Courtesy of The Star
[h=1]Chong Wei to use improved net play to bag maiden world title[/h][h=2][/h]
IT was the first day of training at Wembley and the talk was all about world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei’s improved net play.
His repertoire at the net is set to be one of his most important weapons as he bids to end the country’s long wait for a title at the World Championships, which will begin at the Wembley Arena on Monday.
Yesterday, Chong Wei was seen busy showing his mastery at the net during a sparring session with coaches Tey Seu Bock and Rashid Sidek and back-up shuttler Chan Kwong Beng at the Preston Manor High School Sports Hall.
Chong Wei and his team-mates had to train at a different venue yesterday because the main arena could only be used for practice from today.
Seu Bock said that Chong Wei’s consistency and accuracy at the net was the result of hours of diligent training.
“It can be quite mundane to do it repeatedly for hours every day but he does it without fail. Now, he has even developed a few tricks to outfox his opponents,” said Seu Bock.
Team manager Ng Chin Chai was impressed with the tight spin shots at the net by Chong Wei – not once but a few times – yesterday.
“This clearly shows his consistency and quality. He has amazing wrist work. I think Indonesia’s Taufik Hidayat is one of the most gifted players at the net and his skills are outstanding. Now, Chong Wei is at par with him,” he said.
“China’s Lin Dan relied on showed speed and power en route to winning the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games but, since then, he has also mastered the art of precision at the net.”
Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) high performance director Datuk James Selvaraj said that Chong Wei’s spin and double motion tricks at the net reminded him of several former greats.
“The great Rudy Hartono (of Indonesia) is one such player. He takes the shuttle from the top of net and his opponents just do not know where the shuttle would go,” said James.
“Other players with good net play are India’s Prakash Padukone and our own (Datuk) Punch Gunalan. China’s Han Jian also has his own style. He likes to take the shuttle from the bottom at the net and it works for him.”
National doubles chief coach Rexy Mainaky said that his mentor Christian Hadinata and South Korean Park Joo-bong were in a class of their own at the net.
Asked who his favourite singles player was, Rexy said: “It has to be China’s Zhao Jianhua. He was the master at the net. Hendrawan is also good at it.”
Finally, when Chong Wei was asked who he felt was the best at net play after his two-hour workout yesterday, he flashed a wide grin and said: “I am ... And probably Taufik too.”
