TheStar BY LIM TEIK HUAT KUALA LUMPUR: The three national back-up men's doubles pairs will be all fired up to go the extra mile in the US$250,000 Korean Open badminton championships, which will be played in Incheon City from Jan 25-30. Mohd Fairuzizuan-Mohd Tazari, Tan Bin Shen-Ong Soon Hock and National GP Finals runners-up Gan Teik Chai-Mohd Zakry, have been thrown a challenge by coach Yap Kim Hock to beat pairs ranked higher than them to earn a place in the team for the All-England (March 9-13). “I have not decided on the players for the All-England. I want to see the performances of the back-up pairs in the Korean Open,†said Kim Hock. “I hope Mohd Fairuzizuan-Woon Fui and Bin Shen-Soon Hock can upset higher ranked pairs from China, Indonesia or Denmark, not just any pair. If they can do this, they deserve a place in the team for the All-England. “It will be harder for Teik Chai-Zakry because it will be the first time that they will play as a pair in an international tournament.†“Fairuzizuan-Woon Fui and Bin Shen-Soon Hock are bridging the gap in standard with the top pairs.†In the Copenhagen Masters, Bin Shen-Soon Hock were beaten 9-15, 14-17 by reigning world champions Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen. They went down fighting at 13-15, 17-16, 10-15 against Indonesia's Athens Olympics bronze medallists Flandi Limpele-Eng Hian. Bin Shen-Soon Hock are now ranked 22nd in the world and they are not required to play in the qualifying rounds. Kim Hock has also put up a RM2,000 reward for any of the pair who reach the semi-finals. “This is from my own pocket. It will be difficult for them to achieve this but I will be very glad if they win it,†he said. The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) have opted to keep the senior pairs out of the international circuit's season-opening tournament. They prefer Chan Chong Ming-Koo Kien Keat and Choong Tan Fook-Chew Choon Eng to stay home and prepare for the All-England. The top singles players, Lee Chong Wei and Wong Choong Hann, will also skip the Korean Open. The Malaysian in the singles competition are Kuan Beng Hong, Mohd Hafiz Hashim and his brother Roslin, Sairul Amar Ayob and Pei Wei Chung. Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui, who are now ranked a career high at number eight ranking in the world, will carry the challenge in the women's doubles. The other pairs are Mooi Hing Yau-Ooi Sock Ai and See Phui Leng-Fong Chew Yen. The women's singles representative is M. Sutheaswari.
