Tuesday November 16, 2010 The Star Fresh Lee ready for singles challenge SHUTTLER Lee Chong Wei is like a wounded tiger, ready to pounce and go for the kill in the individual competition, which begins today at the Tianhe Gymnasium. The 28-year-old, who is looking in better shape after a bout of fever, is grateful for the three-day buffer to regroup after the demoralising defeat by Thailand’s Boonsak Ponsana that led to a 2-3 defeat for Malaysia in the team quarter-finals last Saturday. “The individual competition starts tomorrow but I will only get into action on the third day (on Thursday). It gives me a few days more to work on my fitness and regain my focus,” said Chong Wei, who is aiming to win his first Asiad gold medal. The top seed has a first-round bye and will probably take on Hong Kong’s Chan Yan Kit in his opening match. A win should pit Chong Wei against Boonsak again and the Malaysian will be happy to get the opportunity to avenge his earlier defeat. “The defeat by Thailand was a painful one for Malaysia. I took the risk to play even though I was down with fever. We didn’t really have much choice, anyway,” said Chong Wei yesterday. “I chose not to concede a walkover. I gave my best under the circumstances. Unfortunately for me, Boonsak was too good on the day. “My defeat gave the juniors the opportunities to play and feel the pressure of playing in a team event. They lost but they gained some valuable experience. “Now, I have a chance to play against Boonsak again and I will be better prepared if I were to face him.” Chong Wei said the setback had not clouded his focus on achieving a better result in his second Asiad. “I won a bronze in Doha (four years ago). I want to get to the final here and stay focused,” he said. The others in Chong Wei’s half of the draw are Chen Jin of China and Indonesian Sony Dwi Kuncoro. The other half has second seed Lin Dan of China, Indonesian Taufik Hidayat and South Korean Park Sung-hwan. Malaysian team manager Datuk Maijol Manap is confident that the players will get back on their feet to get good results. “We unexpectedly lost to Thailand. It even surprised the Thais. This is sports and it can sometimes be cruel,” he said. “We have to bite the bullet and move forward. The players are bruised but the Games are not over yet for us. “We are banking on Chong Wei and Koo (Kien Keat)-Tan (Boon Heong) to rise to the occasion. I am happy to note that team morale is still high despite the setback.” my comment: come one LCW, show us what you are made of....!!!
Tuesday November 16, 2010 Young Mak and Tan out to make amends for defeat in team event YOUNGSTERS Mak Hee Chun-Tan Wee Kiong have one more chance to salvage their pride and justify their selection in the team for the Guangzhou Asian Games. Both were close to tears after failing to clinch the winning point for Malaysia in the second doubles match of the team quarter-final tie against Thailand last Saturday. Malaysian went on to lose 2-3. They began well, showing good fighting spirit, but their inexperience and lack of self-belief saw them losing 23-21, 12-21, 16-21 to their young Thai rivals, Isara Bodin-Jongjit Maneepong. “The Thais caught up 12-13 (in the decider) and it broke my rhythm of play. I lost concentration and became a nervous wreck,” said Hee Chun. “Wee Kiong and I came here with high expectations of ourselves but in the end, we gave away the match to the Thais because of our carelessness. “It was certainly a different experience playing in a team event. The pressure was great on us. We hope to regroup and come back with a better performance in the individual competition.” Hee Chun-Wee Kiong have a first-round match against Japan’s Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa. If they win, they are likely to play against second seeds Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia. Malaysia have the better chance with their top seeds and defending champions Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong. The duo have a first-round bye in a half of the draw that includes South Koreans Ko Sung-hyun-Yoo Yeon-seong, Taiwanese Fang Chieh-min-Lee Sheng-mu and China’s Guo Zhengdong-Xu Chen. The other half also has home favourites Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng and South Koreans Lee Yong-dae-Jung Jae-sung. my comment: so now Individual event start....show us your true capability...
The problem with our new badge of players is a lack of power. Both mental and physical. The second doubles have very weak smashes. They poke the shuttle around hoping to lure their opponents into error. If they're opponents have powerful smashes, their done. I don't see them going very far if they don't muscle up. Darrel Liew didn't seem very disappointed with his loss. It's as though he expected to loose against a junior Thai player. He should only blame himself for not doing his research on his opponent. I'm sure the junior Thai player did his homework. It's just a lack of maturity and commitment from these new bunch of idiots.
I'm glad I saw this piece of news. Seriously, their main weakness is their mental strength. I don't know whether I am happy or sad about this, but they were actually very disappointed with their loss and was close to tears according to the reporter. I'm glad that they care.
Hopefully they remember what they said in the interview and how they felt after the loss when they are playing on court again. No point giving the same excuses after every loss.
Your quote : "but they were actually very disappointed with their loss and was close to tears according to the reporter. I'm glad that they care." Their quote : The pressure was great on us. We hope to regroup and come back with a better performance in the individual competition.” Don't use it over and over again.
Ah, yes, the pressure. Also a reason for their loss, IMO. But yes, they shouldn't mention it again and again and try to overcome this particular obstacle. Go Mak/Tan!
In MAS GP Gold SF also pressure, here also pressure,.....what's next ? pressure again ? Tha's young pair played under pressure too.....They can handle it why cant you ?
Hopefully they start to think like that... Thailand's pair are 20/20[20/19, limsy's correction], Mak/Tan are 20(next month)/21, you should be able to do it I think it's more of Mak's problem ,..
I've seen this pair play a few times. I don't see their attacking play threatening their opponents much. Their attacking play is at least a level or two behind the top Chinese/Korean/Indo/Danish and Malaysian pairs. The top pairs look a lot more devastating when their on the attack. Credit to them though, they have good defense and shuttle control. I just think they need to get their attacking game up a few notches to get to the next level.
of course compare to the top player,they are 2 or 3 level behind will get a quick check in malaysia open haha
http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2010/11/17/asiangames/7444889&sec=asiangames Mak-Tan’s campaign over after crashing in the first round YOUNGSTERS Mak Hee Chun-Tan Wee Kiong went to the Guangzhou Asian Games with high hopes. But yesterday, they slinked out of the Games in shame. The duo’s hopes of achieving a breakthrough in Guangzhou went up in smoke when they were sent packing 21-17, 21-6 by Japan’s Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa in the opening round of the men’s doubles individual competition at the Tianhe Gymnasium. The duo gave a good account of themselves in the early stages but it did not take too long before their game fell apart as Hee Chun and Wee Kiong took turns making unforced errors. It was a double disappointment for the Asiad debutants as they had also failed to come good for Malaysia in the team event, losing to Jongjit Maneepong-Isara Bodin in Malaysia’s 2-3 defeat by Thailand in the quarter-final tie of the team event on Saturday. Their defeats showed that they still have a long way to go in their bid to become one of the top pairs for Malaysia. Hee Chun, however, took some positives from yesterday’s painful exit. “It was certainly not a memorable outing for us here in Guangzhou. We could not lift our game, especially after the Japanese left us quite far behind at 1-12,” said Hee Chun. “Our game plan went haywire. We still have a lot of work to do. We will be heading for the China and Hong Kong Opens next. “Hopefully, we can raise our game there.”
Jaguh kampong? 21-17 and 21-6 lost to Jap MD pair? What is the excuse... again? ... memang TAK BOLEH...
