Malaysian Open 2008 Early Analysis The first leg of the Super Series tournament would see all top players attempting to establish dominance for one of the more eventful years ahead. With the Thomas Cup and the Olympics just peeking around the corner, a good start in Kuala Lumpur is just what all players desire and need. Furthermore, being one of the last Super Series tournaments offering generous ranking points before the all important Olympics, a good showing here could be the perfect confidence boost to propel one to Olympic representation and a shot at glory. Men's Singles Defending champion Peter Gade Christiansen will be hard pressed to defend his title which he won taking advantage of the early exit of the 2 top seeds Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei last year. Menawhile, Lin Dan will be thirsting to claim his first Malaysian Open title, one of the only titles that have eluded him. Eager to shake off his painful defeat by Lee Chong Wei in Kuching 2 years ago, where he held 8 match points in the deciding set only to lose by the thinnest of margins, Lin will also be out to prove to Malaysians that he is THE best. Meanwhile, Lee Chong Wei who won here in 2004, 2005 and 2006, will want to please all his loyal Malaysian fans that have stuck with him through his slump. On the other hand, Bao Chunlai will also be a commendable force, after winning the China Open title, albeit under dubious circumstances. Overall, the Men's Singles disciplince is one of the more interesting contests of the tournament. Lee Chong Wei to defeat Lin Dan in a thrilling 3 set finals. Women's Singles The rise of several non Chinese players have certainly made the Women's Singles contest more interesting. Apart from the obvious top 2 seeds Zhang Ning and Xie Xingfang, complemented by the commendable Zhu Lin, reigning world champion, and Denmark Open Champion Lu Lan, Malaysians are certainly lookng forward to homegirl Wong Mew Choo, who scalped 5 consecutive Chinese or ex-Chinese players enroute to her triumph in Guangzhou a few months ago. Wong reached the finals but lost to Zhu Lin in Cheras last year. Can she prove to Malaysians that she is a true champion, and actually take it one step further to claim the Malaysian Open title, and be, if my memory does not fail me, the first Malaysian woman to win the Malaysian Open title. Ex Chinese players Pi Hongyan and Xu Huaiwen have proven that they are a spent force with their unimpressive showing in 2007. Perhaps it is time for them to retire. On the other hand, Japan Open champion Tine Rasmussen, after her triumph in Tokyo, failed to produce any more impressive results in any of the Super Series tournaments. One thing is for sure, the rise of non Chinese playerrs have spiced up the competition in Women's Singles. The Women's Singles position in China has never been more threatened since the rise of Indonesian greats Susi Susanti and Mia Audina. Full Article: The Badminton Blog: Malaysian Open 2008 Early Analysis
here is the prediction i have.. MS>>LCW for sure! MD>>KKK/TBH to go (they will bounce back afta a long long down!) WS>>XXF (afta a long long break, she should bac to the top!) WD>>CHN pair (can't predict this one coz duno which pair participate..) XD>> GL/ZB (nova/lilyana hav chance but they r not tat gud in the early tournament)
Well,really look forward for the Malaysia Super Series.I really miss the time when all the badminton lovers gathering in BC to share the nerve together with the players.Life was really boring without badminton matches.
I don wanna predict because it can put pressure on players...u guys forgot already WC07???..KKK/TBH + LCW where hot fav..but failed.... relax and watch only...but i think a game without prediction will not be fun beacuse it can't stir our hormon adnerlin(don know how to write) so here my prediction(im going to make extreme prediction) MS----Simon Santoso, Chen Jin or Wacha WS---Tracy Halem WD--INA TOMBOYS, MAS TOMBOYS, CHN TOMBOYS or any tomboys(i love tomboys..they r cute + rough at the same time..am i rite?) XD---Sudket/Saralee
Me toooo looking forward for the start of the new season of Super Series, as life without badminton matches is like missing something..
my prediction Ms: TH!! for sure!! why not??!! MD: KKK/TBH or MK/HS (50-50) WD: CHN will take this field again!! WS: again CHN!! so don't expect too much for other countries WS candidate XD: hard to be predicted, my guess this time goes to CHN pairo), but i hope INA pairs rule this field at least one of them run to the final
ms- lee chong wei ws- wong mew choo or xie xing fang md- koo kien keat/tan boon heong wd- china pair XD- NOVA/LILYANA or ZHENG BO/GAO LING
Thanks for listing most of the top seeds in each category except for XD... why not list all the top seeds in XD as well! now I have to look it up myself. My prediction: MS: Not Lin Dan.. and it is going to be 1 of the 32 participants in the main draw. WS:XXF,ZN,ZL or 1 of the 32 participants in the main draw. MD:KKK/TBH, MK/HS, CY/FHF or 1 of the 32 pairs in the main draw WD:China pairs XD:1 of the 32 pairs in the main draw I think I have a good chance of getting it right.
Lin Dan is out from the tournament. LCW will have a chance. Hope he will not lose to Hafiz in the 1st round.
Men's Singles predictions: Malaysian Open 2008 Men's Singles Predictions Part 1 With the withdrawal of world number 1 Lin Dan, the competition for the Men's Singles champion has become considerably closer. Who will prevail in the absense of Super Dan? Can Lee reclaim what was lost? Can Gade defend his title? Lee Chong Wei (1st Seed) Although generally not known to be good under pressure (as all Malaysian badminton players are), Malaysia is after all, Lee's 'zone'. He has won 3 Malaysian Open titles here, and now appears to be the favorite to claim his 4th title. However, he does not have the luck of the draw with him. He will meet fellow Malaysian Hafiz Hashim in the first round. Hafiz is hitting an all time rock bottom low, and can only take consolation in the fact that he was the last Malaysian to beat him, in the 2006 Singaporean Open. Admittedly, that was during the first round, and Lee was not properly warmed up then. If Lee proceeds, he most probably will be Polish giant killer Wacha Przemyslaw, and is expected to face off with Indonesian ace Taufik Hidayat in the Asian battle of titans. However, considering Taufik's condition, Lee should be able to make it through to set up a meeting with Chen Yu or Peter Gade, the latter being the more likely Semi Finalist. In the finals, if Lee makes it that far, he is tipped to meet Bao Chunlai. Indded, Lee probably has the toughest draw of all:- Hafiz Hashim, Wacha, Taufik, Gade, and then Bao. Can Lee prevail in front of the always supportive Malaysian crowd? Taufik Hidayat (6th Seed)Indonesian fans will be hoping that their favorite shuttler, Taufik Hidayat will deliver once more for them. Taufik is planning on defending his title next year in the Beijing Olympic Games, and he will need precious ranking points to gurantee him a good seeding in what may be the last tournament of his life. However, Taufik's stamina is obviously in quesiton, as it is rumoured that he cannot survive a 3 set game. Many people have labled Taufik as a spend force, but he might be able to make some noise: after all, the only title he won last year was the Asian Badminton Championships in Malaysia. However, meeting home crowd favorite Lee Chong Wei in the quarterfinals might hamper his chances somewhat. Bao Chunlai (2nd Seed)In the other half of the draw, we have Bao Chunlai, who faces an easier path. Hong Kong player Chan Yan Kit stands in Bao's way, and then it is either Chen Hong or Wong Choong Hann. After that it is Kenneth, then possibly Chen Jin or Sony Dwi Kuncoro. After that, it would probably be Lee Chong Wei. This will probably be promoted as a grudge match (I believe in real life, Bao and Lee are good friends); with Lee losing under extremely dubious circumstances the last time the both of them met:- in the finals of China Open (for more information, read here). With the absense of Chinese favorite Lin Dan, China will be banking on Bao to suceed. Will he crack under pressure, like he is famous for, or will he sieze the occasion? full article: The Badminton Blog - Malaysian Open 2008 Men's Singles Predictions (Part 1)
Men's Doubles predictions: Malaysian Open 2008 Men's Doubles Predictions (Part 2) this is part of the 5 part series regarding the 2008 Malaysian Open predictions. Other parts can be found here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5. After a well deserved break, all top Men's Doubles players will be present in full force in the first major tournament of the year. This season opener promises to be anything but boring, as most pairs will be out to stamp their mark and raise confidence ahead of what will be an exciting and eventful year. Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong (1st Seeds) Koo and Tan have rightfully taken a well earned break after a hectic and busy 2007. Although their outing in the last 2 Super Series tournaments, the Hong Kong Open and the China Open were disappointing, this pair promises to live up to expectations and defend their title. Koo Kien Keat commented that: "We are preparing ourself for the Malaysia Open to defend our title.We are really going for it. (It) is our home ground and want to retain the title." I expect nothing but the best from this pair. However, one has to admit that Koo and Tan have not won a tournament in which they are seeded first. Lets see whether this will be a first by the world number 1s. Koo and Tan's do not have the luck of the draw with them. They will meet tricky Indonesians Joko and Hendra in the first round, then former world champions Lars Paaske and Jonas Rasmussen. They will then possibly meet teammates Choong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah, and if they proceed, Chinese Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng. In the finals, they might meet second seeds Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan. Is this a bad draw or a good draw relatively speaking? I think it is a good draw. Koo and Tan play their best badminton in front of the best players. Facing stiff opposition in every round means that they will avoid being too complacent. A stiff draw for others, but a lucky draw for them. Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan (2nd Seeds) The reigning world champions will certainly want to start off the year with a bang by claiming the Malaysian Open title. Coming off with 3 consecutive titles (China Open, Hong Kong Open, SEA GAMES GOLD), a good start here will certainly stand them in good stead for the Olympic Games and Thomas Cup later this year. Markis and Hendra should face no stiff resistance until the Quarter Finals, where they will most probably meet Danes Jens Eriksen and Martin Luungard Hansen. If everything goes according to the seedings, they will then face the Indonesian-American combination of Tony Gunawan and Candra Wijaya. I predict they will reach the finals, but will they win the title against arch nemesis Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong, who they have never defeated? full article: The Badminton Blog - Malaysian Open 2008 Men's Doubles Predictions (Part 2)
Malaysian Open 2008 Women's Singles Predictions Hopes will be on local lass Wong Mew Choo to repeat her marvelous victory in last year's China Open. However, the Chinese quad of Zhang Ning, Xie Xingfang, Lu Lan and Zhu Lin will be out to spoil Malaysia's party. Xie Xingfang After her disappointing defeat against Wong in last year's China Open finals, Xie has once again steamrolled her opponents in the Hong Kong Open. Xie, the dangerous player, will try to maximize her speed to attempt to claim the Malaysian Open title. Wong Mew Choo 2007 ended in both happy and sad notes for the Malaysian lass. On one hand, she won her maiden Super Series title, on the other hand, she sustained an injury that made her withdraw from the SEA games. Wong has proven that she is a force to reckon with, and she might go one step further this year and claim the Malaysian Open title after last year's disappointment. full article: The Badminton Blog -Malaysian Open 2008 Women's Singles Predictions
