Okay guys...here's the lineups. I will be flying back to SG in the morning, so, hope to meet up with Loh, Ants and other BFers.
MEN'S SINGLES
Chen Yu vs Eric Pang
Taufik Hidayat vs Kenneth Jonassen -- a repeat of the WC quarter-final match. Taufik is a slow starter and he needs to play at his best to beat Kenneth. We have seen the fighting spirit of Kenneth...he just never gives up. A tough tie for both players
Simon Santoso vs Bao Chunlai -- it will be a major upset if Simon can beat Bao. He's definitely improving a lot this year with wins over Park Sung Hwan and now Boonsak Ponsana in his belt. However, I still think Bao is a class above him.
Qiu Yanbo vs Lee Hyun Il
WOMEN'S SINGLES
Chen Li vs Jun Jae Yun
Kanako Yonekura vs Zhu Lin -- I hope the Japanese can win.
Petya Nedelcheva vs Pi Hongyan
Lu Lan vs Xu Huaiwen (MATCH OF THE ROUND) -- the young Chinese could win.
MEN'S DOUBLES
Luluk Hadiyanto/Alvent Yulianto vs Tri Kusharyanto/Rony Agustinus -- Luluk/Alvent shouldn't have a problem beating the non-Pelatnas pair.
Zheng Bo/Gong Weijie vs Tony Gunawan/Candra Wijaya -- a tricky test for the experienced pair, but, I think they will win.
Thomas Laybourn/Lars Paaske vs Jung Jae Sung/Lee Yong Dae -- youth will prevail.
Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan vs Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari/Lin Woon Fui (MATCH OF THE ROUND) -- the defending champion has beaten the young Malaysian pair before. They should do it once more.
WOMEN'S DOUBLES
Yang Wei/Zhang Jiewen vs Satoko Suetsuna/Miyuki Maeda
Zhang Dan/Zhao Tingting vs Jo Novita/Greysia Polii (MATCH OF THE ROUND) -- so far so good for the Indo pair, but, the Chinese will present a stiff test. I expect them to lose....
Saralee Thoungthongkam/Sathinee Chankrachangwong vs Nitya Krishinda/Nadya Melati -- the young Pelatnas pair has done well to reach the quarter-final and should present a tough test for the more experienced Thai pair. It could go into 3 sets...
Wei Yili/Zhang Yawen vs Lee Kyung Won/Lee Hyo Jung -- another candidate for match of the round. Lee/Lee has been rather erratic lately esp when they were beaten by Chien/Cheng in the Uber Cup. I expect the Chinese pair to win.
MIXED DOUBLES
Nova Widianto/Lilyana Natsir vs Zheng Bo/Zhao Tingting (MATCH OF THE ROUND) -- the Chinese has beaten the defending champion once. Any match against Chinese pair is always tough....a real test of Nova/Butet's credential. I hope they could win.
Lee Jae Jin/Lee Hyo Jung vs Songphon Anukritayawon/Kunchala Vorawichitchaikul -- Lee/Lee should progress
He Hanbin/Zhang Dan vs Sudket Prapakamol/Saralee Thoungthongkam -
Chen Hung Ling/Chou Chia-Chi vs Xie Zhongbo/Zhang Yawen -- the Chinese Taipei pair has surprisingly beaten 2 Indonesian pairs en-route to the quarter-final. However, Xie/Zhang should beat them with ease.
MEN'S SINGLES
Chen Yu vs Eric Pang
Taufik Hidayat vs Kenneth Jonassen -- a repeat of the WC quarter-final match. Taufik is a slow starter and he needs to play at his best to beat Kenneth. We have seen the fighting spirit of Kenneth...he just never gives up. A tough tie for both players
Simon Santoso vs Bao Chunlai -- it will be a major upset if Simon can beat Bao. He's definitely improving a lot this year with wins over Park Sung Hwan and now Boonsak Ponsana in his belt. However, I still think Bao is a class above him.
Qiu Yanbo vs Lee Hyun Il
WOMEN'S SINGLES
Chen Li vs Jun Jae Yun
Kanako Yonekura vs Zhu Lin -- I hope the Japanese can win.
Petya Nedelcheva vs Pi Hongyan
Lu Lan vs Xu Huaiwen (MATCH OF THE ROUND) -- the young Chinese could win.
MEN'S DOUBLES
Luluk Hadiyanto/Alvent Yulianto vs Tri Kusharyanto/Rony Agustinus -- Luluk/Alvent shouldn't have a problem beating the non-Pelatnas pair.
Zheng Bo/Gong Weijie vs Tony Gunawan/Candra Wijaya -- a tricky test for the experienced pair, but, I think they will win.
Thomas Laybourn/Lars Paaske vs Jung Jae Sung/Lee Yong Dae -- youth will prevail.
Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan vs Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari/Lin Woon Fui (MATCH OF THE ROUND) -- the defending champion has beaten the young Malaysian pair before. They should do it once more.
WOMEN'S DOUBLES
Yang Wei/Zhang Jiewen vs Satoko Suetsuna/Miyuki Maeda
Zhang Dan/Zhao Tingting vs Jo Novita/Greysia Polii (MATCH OF THE ROUND) -- so far so good for the Indo pair, but, the Chinese will present a stiff test. I expect them to lose....
Saralee Thoungthongkam/Sathinee Chankrachangwong vs Nitya Krishinda/Nadya Melati -- the young Pelatnas pair has done well to reach the quarter-final and should present a tough test for the more experienced Thai pair. It could go into 3 sets...
Wei Yili/Zhang Yawen vs Lee Kyung Won/Lee Hyo Jung -- another candidate for match of the round. Lee/Lee has been rather erratic lately esp when they were beaten by Chien/Cheng in the Uber Cup. I expect the Chinese pair to win.
MIXED DOUBLES
Nova Widianto/Lilyana Natsir vs Zheng Bo/Zhao Tingting (MATCH OF THE ROUND) -- the Chinese has beaten the defending champion once. Any match against Chinese pair is always tough....a real test of Nova/Butet's credential. I hope they could win.
Lee Jae Jin/Lee Hyo Jung vs Songphon Anukritayawon/Kunchala Vorawichitchaikul -- Lee/Lee should progress
He Hanbin/Zhang Dan vs Sudket Prapakamol/Saralee Thoungthongkam -
Chen Hung Ling/Chou Chia-Chi vs Xie Zhongbo/Zhang Yawen -- the Chinese Taipei pair has surprisingly beaten 2 Indonesian pairs en-route to the quarter-final. However, Xie/Zhang should beat them with ease.