Why? These players are professionals. Why would they want to participate if they don't want to play their best? But their best may not be enough to win the titile for others are also aiming to win.
Mainly to avoid injury as there is always risk involves when any match is push to the distance. Chen Jin got injure during Thomas Cup so I am sure China like to take certain precaution. China will send Chen Yu to Singapore Open. I think most of the top players will skip the Indonesia Open.
I suppose with the big elephant of the Olympic Games looming up, the only thing that makes sense for team-based strategy is to participate in warm-up tourneys leading up to the Olympic Games. Only so much can be gleaned from internal training, and taking it easy in the Singapore Open and Indonesian Open would only make sense to try different strategies on unfamiliar opponents. This close to the Olympics as well, players and coaches would be aware of how much rest time is required for physical and mental peak alertness. Only injury is very risky. -dave
Badminton: Malaysians should come out tops in Singapore Open 2008 . So that little bird was correct. News received... ====== * ====== start news ====== * ====== The Star Thursday May 22, 2008 By LIM TEIK HUAT Badminton: Malaysians should come out tops in Singapore Open 2008 PETALING JAYA: The absence of the Chinese and South Korean big guns will present Lee Chong Wei and the doubles pair of Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong the better chance to come out triumphant from the Singapore Open scheduled for June 10-15. World number one Lin Dan will be giving the fifth leg of the Super Series a skip together with Bao Chunlai and Chen Jin, who are now ranked third and fourth in the world respectively. Also sitting out are the top two Koreans, Park Sung-hwan and Lee Hyun-il. Lone ranger: Chen Yu is the only Chinese representative in the men’s singles. The only Chinese representative in the singles is Chen Yu, who will not feature in the Beijing Olympics in August. World number two Chong Wei will be gunning for his second Super Series title this year after lifting the Malaysian Open in January and he is the top seed ahead of Danish veteran Kenneth Jonassen. In the Singapore Open last year, Chong Wei was beaten by fellow Malaysian Mohd Hafiz Hashim in the first round. Five other Malaysians will join Chong Wei and Hafiz to play in the main draw. They are Wong Choong Hann, Roslin Hashim, Lee Tsuen Seng, Sairol Amar Ayob and Yeoh Kay Bin. Indonesia have Sony Dwi Kuncoro, Taufik Hidayat and Simon Santoso in the fray while Thailand’s Boonsak Ponsana will be defending the title. Defending champions Fu Haifeng-Cai Yun of China and in-form Koreans Lee Yong-dae-Jung Jae-sung are among the top pairs missing from the men's doubles competition. Their absence leaves world number one Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan and the Danish pair of Jonas Rasmussen-Lars Paaske as the early favourites to win the title. The Singapore Open presents the chance for Kien Keat-Boon Heong to make amends for their first-round defeat by team-mates Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Latif in last year's tournament. Kien Keat-Boon Heong, who are currently ranked fifth in the world, not only have to improve on their rankings but they also have to boost their confidence ahead of the Beijing Olympics. A question mark remains on the participation of veterans Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah as the latter came down with a right shoulder injury in the Thomas Cup Finals in Jakarta last week. Doubles chief coach Rexy Mainaky said that he should know by next week if Wan Wah could feature in the Open. “Wan Wah is on a one-week leave and I have to talk to him about his latest condition. In the meantime, we have submitted their entry together with those of all the other pairs in the national team,” he said. Tan Fook-Wan Wah were the runners-up last year and if they get to start, they will be the second seeds. ====== * ====== end news ====== * ====== Cheers... chris@ccc .
Olympic picks My tuppence: MS - Lin Dan (older, wiser, and has the home advantage) WS - Tine Rasmussen (white hot at the moment, this would be a cracking win if she managed it, especially if she doesn't meet XXF) MD - Jung Jae-Sung and Lee Yong-Dae (I expect and want these two to win - they are my favourite pair to watch and they've already beaten everybody of consequence in previous tournaments) XD - Zheng Bo and Gao Ling (two All Englands on the bounce; the only pair I can see challenging them is Nova/Lilyana) WD - No idea - wide open field, but my money's definitely on China. I only ever bother with gymnastics and badminton at the Olyms, being a former gymnast and a current badderist, so it's all going on tape for posterity (especially if it's on at stupid o'clock thanks to the time difference).
well, its unlikely to have any live tv coverage for badminton especially with no british interests after 1st round!
i think china (as usual) will dominate (again) this time. except maybe for MD and XD, either Korea or Indonesia will dominate.
Mostly in those major tournament,those unexpected players might win like WC07...maybe this kind of incident might happen in OG..maybe.. Well,I predict China will win the more gold in badminton game in OG..
Badminton Golds at the Olympics . Felicia_txh ... Even though unexpected players might win, only 4 nations have ever won Badminton Golds at the Olympics. .
China will want to win that MD medal this time, but will face a lot of competition from favourites Korea. Indonesia will want to win that WD/XD this time, but will face a lot of competition from favourites China. South Korea will want to win that MS medal this time, but will face a lot of competition from favourites China. Denmark; PG and KJ will give it a last try. Same goes for their veteran MD. TR won't be deterred by China's domination as well.
my prediction : ms : INA : Taufik Hidayat MD : INA : KIdo/Setiawan XD : INA : Nova/Butet or Falndy/Vita WS : INA : Maria Kristin WD : INA : butet/vita
Finally, my prediction will be..... Without a single doubt, the gold will be won by LCW with BAO taking silver and LD taking bronze. In the doubles, gold & silver will be either JJS-LYD (Korea) or KKK-TBH (Malaysia) and bronze will go to CTF-LWW.
My prediction as follows: MS - LCW will do his usual in big tournaments and fall apart. I predict LCW to be bundled out in the early rounds. LD to win the gold. MD - KKK/TBH to be packed away in the early rounds. Gold will either go to Cai/Fu or JJS/LYD. No gold for Malaysia. Maybe a bronze.
Surely you can't be serious or you've not been keeping in close touch with recent performances involving these INA players! To be realistic, if INA wins one of the above, it is considered not bad at all!
