Badminton Predictions -Macao Open

can anyone halt the advancement of the Malaysian army in the Semi Finals?

Wong Choong Hann vs Chen Jin
Tough. Very tough to call. This would have been veterans vs. younglings part 2 if Chen Hong did not give a walkover. While Wong Choong Hann has been in scintillating form, coming from one set down to upset favorite and top seed Bao Chunlai, Chen Jin has no doubt, been in superb form. With the 3 set marathon injury sustained by Wong, and the controversial walkover given by Chen Hong to Chen Jin, does Wong still have enough energy to show the world who he is? I believe the answer lies in this situation Wong Choong Hann (and many PAW-ers) have been thrown in. Sure, we all like to think that Wong can defeat Bao any day, but in reality, no one was expecting this gallant victory. Poker faced Wong is playing all out, with nothing at all to lose but a finals placing. So what if this pair of old hands gets defeated by Chen Jin? Wong is playing some of the best badminton of his life after his injury, and could possibly take this one step further for a possible classic showdown of the veterans in his projected meeting of Taufik. Wong has nothing to lose while Chen Jin has everything to lose from this encounter. With the relative young age of Chen Jin, I believe he wouldn't be able to handle the pressure well, knowing very well that Wong just beat the top seed just yesterday. Wong in three sets.

Choong Tan Fook/Lee Wan Wah vs. Cai Yun/ Fu Haifeng
Possibly one of the best matches we will see in this tournament. Fireworks have been sparking between these two pairs, and Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng no doubt will be out to avenge their shock defeat in the hands of this old pair at the recently concluded World Championships in KL. However, some of the best matches played by Choong and Lee were against this dynamic attacking pair of Cai and Fu. They work best this way. They are a defensive pair, mirroring the legendary Sidek doubles partnership. Smash all you want into Choong and Lee, they will get the shuttle back to you no matter what ala Foo Kok Keong (but not quite). The question is, can Cai and Fu's attack pierce through the thick armour of Choong or Lee, or are they destined to be defeated by this defensive pair? Choong and Lee have been in smashing (or to more effectively portray their defensive qualities, unsmashable) form. Can they hold up against the assault of the Chinese? Cai/Fu in three extremely tight sets.

Tan Boon Heong/Koo Kien Keat vs. Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan
Going into this match as the underdogs will certainly help Tan and Koo. Although they have handled pressure exceptionally well, winning the near impossible combination of All England and Swiss Open, they are, after all, against the newly crowned world champions Kido/Setiawan, who will be undoubtedly out to prove that their success is not just a flash in a pan. Extra added incentive is the retention of their world number 1 spot, in which they edged the Chinese Fu/Cai to achieve last week. Will the netplay of Kien Keat hold? Will the smashes of Boon Heong hold? This will be the many many questions going through the badminton fanatic's mind when they are watching this match. However, this, in my opinion, will prove not to be the crucial point: the crucial aspect will be how they work in reversed roles: how well can Kien Keat smash? and more importantly, how well can Boon Heong play at the net? This is because, Kido and Setiawan, would be out to avenge their defeat in the Asian Games by trying as much as possible to reverse their roles, hence throwing this Malaysia pair out of concentration and into unknown waters. However, this Malaysia pair have held well so far throughout this tournament, and they should prevail in 2 tight sets.

Can Malaysia have 2 Men's Doubles in the final? Can Malaysia have a representative in the Men's Singles Final? Can Choong Hann consolidate his number 2 Malaysia ranking? Can Koo and Tan show the world that they are back? Tune into various broadcasting channels to watch the action of day 5 of the Macao Open.

As always,
MALAYSIA BOLEH!