New Straits Times » Sport Badminton: Hafiz needs to start from scratch, says Misbun K.M. Boopathy Sept 1: THE record is quite staggering ... Hafiz Hashim has fumbled in the preliminary round of five consecutive major tournaments this year and national coach Misbun Sidek wants his protege to start from scratch. Hafiz, the World No 32, has been getting tough draws in the preliminary rounds due to his low world ranking and, coupled with his inconsistency, the All-England champion has failed to even advance to the quarter-finals. Misbun feels that the player's confidence will be affected if he continues to lose in preliminary rounds and needs to play in smaller tournament which will give him a chance to win. "His has been out of top 30 for the last seven months and this did not help his cause. One tough draw after another would have shaken his confidence a little," said Misbun in Kota Kinabalu yesterday. "He needs to start winning again and this could be achieved if he is sent to two-star tournaments like the Dutch or German Opens. "All he needs is to gain his confidence again by winning a smaller title and he will be back to his best." Having lost to elder brother Roslin in the second round of the World Championships in Birmingham, Hafiz was unlucky to lose to eventual champion and World No 1 Chen Hong of China in the first round of the Singapore Open two weeks ago. He reached the third round of the Indonesia Open in Batam but lost to bogeyman Ronald Susilo of Singapore on Thursday. He comes up against compatriot Wong Choon Hann in the third round of the Malaysia Open which starts tomorrow in Kota Kinabalu. Prior to the World Championships, Hafiz was also bundled out in the early rounds of the Japan and Korea Opens in April. The next two grand prix tournaments are the Dutch and Danish Opens in a fortnight's time and Misbun wants Hafiz to be considered for the first event. The top shuttlers will skip the Dutch Open to concentrate on the six-star Danish Open and this opens the way for Hafiz to win the title and improve his world ranking. The Dutch Open has often been the stepping stone for Malaysian shuttlers. Roslin, Choon Hann and Lee Tsuen Seng established themselves on the international stage after winning this tournament. Roslin won the Dutch title in 1997, Choon Hann in 1998 and Tsuen Seng in 2001. Choon Hann won it again last year and added the five-star China Open in December. "I have not decided on the squads for the Dutch and Danish Opens but Hafiz will be considered," said Misbun. "I hope that he can raise his performance in the Malaysia Open and also do well in the Dutch." Hafiz needs a title badly to boost his sagging confidence and the Dutch Open is as good as any to serve that purpose.
