Thanks guys for your comments on the matches. Can't understand CL's performance, surely it does not reflect his form.
Chen Long played like it's a practice or sparring match, all the time lifting to test LCW's attacks, specifically smashes. Only in a few instances did he really try something different and when he succeeded in getting the better of LCW, he appeared self-satisfied. At the end of the thrashing, he was still in a good mood, cheerful, even chatting with LCW merrily and playing with his kid, with coach Li Zhifeng joining in spiritedly.
Thank you. So CL got 21 points playing LCW in Malaysia and 24 points playing LCW in China. About the same performance, isn t it.
Chen Long looks quite relaxed through out the match. I think he knows that LCW is quite unbeatable in Malaysia. Most of Chen Long shot are too long due to the drift. I think the China team will use this opportunity to analyse LCW's game. I kind a hope that LCW can avoid Lin Dan & Chen Long before the Olympics so that his opponents will not be so familiar with his game plan. Its good that he has been very selective in choosing the tournaments . Next in his list are ABC in China & Thomas Cup.
“I’m really happy to win my first senior title in Malaysia and also my second successive title,” said Ratchanok. “After beating Wang Yihan for the first time (in 13 meetings), I felt more confident. Now my aim is to be the world No. 1. I should move up to No. 2 after this, but my points will be very close to Marin. “It would be a huge confidence boost for me since I’m also aiming to win a medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August.” “Previously, China used to be always strong in women’s singles. Now everyone is improving so fast,” said Ratchnok.
Indeed IF this match were the Rio's finals, CL would have played all out overcoming all the drift etceteras... but a decent OG venue may not have so much drift either But this is just another grandprix tournament tho it's adorned with more stars and bigger prize monies, thus there is nothing so special here. Just count it, nowadays there are how many SS/SSP in a year, unlike in the past, no single grandprix is so special today, not either the all england. In fact a great and much successful commoditization effort has lowered the values of the abundance of SS/SSP tournaments.
Indeed throughout the match, I paid attention to CL expression, his was too relax, absence of any emotional burden for losing that badly. Something that Steen & GC praised highly as the great sportmanship... I could only smile for having different thought.
TBH, when Chen Long thrashed Chong at BWF World Championships last year where he was moving twice as fast as Chong, i thought he had solved chong's puzzle. But his recent clueless outings against Chong is quite worrying for LYB. Getting thrashed in China, a Set and 18-13 up in HKG, and then losing 8 out of the next 9 points to hand him the victory and victim of recent assault in Malaysia. I think Chinese coaches should put all their focus on Lin Dan from now on till Rio. Chen Long isn't good enough anymore.
He's probably right as I've heard some complaints before. But the condition applies to all and the better player will have to adapt.
You notice a pattern here? Chong Wei is paralyzed psychologically as much as physically when it comes to major tournament finals...
Do you really believe so? This SS is a Premier event, carries more ranking points and prize money than a SS, certainly not just another GP. Professionals play to win. If CL thinks it is ordinary and not worth his effort, he could choose to lose earlier and not having to face LCW in the end and lose. Even May took it differently and gave of her best for precisely the reasons I've mentioned.
LOL....me & most of the old-timer INA-fans (Hau-ge, Krisna, etc) hardly post to this site also. I typically only post when there's an INA victory in the FInal of SS/SSP event I still remember the good old days and the sometimes intense bickerings with some MAS-fans
Yes we do have intense bickerings, but thank goodness, I've forgotten them. Maybe Eagle will remember more.
Couldn't get to watch live. Only caught up on MS, MD and XD on youtube just now, while reading all the comments in between points. Stadium - one of the reasons I didn't go back to KL this year was the change the venue. Apparently, there is a renovation at the main venue, which is a short distance from where I live in KL. Malawati Stadium just to tedious for me to reach. MS - Big $payday$ for LCW (we are used to that) but no reflection whatsoever on what's to come in Olympics. The ranking points are important though, for LCW to avoid LD and CL (his biggest rivals) before the SF. Worries of peaking too early? You were worried during All-England and Indian Open, and you are also worried when he's doing well? There is some basis to that though. The boos at the end? It happens almost every year. Reserved for the unpopular Prime Minister's wife. Let this be the end of the discussion on that. No political discussion here please. Just FYI. MD - KGJ/KSR surprised me. Perhaps that SF is not that "fixed" after all. XD - I watched CPS yesterday and commented here that his serve used to be solid. Steen said at the beginning that CPS' serve may decide the match, and I think it did. CPS did well in the other departments, as expected of the male XD, but a lousy serve really halved his contribution. Imagine double-faulting 90% of the time in tennis. It's 100% mental, I'll say the same for all those doubles players struggling with serve in the past. Nevertheless, a pretty exciting XD match. At one point in the 3rd set, LN was doing KKK better than KKK, but also lost the point like KKK. GLY was awesome but LN's coolness (coupled with CPS' comical serves) won the game. Question: Is there any rule against hiding the shuttle behind the partner why serving? (I get that a lot, but never complained.) Not that CPS intentionally did it, but did TA have a legitimate complain? WS - just watching this at the moment. Too many unforced errors to be enjoyable. Important win for RI to cement her ... alpha-ness? Looks fit. WD - have not watched, but I am always mixed on this CHN pair. Always liked TYT (even her initials are cool) from the time she was paired with MJ, before "stolen" by YY (my opinion alone). I feel their chances of winning depend on how well TYT's aggressiveness can be converted into points. Obviously, it worked today.
Loh, read carefully... I said it vis-à-vis Olympic Games, CL will surely try harder. No assurance that CL will win but definitely he will try much harder, and one more thing, at OG I don't believe the scoreline will be so lopsided for LCW advantage as seen today...supposed the two meet again
