TheStar KUANTAN: An in-form Lee Chong Wei swept into the final of the Pahang Open men’s singles final against a surprise opponent, veteran Mohd Roslin Hashim yesterday as two early title contenders – Mohd Hafiz Hashim and Wong Choong Hann – bowed out early at the Sukpa Indoor Stadium. The 22-year-old Chong Wei took only 20 minutes to blow away Lee Tsuen Seng 15-2, 15-0 in the semi-finals, which must rate as one of the most one-sided match between two national players. Earlier, Tsuen Seng had dashed the hopes of newly-married Choong Hann in the quarter-finals. The 26-year-old Tsuen Seng, who is under a six-month probation in the national team, slogged for an 8-15, 15-13, 17-15 win over Choong Hann in 55 minutes. In the other semi-final, Roslin produced a surprise to tame his younger brother Hafiz 15-10, 15-12, spoiling a predicted mouth-watering final between Chong Wei and Hafiz. Said the three-time national champion Chong Wei: “I just went in for a quick kill against Tsuen Seng. I wanted to conserve my energy for the final tomorrow (today). I am determined to win the Pahang Open title. “After beating Choong Hann hours ago (at about 1pm yesterday), Tsuen Seng probably found it difficult to recover. It was the easiest win against him. I am prepared for the final. I know Roslin’s game and I will be ready for him,” said Chong Wei, who has won all the local tournaments since winning the 2002 National Grand Prix. After the quick loss, Tsuen Seng predicted that it would be hard for anyone to beat Chong Wei in the final today. “Chong Wei is looking very sharp. I have to admit that there is a big gap between him and me now. He is so fast and the quality of his game is high. It will be tough for anyone to take him on,” said Tsuen Seng. “It is good though that I defeated Choong Hann. He did not play his true game . He was probably tired. For me, the next mission is to go and upset one or two players in international tournaments.” After going missing from the local scene for four years, Roslin was satisfied to reach the final. But he is aware that it will not be easy against Chong Wei. “Hafiz was so slow today. Probably, the earlier match was tough on him (Hafiz slogged to beat Yeoh Kay Bin 17-16, 7-15, 17-14). It is good though to be in the final of a local tournament after so long,” said Roslin. “I will give my best against Chong Wei. This a good platform for me to gauge where I stand. I can then continue to work on my weak points.” In the women’s singles, Wong Mew Choo beat Lydia Cheah 11-8, 11-0 to set-up a meeting with Julia Wong in the final.
