Taufik was smiling a few times even during the rubber and match point. Both players did not show stress whenever the other holding match point. Shoji a few times match point at 20,21,23 while Taufik once. I think Shoji is a better player in this match. Taufik has not been practising these few mths.
I respect Taufik for his willingness to join the team even though he is not so fit. Actually PBSI had prepared the worst-case scenario, which means without Taufik in the team. It's good that in the end Taufik join the team. TH is very much needed as Ina's first single. With Taufik as first single, even if he continue to lose we still hope to win the 2nd and 3rd singles from Soni and Simon. However if Soni become the 1st, Simon the 2nd, and Janu the 3rd then we may lost all the three! There is no choice for PBSI but to continue fielding TH, even though this time TH is not able to deliver.
Wow, TH's lost not surprising me! Cos I'm pretty sure that Luluk/Alven, Soni,& MK/HS will win the match. But, next match with LD, hmm, it's not the same situation. Match w/ Shato, I couldn't see his inability because of his injury, especially in 3rd.
From what I see from the game, the reasons for Taufik's defeat are not injury-based but rather skill-based. He simply is not up to standard at all except for cross-court smashes all the time. Let's face it, past leg injuries do not suddenly make you smash into the net all the time or get outplayed while at the same time, you could jump and make powerful cross-court smashes. He is simply not good enough today.
taufik has to play his best match to beat Lin dan in Semifinal. but he just lost to shoji ..., not good.
I saw the match Live from TV. Taufik is under practice. And he only play one tournament before Thomas CUp beginin about 5 months. That is Thomas Preeliminary in India. He is much slower than his usual pace. And probably he afraid his injury will be back by not making too much jumping smash in first and second set. At the third set, he strated to smash alot robably he didn't want to lost but it was to late. He is tired in the third set meanwhile Sato is covering all his part of the game. He chase all over the court for the shiuttlecock and made a few unforced errors than Taufik. Taufik made so much unforced errors. But at least its a right decision to ay Taufik. If PBSI play Sonny as the first single, things probably will be much worse.
Or looking from another angle, its Sato who has improved tremendously while TH remains at the same level as a year before.
how can taufik improve more? in my eyes he is the most talented boy on the sircuit! the only thing he can improve is he physics
I don't understand why people think it's so strange that a player that has been out of competitions for quite som time due to injuries doesn't play at the same level they used to before time-out... Even IF taufik is fully recovered, and a really skillfull player, it isn't vary strange to me that his form isn't the best of his life after having a longer break from competetions with the top competitors... I would be really worried for the competetive state of badminton, if a player could be off the circuit for a very long time and then just dominate the other hard-working top athletes!! I also think Sato has made tremedeous prrogress this year, so even if I expected Taufik to win this game, I don't think Sato's achievement should be dismissed. But the comment that Taufik "lacks skills" is just plain silly... Anyone who's been watching badminton knows that if it is something he is lacking, it's definitively not skills...
true, probably not so much of the injury, cos if he was really in pain/injured, he wouldn't go all out for 3 sets...but his *less than ideal* physical condition is part of it..also, you have to know that Taufik's weakness is that he has a tendency to "be lazy" and not "go all out", esp. if forced into 3 sets.. i think it's more, as someone else mentioned in another thread, that this is Taufik's first encounter with Shoji also?? If that's the case, then i can see how Taufik struggled against Sato, as he is not familiar with his game yet...But i'm quite sure the next time they meet again, assuming both are in their "prime" physical condition, Taufik will give a better fight and outcome..
I think we should respect Taufik as he lowers his pride and takes the sake of his country as his first priority, considering that he himself has alr expected a tough battle and most of all defeat in Japan due to his back injury and lack of training. Taufik may sound a bit arrogant in his statement towards the media especially against Lin Dan, but he is a friendly and nice person in reality, just like Rexy last time when he was a player. Taufik shares jokes with the malaysian players too.
I think this is Taufik's weakness, has been and will be, and one way to defeat him...For some reason, Taufik tends to over-compensate his skills/technique over his stamina/physical condition..So, if a player like Shoji comes up, or those who can "outmatch" Taufik condition-wise(ie. chase all the shuttles that Taufik gives and frustrate Taufik), he has a good chance to defeat Taufik..
Me thinks, for yesterday's match ONLY, Taufik was clearly outplayed(you can also tell by his body language)..but we shall see what happens or the result will be, if they happen to meet again..
Concur wholeheartedly there..and in general, lacking in top-physical condition tends to indicate "laziness"..
Being away from competition for a long time is one thing, and I certainly agree that Shoji is playing very well. He's improved in leaps and bounds and really impressed me at the World Championships in Anaheim. but I thought the issue with taufik was that he had a back injury that was preventing him from playing up to par? There was all that talk before the Thomas Cup that he wasn't even going to be able to play. Glad he's playing, but if he plays against Lin Dan and is still feeling poorly, I'd hate to see him sustain another injury. There's also the remote possibility that it's all a psychological battle to make Lin Dan be off his guard... ;-)
I don't buy into the argument of losing in order to make others off guard Is Taufik so confident the other teammates can win ? Similarly, when Lin Dan win in rubber sets. Are you sure he is 'giving' 1 sets away and he is so confident that he win the rubber ? Taufik stamina is not there. He won 1st set and lost the next 2 both against Lee and Sato
