Chemnitz could ride their emotional momentum for another day.

Okay, that's all for now...be back in a bit with the pics..*sigh*:p

Great read, chris.
Thanks for the tremendous effort you have put in on this :)

Nice recap!! I enjoyed like I was there myself, please keep them coming.

aboslutely, awesome. Chris not only do video, photo, and also reporting. this is a huge amount of effort. the BC community is really appreciated.

Any news on why Rudi Gunawan had to retire in the third set of his MD match? I'm assuming he is the former Indonesian shuttler Rudi Gunawan, corret?

it seem michelle li ran out of gas after taking the 1st set

Looking the statistic, a lot of winner from Mona Santoso. I guess Michelle got trouble against hard smash from Mona.

Just the info, Mona Santoso was born December 1982 (27 y.o. in next December), she was INA's WS Junior #1 in 2000. She left Pelatnas in 2001 or 2002 and played double more in some event.

MS -- Taufik Hidayat (INA) vs Hsueh Hsuan Yi (TPE)

WS -- Anna Rice (CAN) vs Mona Santoso (USA)

MD -- Tony Gunawan/Howard Bach (USA) vs Jurgen Koch/Peter Zauner (AUT)

WD -- Chen Ying/Grace Peng Yun (USA) vs Huang Ruilin/Jiang Xuelian (CAN)

XD -- Howard Bach/Eva Lee (USA) vs Alvin Lau/Jiang Xuelian (CAN)

Any news on why Rudi Gunawan had to retire in the third set of his MD match? I'm assuming he is the former Indonesian shuttler Rudi Gunawan, corret?
..forgot to mention this the other day. Yes, he is one of the legendary former INA shuttlers from the 80s & 90s. I didn't see what happened, but from what i heard, he did retire in the 3rd game due to a shoulder injury.

Btw, in today's MS Semifinal match between Hsueh (Taiwan) vs. Wojcikiewicz, the latter had to retire because of a knee injury. I didn't see what transpired, but he certainly had to ice his knee once he left the court. At the very least, he was able to walk off on his own. Too bad, as he had given some stiff challenge to the Taiwan player.

Be back later for the recap on the Semifinals day..

Thanks Chris for ur great efforts ....

MS -- Taufik Hidayat (INA) vs Hsueh Hsuan Yi (TPE)

WS -- Anna Rice (CAN) vs Mona Santoso (USA)

MD -- Tony Gunawan/Howard Bach (USA) vs Jurgen Koch/Peter Zauner (AUT)

WD -- Chen Ying/Grace Peng Yun (USA) vs Huang Ruilin/Jiang Xuelian (CAN)

XD -- Howard Bach/Eva Lee (USA) vs Alvin Lau/Jiang Xuelian (CAN)

TG/HB and TH are sure champions la.............:D

..forgot to mention this the other day. Yes, he is one of the legendary former INA shuttlers from the 80s & 90s. I didn't see what happened, but from what i heard, he did retire in the 3rd game due to a shoulder injury.

Btw, in today's MS Semifinal match between Hsueh (Taiwan) vs. Wojcikiewicz, the latter had to retire because of a knee injury. I didn't see what transpired, but he certainly had to ice his knee once he left the court. At the very least, he was able to walk off on his own. Too bad, as he had given some stiff challenge to the Taiwan player.

Be back later for the recap on the Semifinals day..
Stefan asked Dabeka to take him to hospital..he felt hurt around his knee and ankle...

TG/HB and TH are sure champions la.............:D
and Huand and Jiang...they are more powerful and faster than Grace Peng Yun and Chen ying..basically it is reunion of ex-china players and thirty something club...:D

XD matches:
My hunch say Bach & Lee and Lau & Jiang to advance.

WS matches:
My hunch says, Rice and Li to reach the Finals.

MS matches:
I'd say Taufik and Hsueh to reach the Finals.

WD matches:
My forecast, the 4 ex-CHN players to advance to the Finals.

MD matches:
My hunch says Bach & Gunawan to advance and probably Koch & Zauner. Although Bille Larsen & Chemnitz could ride their emotional momentum for another day.
Great prediction even Mona's win over Michelle was "unexpected".

Still Anna Rice but Michele improves a lot..I think she will beat Mona santoso today...Mona is a double player not a really single player...suprised that she could progress to SF..I think Michele will get to final...

Ruilin Huang beat Anna Rice in the Alberta Open this year, but suffered a sprained ankle in the Canadian Open so I wouldn't be surprised if she withdrew from that event in the US open to concentrate on the WD. Fit, I'd put my money on Ruilin as top WS "in Canada" right now.

If you have cash to burn, bet against Ruilin and Xuelian in the WD too...

aboslutely, awesome. Chris not only do video, photo, and also reporting. this is a huge amount of effort. the BC community is really appreciated.
..a third pair of hands would be gladly welcomed..:)
One pair of hands to write down the reports..
One pair of hands to record the matches..
One pair of hands to capture all the actions on a DSLR...akhem!!;)

..okay, i was able to enjoy one more night watching the matches, while my partner in crime was busy lifting some extra weights..;)

XD matches:

For these 2 matches, I’ll just be brief because in fact, they were really brief matches.

- Howard BACH & Eva LEE vs. William MILROY & Fiona MCKEE. Scoreboard indicates otherwise to what really happened and how fast the match ended. In this particular match, it was so fast, it wasn’t even funny. For real, at one pt I was getting ready and all set to record the match, starting from the 11 pt interval, and was expecting at least a 6 minutes show. Nope, it never happened. I pressed the record button and the next time I looked up, the match was over. So, if anyone asks why the video is so short, then that’s the reason why.:(

- Alvin LAU & Xuelian JIANG vs. Toby NG & Grace GAO. Same deal as the 1st XD match. But at least I was able to record it a bit longer. Jiang XL was the difference in that match. Very aggressive player, despite her petite figure.

For the Finals, I would expect the Canadian pair to squeak out a win. IMO, the difference will be the plays of the ladies. Jiang is a motor and Eva needs to slow her down to have a chance.

WS matches:

Now, for those of you who love long rallies, hard fought battle, these 2 matches sure live up to their expectations.

Anna RICE vs. Nicole GRETHER. Both ladies came out firing in this match. Nicole went first as she kept Anna on her heels and put her stamp on the match in the 1st game. In the 2nd game, Nicole still kept the momentum, but Anna started to slowly and patiently find her rhythm and game back. With many beautiful rallies, Anna was able to wrest the 2nd game and level the score at one a piece. In the 3rd game, it was basically neck and neck until the middle of the interval. And that’s when the more consistent Anna finally pulled away and clinched her first ever U.S. Open Final appearance.

Mona SANTOSO vs. Michelle LI. This has gotta be the most exciting match of the evening. Down 1 game to the very energetic Li and still languishing in the first part of the 2nd game, something must’ve hit Mona and she started to play with more urgency. I would guess, the turning pt was when Mona got a very easy, loose return, which she smacked the shuttle just long. She couldn’t believe the call as she pleaded with the umpire. From that moment on, Mona’s fire started to ignite and she finally played with more vigor. Something clicked & she rallied back and took the 2nd game much to the big support from the crowd. In the 3rd game, which I missed cos I was away chewing and swallowing my dinner at the same time, Mona simply ran away and continued her assault with heavy smashes. It was all attacks from the Indonesian as Michelle could only respond with her many errors.
Yes, Mona’s come from behind win was unexpected and she will be competing in her first ever U.S. Open Final, surprisingly as a Singles player.

For the Finals, it’s hard to tell. Mona’s style of play and movements on court are not really smooth. Let’s see if she can keep up her attacks against a very patient and rally oriented Anna.

MS matches:

- Hsuan Yi HSUEH vs. Stefan WOJCIKIEWICZ. Stefan came out ready to play and challenged Hsuan Yi’s repeated smashes in the 1st game. With his patient type of game, Stefan held the fort and took the 1st game, pretty much unchallenged. In the 2nd game, things were still looking rosy for Stefan and everyone thought he would steal the match. But the turning pt happened at the interval pt. From then on, Hsuan Yi started to play with more patient and was able to create some easy pts from some clever set-ups. Add in also a few lucky touches here and there and Hsuan Yi was able to even the score. In the 3rd game, it was also even steven for both players. Up until Stefan apparently tried to retrieve the shuttle but for some reason must’ve turned his knee as he tried to move backward (that’s what I heard from another witness). I didn’t witness what happened, but the next thing I realized was they had just called off the match. Stefan was still standing as he was packing his belongings from the court, but was obviously in some pain.

- Taufik HIDAYAT vs. Carl BAXTER. Well, Taufik once again showed who’s boss. This time displaying more of his backhand x-court smash return shots which left Carl speechless and the crowd buzzing with the “Ooohs and Aahhs”. With his uncanny feel of the shuttle, at one pt showing off his backhand smash, Taufik was able to take the match relatively easily.

What’s in store for the Final? This U.S. Open title is for Taufik to lose.

MD matches:

- Jurgen KOCH & Peter ZAUNER vs. Martin BILLE LARSEN & Jacob CHEMNITZ. Unlike the previous night, Martin’s & Jacob’s game fizzled as the veteran Jurgen and Peter took matters into their hands and decided not to allow the same thing which happened to the English pair happens to them. Quick, fast and strong to the point, Jurgen and Peter wrapped up the match in a fast fashion.

- Howard BACH & Tony GUNAWAN vs. William MILROY & Toby NG. Tony is still da man. Enough said.

For the Finals, I would expect the U.S. pair to clinch and add another MD title to their collection.

WD matches:

- Ying CHEN & Yun (Grace) PENG vs. Priscilla LUN & Mesinee MANGKALAKIRI. The battle between 2 teachers and 1 of their pupils. In some instances, it was almost like another practice session out there for the veteran ex-China’s national players.

- Ruilin HUANG & Xuelian JIANG vs. Nicole GRETHER & Charmaine REID. The last match of the night. What can i say. It was long. It was sometimes boring. It was a few times unwatchable. It was a pure display of brute force vs. finesse play. But the crowd, those who patiently waited til the end, definitely enjoyed the 2nd half of the 3rd game. In the 1st game, it was brute force vs. finesse style. Nicole & Charmaine showed their power as they rumbled through the 1st game. The Canadian pair seemed to have no answer for Nicole & Charmaine non-stop attacks. In the 2nd game, things were still going good for Nicole & Charmaine. But the Canadian pair never gave up as they forced the 3rd game. In the final game, Charmaine & Nicole were still displaying their imposing power. But things started going southward, for Charmaine & Nicole, after the interval. At a few point in that last half of the game, the constant pleading of shuttles to be changed by Charmaine and Nicole almost turned comical. Nonetheless, the Canadian pair rallied, put pressure on Charmaine to make plays and dished out 11 straight pts to clinch their first ever U.S. Open Final.

My hunch says, the Canadian pair to win. Once again, Jiang is the motor.

this kind of complete coverage is awesome, thank you ctjcad

MS -- Taufik Hidayat (INA)
WS -- Anna Rice (CAN)
MD -- Howard Bach/Tony Gunawan (USA)
WD -- Huang Ruilin/Jiang Xuelian (CAN)
XD -- Howard Bach/Eva Lee (USA)

Many thanks for ctjcad report, match analysis and pix during this tourney...

..alrighty, last recap of the tourney, for those who missed the livestream.

This yr’s U.S. Open GP produced a double winner in Howard Bach (XD and MD) and 2 medalists in Jiang Xuelian (silver in XD and gold in WD).

XD Final:
Howard BACH & Eva LEE vs. Alvin LAU & Xuelian JIANG. If a bit of tenseness and nervousness were in the air, it probably reflected upon the Canadian pair of Lau and Jiang.
Not only did one of them stumbled a bit upon their introduction & entering to the court, as the first match of the evening, but they also started rather slow. For myself, I was proven otherwise as the much more veteran pairing of Bach and Lee were just too “big-stage” proven than the pairing of Lau & Jiang. Both games went pretty fast as the Canadian pair couldn’t adjust and settle down their game as they piled on the errors. As the scoreboard indicates, Bach and Lee found it relatively easy as they cruised to a 21-13, 21-12 win and captured their first ever U.S. Open title as a XD pair.

http://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/5240/2181076040103539251S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2181076040103539251oXiOiX)

http://inlinethumb37.webshots.com/44644/2249695960103539251S425x425Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2249695960103539251cAWdWj)

WS Final:

Anna RICE vs. Mona SANTOSO. In her first U.S. Open Final appearance, Anna came ready to play and didn’t disappoint her big supportive crowd. It started pretty even as both Anna and Mona traded shot for shot and tried to uncover each other’s weaknesses. But as the 1st game neared its end, Anna was proven to be more fit to play. Mona, on the other hand, seemed to be struggling a bit. Word has it she probably was still in relative pain after her tiresome win the previous day, in the Semifinals Round. In the 2nd game, it was Anna all the way as Mona simply couldn't stay away from making error after error; most of them were long lifts. In the end, the jubilant Anna, who mentioned in the post-match interview that she will participate in the upcoming World Championships and then will tie the knot, finally captured her first ever U.S. Open WS title with the scoreline of 21-17, 21-9.

http://inlinethumb19.webshots.com/44050/2546232470103539251S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2546232470103539251ESzzqx)

http://inlinethumb05.webshots.com/25348/2675628770103539251S425x425Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2675628770103539251obKSLc)

MS Final:

Taufik HIDAYAT vs.Hsuan Yi HSUEH. With the majority of the crowd, a bulk of them carrying Indonesian mini-flags, cheering, hollering and screaming Taufik’s name, the Wild Child of Badminton finally captured a not-so surprising win over Chinese Taipei’s Hsueh Hsuan Yi. Hsuan Yi tried his best to keep up, even tried to counter-attack Taufik, and closing the gap to one point in one stage of the match, but was just not able to rally and overcome Taufik’s talent. Taufik on the other hand really didn’t exert himself as he wanted, but did display some of his exquisite and jaw-dropping skills to the crowd's delight. In the end, Taufik stepped on the gas pedal to finally grabbed his first ever U.S. Open MS title, with a 21-15, 21-16 score (a title which is still missing from Lin Dan’s cabinet; ;);) @ cooler)..

*After the prize ceremony, unbeknownst to me, I was, literally, stuck in the middle of a huge mob who all of a sudden gathered around Taufik to take a picture with him. What’s even more dumbfounding was that they all gathered right in front of my very eyes, all 100 of them, within a hand's reach. I kinda sensed Taufik was looking at me twice or three time thinking in his head, “Hey, buddy, you have a camera there, why don’t you take a pic of all of us”. But stupid me, my mind went blank as I didn’t take any picture of that moment.:p

http://inlinethumb56.webshots.com/45879/2132929620103539251S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2132929620103539251WvOGPf)

http://inlinethumb21.webshots.com/10196/2292545220103539251S425x425Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2292545220103539251YEftlf)

WD Final:

Ruilin HUANG & Xuelian JIANG vs. Ying CHEN & Yun (Grace) PENG. This one turned out to be a relatively competitive match as 4 ex-China players were pitted against each other. But this time there was no “match fixing” in the agenda.;) The U.S. pair opened the 1st game with a fury and took the early 1 game to none lead. In the 2nd game, it was the Canadian pair who turned the tide around and dictated the tempo as they leveled the score @ 1 game a piece. In the final game, carrying the momentum of their 2nd game win, the Canadian pair made their counterparts work for every single point. But despite a few brilliant rallies, which brought the crowd to their feet & often than not ended with the crowd giving a big applause, it was the more consistent Canadian pair who pulled away from the seemingly out of answer U.S. pair. Jiang & Huang held on for a 14-21, 21-15, 21-11 win to claim their 1st ever U.S. Open WD title.

http://inlinethumb09.webshots.com/43016/2541696720103539251S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2541696720103539251olKJNJ)

http://inlinethumb08.webshots.com/29511/2679956080103539251S425x425Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2679956080103539251GNQNBI)

MD Final:

Howard BACH & Tony GUNAWAN vs. Jurgen KOCH & Peter ZAUNER. After winning their first ever World Championship MD title in 2005, and their last title on the U.S. soil, Tony and Howard finally teamed up again and put on a display reminiscent of their glorious past. The U.S. pair did not give much of a chance against the Austria pairing of Koch and Zauner as Tony controlled the front and Howard was doing his usual attacks from the back. It was simply not much of a contest, as the former World Champions worked in sync to secure a 21-12, 21-9 win and add another U.S. Open MD title to their previous 2 U.S. Open titles.

http://inlinethumb12.webshots.com/45643/2880506100103539251S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2880506100103539251zsAvVb)

http://inlinethumb27.webshots.com/43866/2840895210103539251S425x425Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2840895210103539251bOGMIr)

*For those who watched the livestream, the company who does the livestream will edit and have the videos available in the near future. They will be available from the U.S. Olympics website.

great job chris! sorry we couldn't meet up to chat a bit during the tournament. there will be other occasions though!

Thanks ctjcad for all the recaps and pictures.

One question. These trophies are so big and look like they have past winners edged on them. Do they actually take them home? Or just to hold them and leave them behind at OCBC? :D

Comment. On the webcast, I thought Mesinee was very comfortable and very good as a commentator. Maybe a TV career after badminton :). Eva was very good too, I must say. But I am sure about that Steve guy :confused:

Where to see the webcast? Please advise

I watched it live via info on this link, http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72451

Hope someone recorded it to share

just watching ur videos now Chris... I noticed Charles Pyne was coaching M Li in the sf match againt Mona Santoso. That was interesting too see since previously before the sf's, Joseph Rogers was doing the coaching advices.

..seen similar scenarios as well. Players representing other countries coaching players representing from other countries. I've seen Charmaine Reid being coached by Nicole Grether and vice versa. If they're the best of friends, then so be it & more power to them..:cool:

Btw, aZn Popcorn, do you know or quite familiar w/the Canadian players who participated in this yr's U.S. Open??..

Another thing i forgot to share. So, on the last day of the tournament, i happened to cross path with Sattawat. I quickly asked him abt what he must've felt after he playing against Taufik. His reply is only, "fun" and he said he was "a bit nervous, in the beginning".
Thanks ctjcad for all the recaps and pictures.

One question. These trophies are so big and look like they have past winners edged on them. Do they actually take them home? Or just to hold them and leave them behind at OCBC? :D

Comment. On the webcast, I thought Mesinee was very comfortable and very good as a commentator. Maybe a TV career after badminton :). Eva was very good too, I must say. But I am sure about that Steve guy :confused:
- No problem. It's the least i can do for BC, considering this tourney really lacks any coverage.
- Yes, they have all the past winners engraved on those trophies. No, the winners don't take them home. Players can only hold, kiss and then leave them behind. Abt the kissing of the trophy, of course, they have to clean, sanitize them first. Afterwards, they'll have to sanitize them back again.;)
- Haven't seen the recording of the webcast. Heard they will edit and re-upload them to the U.S. Olympics website. I know for last yr's edition, i was looking for the recorded videos but couldn't find any.

thanks for all the wonderful hardwork, chris..
thanks for the usa open 2009 FULL coverage.

Nice updates and match reports! :) Hope the event will be bigger next year.

..you're welcome & glad to share the experience with you guys.:)
Yep, hopefully next yr the event will be bigger and more international players will come. Of course, hope the media team will be bigger, too>>akhem, calling someone from NorCal, calling someone from NorCal to come..;):cool:

- Yes, they have all the past winners engraved on those trophies. No, the winners don't take them home. Players can only hold, kiss and then leave them behind. Abt the kissing of the trophy, of course, they have to clean, sanitize them first. Afterwards, they'll have to sanitize them back again.;)

HAHA! No wonder when Howard kissed the trophy, Eva looked at him like, "Yuch, I am not kissing that THING" :D:D:D

..you're welcome & glad to share the experience with you guys.:)
Yep, hopefully next yr the event will be bigger and more international players will come. Of course, hope the media team will be bigger, too>>akhem, calling someone from NorCal, calling someone from NorCal to come..;):cool:
i'm sure that 'someone' will surely hear your announcement;):p

HAHA! No wonder when Howard kissed the trophy, Eva looked at him like, "Yuch, I am not kissing that THING" :D:D:D
..but you should check out the reaction from Tony (from the Trophy Presentation video i uploaded), when he and Howard were standing on the podium, and Howard was smooching the trophy.;)
Gee, now i wonder if they really sanitize it or not, prior to and after the presentation?!?!..:confused:

..but you should check out the reaction from Tony (from the Trophy Presentation video i uploaded), when he and Howard were standing on the podium, and Howard was smooching the trophy.;)
Gee, now i wonder if they really sanitize it or not, prior to and after the presentation?!?!..:confused:

OK. Got to check that out also. I am glad to see Howard really enjoys his victories, which is a good thing :D

ctjcad is great for this wonderful work.thanks.