TheStar KUALA LUMPUR: National singles coach Misbun Sidek is predicting one of the most intense and intriguing battles for the men’s singles crown in the World Championships in Anaheim, California from Aug 15-21. Misbun sees eight players as contenders for the prestigious world title, including Malaysians Lee Chong Wei and Mohd Hafiz Hashim. The others are China’s world No. 1 Lin Dan, Chen Hong and Bao Chunlai, Danes Peter-Gade Christensen and Kenneth Jonassen and Indonesia’s Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat. “These players will be the ones to watch out for at the world meet. The Chinese will always be a threat. The Danes have been pretty consistent on the world circuit, reaching the quarter-finals in most of the major competitions,” said Misbun. “As for Taufik, he has got his rhythm back after winning the Olympic gold.” “He lost to Chong Wei in the Malaysia Open but I believe he will be back stronger at the world meet. This may be his best chance to bag the world title.” Misbun, however, sees a group of players with the potential to spoil the show. “People want to see their favourites living up to expectations but history has proved that this is not the case,”said Misbun. “A top seed like Lin Dan will be under a lot of pressure because of the high expectations. He lost in the first round of the Olympics. “Anyone who can upset his tempo stands a chance of beating him in the early rounds. “Lee Hyun-il (South Korea) is also more stable and Ronald Susilo is also a potential spoiler. Even Wong Choong Hann has a chance, depending on the draw. It will be a very enjoyable world championships this time because of the possibilities.” As for the Malaysians, inconsistency has always been their problem. But Misbun is confident they have what it takes to rise to the occasion. “Chong Wei defeated Taufik, Bao Chunlai and Lin Dan to retain the Malaysia Open title. That gives him the confidence to take a shot at becoming world champion. “As for Hafiz, he played in three successive finals and won two of them (Swiss and Thailand Open) this year. I am not discounting his chances,” said Misbun, when asked about his former charge. However, Misbun prefers Hafiz to go into the tournament as the underdog. “He is more comfortable in this role. Hafiz is a type of player who tends to feel the pressure when he is expected to play well,” said Misbun. “He was not expected to be a threat in the All-England two years ago and he went on to win the title.” The world title has eluded the Malaysian players since the inaugural world meet in 1977. The best achievement in the singles came when Choong Hann became the first Malaysian player to reach the final in 2003 before bowing out to Xia Xuanze of China. MISBUN’S TITLE CONTENDERS: (clockwise from top left) Bao Chunlai, Taufik Hidayat, Mohd Hafiz Hashim, Chen Hong, Lin Dan, Lee Chong Wei, Kenneth Jonassen and Peter-Gade Christensen.
