Mew Choo Out

Unfortunately, Wong Mew Choo has been eliminated in the first round of the Hong Kong Open by rival Salakjit Ponsana of Thailand. Wong is tipped to meet Ponsana, sister of Men's Singles player Boonsak Ponsana, who won the Singapore Open, in the upcoming SEA Games. Fresh from her triumph in Guangzhou, where she claimed her maiden title, Wong most probably couldn't sustain the high level of play required and lost for the second time in a row to Ponsana, who beat Wong earlier in the Sudirman Cup.

Why then, didn't Wong withdraw from the tournament? A first round exit contributes about 2000 ranking points in the Olympic qualification race, which could be crucial in determining whether Wong gets to participate in the Olympics or not. This was a wise move by Wong, as appearing on court for perhaps 40 minutes could very well decide whether she gets to participate or not.

Hopefully Mew Choo can have a good rest and continue her winning ways.

All the best to her.

Announcement - Of Domain Registerations and Badminton

Sorry for the lack of updates. As heavily requested, I will be posting on Wong Mew Choo's triumph later this week, after accessing her performance in the Hong Kong Open.

The reason I was busy was that I have been discussing with several bloggers to combine our websites and blogs into one, combined website. I have been going around the internet trying to find out which website will give me the best deal in registering domain names, choosing domain names, searching domain names, and things like deciding whether to have a dedicated server or not.

It is indeed tiring! But I think I am settling with yahoo webhostings, which I think give me the best deal, and I am just short of registering the domain name.

Don't worry, I will be posting on the Hong Kong Open!

Bao, Linejudges and Umpire Defeat Lee!

Shameful, that is all I can say. Shameful.

China's Bao Chunlai wins his maiden Super Series title over Lee Chong Wei, but at what cost? China might have avoided an embarrassing tournament, but at what cost?

In an era that the Badminton World Federation is attempting to market badminton to the world, China's action is not only a threat to the integrity of the sport, but an insult to other professional players, previous tournament players, and badminton fans worldwide. Shame on you, China. Shame on you. Shame on you for bringing such a great sport into disrepute, into such dirty, filthy waters. Shame on you for killing any moral integrity the great sport of badminton had. I would say that the single, biggest threat to badminton nowadays is the despicable and selfish acts perpetrated by whoever that committed such a crime. Li Yongbo, if you think its honorable to win titles for your country through cheating, and if thats what national patriotism is for you, I would slap you. I am a Chinese, and you would have insulted me. You are a disgrace to badminton. Simply a disgrace.

I was prepared to overlook the fact that all linesmen and umpires were Chinese. I was prepared to overlook the fact that some of the close calls were suspiciously called in favor of Bao. However, what happened today, was an outrageous crime against international faith in the integrity of the sport.

The linesmen made a total of 8 calls that I would say was biased. Lee Chong Wei would never throw such a big fuss if the calls weren't THAT bad. I have never seen Lee act such drastically. Lee Chong Wei, the gentlemen that he is, continued to play on. I applaud him for that, but given that the person playing was me, I would have walked out of the court. Walk out of the bowels of hell, where evil crimes against the respect of the sport were committed again and again. First against the Koreans. Then against the Malaysians.

There you go China. 2 titles for you. Congratulations. Celebrate all you want. But we all know, the glory and fame you've got, its all fake. Its all dirty. Your prize money is dirty. Even if you give me your prize money, I would not accept it. I would spit on it. I spit on you, Li Yongbo, for threatening the integrity of the sport. You have no respect for the players, present or past. You are nothing but a scammer. A conman. There you go. 2 gold medals. Congratulations.

Bao. I pity you. You can jump all you want. Scream all you want, but you, unfortunately, will go down as the player that won because of cheating. You might not have known about the cheating, you might have genuinely outplayed Lee today, but your China Open 2007 title is tainted. Its dirty. And unfortunately, you were once one of my favorite players. Now I disrespect you. Blame your dear coach.

Shame on you China, shame on you.

PS: Please do sign my petition here: Petition to the BWF

Tournament Prediction - China Open

the cracking of the Great Wall?

Lee Chong Wei vs. Bao Chunlai
This is the third setup for a Super Series Final. Both prior times Lee prevailed in 2 straight sets, and Bao had to settle for runner up position. Bao seems to posses some kind of jinx in the finals of all tournaments, being runner up in 4 Super Series tournament, rightfully earning the title: Mr. Runner Up. Lee exhibited incredible patience and shot making in his 3 set triumph in yesterday's semifinal against Chen Jin, but he will not be going in on a stamina high, thanks to the 2 consecutive games that went the whole way. Bao will have the stamina advantage, thanks to the walkover from Chen Hong courtesy of our favorite coach Li Yongbo. Therefore, I think this match will be closer than the last few encounters. However, Lee should win eventually, in 3 sets.

Wong Mew Choo vs. Xie Xingfang
Although I would like Wong to win her maiden Super Series title, Xie is the first seed and world number 1. Xie's speed was impressive, and the key to unsettling her is to commit less unforced errors and play the bread and butter shots flawlessly. When Xie is faced with such shots, she will start to panic. However, Wong is just not good enough to unsettle Xie yet, and Xie would take this match in 2 sets.

Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan vs. Guo Zhengdong/Xie Zhongbo
If there is a silver lining in this year's China Open, it is the fact that China has shown that they have a credible 2nd Men's Doubles team. However, the world champions are strong opponents, and will most likely win this match. Both have exceptional attacking skills, but Markis and Hendra have the upper hand. I have been impressed with both pairs, but I think the world champions would prevail eventually in 3 sets.

Nova Widianto/Lilyana Natsir vs. Sudket Prapakamol/Saralee Thoungthongkam
This is a big dilemma for me. On one hand, the world champions Widianto and Natsir have been in impressive form, beating compatriots Marrisa/Limpele in the Quarters while sweeping past ex world champions Emms/Robertson yesterday. On the other hand, this Thai pair has impressed me immensely, first in defeating world number 1 Gao Ling and Zheng Bo, then annihilating Xie Zhongbo/Zhang Yawen despite questionable line calls. Very hard to call. I would however, give slight advantage to the Thai pair the benefit of the doubt, as I witnessed their match and unfortunately not the Indonesian's, and I was thoroughly impressed with the Thais. Saralee/Sudket in 3 tight sets.

Petition to the Badminton World Federation

Please take a moment and read and sign the petition I have created here:

Petition to BWF

I have removed the petition on my blog because it is unnecessary to have 2 petitions at the same time.

Badminton Predictions - China Open

after the controversy and explosion in the Quarterfinals, the Semifinals are expected to be a more subdued encounter.

Bao Chunlai vs. Park Sung Hwan
Bao is fresh from yesterday's expected walkover from compatriot Chen Hong. While I will not delve in discussing that action, that walkover will ensure that many badminton fans around the world will be heavily supporting Park. Although in normal circumstances, I would support Bao, in this case, I am afraid that I too, hope that Park will win. In terms of technicalities, Bao is superior both stamina-wise and skill-wise. We just have to hope that Bao will display on of his mentally weak performances and Park would draw his confidence from killing several giants en route to his position today. However, it will be hard with all the

Lee Chong Wei vs. Chen Jin
A rematch of the semifinals of the French Open, but this time, with Chen Jin injury free yesterday. After the explosive words exchanged between him and Peter Gade yesterday, Chen will be eager to make it to the finals of China Open to redeem for the lost of Lin Dan. The hot favorite of this game is obviously Lee, who has been in scintillating form the past week. Ultimately, I think Lee will win this game in 2 sets.

Zhang Ning vs. Wong Mew Choo
Coming from a confidence high, Wong will be eager to break another record, this time, Zhang's unbeaten record against Wong. Zhang will be anything but an easy opponent, and Wong will find this extremely hard to do. Zhang, although relatively quite old, still has enough in her to fend of the attack of Wong. Zhang in 2 tight sets.


Saralee Thungthongkam/Sudket Prapakamol vs. Zhang Yawen/Xie Zhongbo
Again, badminton fans worldwide will be cheering for the Thai pair, as the Chinese pair got a walkover yesterday. Fresh from beating world number 1 Gao Ling and Zheng Bo, Saralee and Sudket will be on a confidence high. Although Zhang and Xie are extremely credible opponents, after their stunning performance yesterday, I have to give this match to the Thai pair.

Choong Tan Fook/Lee Wan Wah vs. Guo Zhengdong/Xie Zhongbo
Choong and Lee have shown incredible resilience in progressing so far. They look set to take over as the world number 4, after the controversial lost of Koreans Jung and Lee against this very Chinese pair. Guo and Xie's attacking style mirror Cai and Fu, except less powerful and effective. Choong and Lee are suited to playing these kind of defensive games, and they should prevail. Hopefully, Li Yongbo will not pull strings in the background, like he has the past few days. Barring any unfair line calls and adjudicating, Choong and Lee should take this match in 3 sets.

Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan vs, Fang Chieh Min/Lee Sheng Mu
The World Champions should have no problem in disposing of this Taiwanese pair. Markis and Hendra in 2 easy sets.

Emergence of Taiwan?

China has one more reason to reclaim Taiwan - Badminton.

After the upset of Koo and Tan in the hands of a Taiwanese pair, this time, it is Fairuzizuan and Zakry who got conquered in the hands of another Taiwanese pair. And possibly, Choong and Lee might even get defeated by the master of Koo and Tan.

Apart from its disputed status and rowdy parliaments, personally, I have not paid much attention to this small island near the coast of China. Taiwan has not done particularly well in Badminton, Soccer, Football, well, anything. Apart from the rare Fung Permadi, rarely you will see a Taiwanese athlete on a podium.

Now with the breakthrough performance in Guangzhou, can Taiwan emerge as the new superpower in badminton? Can more Fung Permadi-s be produced?

This certainly mixes things up the badminton situation!

Breaking News - Koreans Stage Walkout! Chen Hong Walks Again!

Incensed at the purportedly biased line calls against them, the Korean pair of Jung Jae Sung and Lee Yong Dae stage a walkover in their Quarterfinal match against Guo Zhengdong and Xie Zhongbo! On another front, Chen Hong walks again!

Angry at the allegedly biased line calls, Jung and Lee decided to stage a walkout while trailing 19-16 in the deciding third set. Reportedly, all the linesmen were from China, and heavily favored China's last bastion in Men's Doubles after the exit of favorites and second seed Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng.

It has been further alleged that the whole Korean team is planning to forfeit their matches in protest. The remaining Korean players in the Quarterfinals of the China Open are Mens Singles player Park Sung Hwan and Women's Singles player Jun Jae Youn, who will face Kenneth Jonnassen and Lu Lan respectively. The matches have yet to commence.

If what the Koreans are claiming are true, then this is a very serious allegation. I have previously called (China The Cheater?) for the BWF (Badminton World Federation) to intervene and investigate the allegations that there appeared to be foul play among the ranks of the Chinese Badminton Association, and I once again, repeat my calls. I hope BWF will be able to claer this matter up with the Badminton community.

In addition to this, Chen Hong, who quit the national team earlier this year, has given a walkover to fellow Chinese player Bao Chunlai. When contacted, Chen refused to comment on this issue. This reeks of match fixing, and I do hope the BWF will look into this too. The match commentator even alluded to the match fixing, saying that Bao will now be able to face his opponent fresher. Once again, to clear the hovering doubts in all badminton fan's minds, I encourage BWF to investigate.

Stay tuned for more breaking news from the Badminton Blog.

Mew Choo Marches On

After being defeated twice, once during the Malaysian Open, and once during the World Championships, Malaysia's top Women's Singles player Wong Mew Choo finally got the better of reigning World Champion Zhu Lin. Although the score reflects a close match, Wong totally outclassed and dominated the younger Zhu, especially in the second and third sets. Ironically, Wong defeated Zhu in front of the Chinese home crowd, while it was in Kuala Lumpur, Wong's own home ground that Zhu got the better of Wong.

The match started out equally, with both players cautiously testing each other. However, an unfortunate lapse of concentration on Wong's part allowed Zhu to surge forward and claim the first set 21-18 from a neutral 18-18 position. However, in the second set, Zhu failed to control the big drift present in the stadium, allowing Wong to exploit this weakness and surge to a 10-2 lead. Wong never looked back, and despite a late charge from Zhu, managed to secure the second set by an enormous 21-9 margin.

In the third set however, it a completely different scenario. Zhu appeared lethargic and slow, while Wong appeared quick and alert. It was the third set, but Wong appeared to be fresh and focused. Another late charge by Zhu avoided a humiliating defeat, and allowed Wong to claim her first win over her archnemsis in a 18-12 21-9 21-13 win.

It cannot be denied that Zhu suffered from her arduous and energy sapping match yesterday against former world number 1 Zhou Mi. However, Wong's improvement, her increased speed and additional strokes to an already impressive arsenal certainly augurs well for her semifinal match against Zhang Ning, who defeated Chinese youngster Wang Lin in 2 tight sets. Wong will try to emulate her success in the 2007 Malaysian Open earlier this year, where she reached the finals. This also improves her chances of participating in the year end Super Series Finals, and would certainly improve her world ranking, currently hinging at 8th.

All the best to her.

Major Hiccups in Malaysian Camp

Day 2 of the China Open proceeded with marginally less upsets than day 1, although several major hiccups have emerged.

The most severe hiccup was that of the departure of first seeds and world number 1 Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong in the hands of a relatively unknown Taiwanese pair in two tame sets. It seems that even the first round opponent of the Taiwanese were able to put up a better fight, going down in 3 tight sets. Instead, the hot favorites for the title shockingly went down tamely to this relative unknown. The emerging trend in this pair is that they have no problem in sweeping past known seeded pairs, while relative unknowns seem to trouble them. Lack of respect or psychological weakness, I am sure doubles coach Rexy Manaiky will address this problem. Hopefully he will be successful.

Hafiz Hashim's comeback to the elite club of shuttlers seem to have taken a heavy blow today. With the departure of top seed Lin Dan, Hashim's path to the quarterfinals could not have been any easier. However, Hashim lost to Korean Park Sung Hwan, Lin Dan's conquerer in 3 sets despite leading crucially in the 2nd and 3rd set; not being able to close up the game. With chance number 1 blown, Hashim better hope he performs more convincingly in Hong Kong next week.

Wong Pei Tty and Chin Eei Hui have once again failed to reach the crucial stages of the tournament, falling to China Masters winners Marrisa and Natsir. Although both Indonesian players had to play in the Mixed Doubles field before playing the Malaysians, they still managed to fend off the attack.

However, not all was lost today. Our top Women's Singles shuttler Wong Mew Choo managed to pull off a stunning upset against Frenchwomen Pi Hongyan. Despite dropping the second set, Mew Choo managed to dominate the 3rd game and storm into the quarterfinals where she will meet arch nemesis and reigning world champion Zhu Lin. Lee Chong Wei also continued his run by sweeping past Andrew Smith of England in 23 minutes. In the Men's Doubles department, apart from the shock departure of Koo and Tan, the other 2 pairs made it through. Choong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah managed to make it through easily, while Fairuzizuan and Zakry, perhaps a little overconfident with their win yesterday over second seeds Cai and Fu, survived a 3 set scare to fend of an unknown Chinese pair attempting to gain revenge for their compatriot's defeat.

All the best to all players.

Tournament Prediction - China Open

After a field day of upsets, the 2nd round promises some interesting encounters...

Xie Xingfang vs. Tine Rasmussen
Rematch number 3 between these two players. Best player from Europe vs. best player from Asia. On paper Xie, former world champion and current world number 1 is the heavy favorite, although Rasmussen managed to beat Xie in Tokyo en route to winning her maiden Super Series title. However, Xie is currently on a confidence high, coming straight from winning the French Open. Unless Xie cracks under the home crowd's pressure, she will walk away with this one in three sets.

Wong Mew Choo vs. Pi Hongyan
Wong easily swept past Chinese junior Zhu Jingjing yesterday, while Pi was forced to slog for 42 minutes before finally prevailing against a relative unknown. Fresh from her runner up finish in Paris, Pi is technically the favorite of this encounter. However, Wong will be eager to secure her Super Series Finals placing, and I predict that she will prevail in 3 tight sets.

Wang Chen vs. Jun Jae Youn
Wang is the 5th seed, while Jae Youn is unseeded, although she is highly underrated. This encounter is going to be tight, as both players are experienced and are veterans of the game. Jun easily swept past fellow countrywomen Hwang Hye Youn yesterday, especially in the 2nd set, where she won 21-3, while Wang was stretched to 3 sets by Indian Saina Nehwal. The key to this game, I believe, is controlling the strong drift occurring in the stadium. Drifts in the Guangzhou venue is unusually high for a badminton stadium, and will be crucial to this game, as Wang Chen was visibly affected by the drift in the first game against Nehwal. She who controls the drift will win in 3 sets.

Hafiz Hashim vs. Park Sung Hwan
Fresh from his magnificent upset against Lin Dan yesterday, Park will be coming in on a confident high. What he will not be coming in on, however, will be on a stamina high. Forced to play for 70 minutes before finally prevailing, Park will be relatively unfocused compared to Hafiz, who had a relatively easy game against Gong Weijie, another underrated Chinese junior. However, Hafiz is, after all the yoyo-king, and his performance can be characterized as a pendulum. Lets just hope he plays well against Park today to reach his target of Quarterfinals.

Jung Jae Sung/Lee Yong Dae vs. Lars Paaske/Jonas Rasmussen
The reigning world championship silver medalist take on the former world champions in this youngsters vs. veterans battle. It will be a game of speed vs. experience. Although the Koreans are the obviously favorites in this match, the former world number ones should not be discounted easily. Tight game, but the Koreans will prevail eventually in 3 sets.

Wong Pei Tty/Chin Eei Hui vs. Vita Marrisa/Lilyana Natsir
Dream matchup. Both are underrated players. Wong and Chin are attempting to qualify for the year ending Super Series finals, while Vita and Lilyana are have mixed doubles on their hands before being able to play this match. Both pairs have relatively easy games yesterday, winning in 18 and 17 minutes respectively. I believe the Malaysian girls will win this match, as the Indonesians will be too tired and fatigued from their Mixed Doubles games.

For results on the ongoing China Open go here:

Badminton Loonsport

Upset Upset Upset!

Prapakamol and Thoungthongkam defeats All England finalist and sixth seeds Clark and Kellogg, opening the floodgates on the upsets that have flooded the first day of the 11th leg of the Super Series, the China Open.

Chen Xu and Zhao Tingting knock out the 7th seeds Laybourne and Juhl in Mixed Doubles. Upset!

Unknown Anna Rice edges past Yip Pui Yin. Upset!

If you think that is unusual...

Park Sung Hwan defeats Lin Dan. BANG! UPSET!

Just when you thought Chinese head coach Li Yongbo's temper couldn't get any worse... Fairuzizuan and Zakry sweeps past Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng. BANG! BANG! UPSET! UPSET! UPSET!!!

With the 2 Chinese hopes (Cai/Fu and Lin Dan)demolished in the first round, the ticket organizers might be groaning as they witness ticket sales dropping. With the shock departure of the 2 favorites for the Men's titles, one wonders whether China's expected dominance in the Olympic Games next year will be marred by upsets like these. Is the Chinese public putting too much hope on their hometown golden boys? Lin Dan fell in the first round of the Athens Olympics even though he was the first seed. Cai and Fu fell in the quarterfinals after leading all the way in the first game. Are the Olympics too hot for Chinese players to handle?

There will certainly be some postmortem examination in the Chinese camp after the end of this Super Series tournament.

PS: Just as I am typing this, the Chinese first seed in Women's Doubles are behind by a game... Upset?

Match Report - First Round XD China Open

Tan Wee Kiong/Woon Khe Wei vs. Nathan Robertson/Gail Emms

With the Asian Junior Champions the obvious underdogs against former World Champions and World Number 1, Malaysia did not expect them to pull off a win. The question was how much could our youngsters stretch the veterans.

The game started on equal terms, with both teams levelling at 1-1, 3-3 4-4 and 5-5. However, the English pair soon shot off and asserted their dominance by claiming 4 points in a row. The Malaysian youngsters tried to stop the flow of points, but failed. The English convincingly won 21-16.

The Malaysians had to find a way to stop the English from asserting their dominance. Playing from the better side of the court, Tan and Wee led 9-4. However, the experience of the English pair soon shone through, allowing the Malaysians to take another point before levelling it 10-10. However, the Malaysians continued to lead, but several unforced errors allowed the English pair to level at 13-13, 15-15, then 16-16. After that, the English then upped the pace and did not allow the Malaysians to take another point and won the second game in a mirror score of the first, 21-16.

This shows that the relatively inexperienced pair of Tan and Wee have to be exposed to more international level games, which is exactly what coach Rexy is doing to them. I think it should be a matter of time before they start winning big.

For results on the China Open, go here:



Badminton Loonsport - First Round Result, XD

Badminton Analysis- China Open

Men's Singles
With the withdrawal of Olympic Champion Taufik Hidayat, the two clear favorites of the Men's Singles are top seed and World Champion Lin Dan and the second seeded Lee Chong Wei. Dark horses Bao Chunlai and Chen Jin will attempt to sneak in and steal the title, but I think ultimately the victor will be one of Lin or Lee. Lee has been in superb form lately, winning the French Open and displaying his newfound patient ala Morten Frost style of playing, which was his knee injury's blessing in disguise. On the other hand, Lin Dan has recorded a rare shock loss in the semifinals of the French Open to compatriot Bao Chunlai. However, Lin Dan has never been known to dwell excessively on a minor hiccup, and I believe he will be the main contender for his home ground title. Lee will do his best to upstage him, and the anticipated Lin vs. Lee finals could very well go either way.

Men's Doubles
Recovering from a dramatic game in France against a Japanese pair, current world number one and first seed Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong have to win their first title as first seeds to stay as world number 1. Home ground favorites Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng, world number 2 and second seeds will do their best to satisfy their home crowd and reclaim the world number 1 they held a few months ago. Cai and Fu have been in superb form lately, winning the French Open by demolishing Malaysian veterans Choong and Lee whom they have lost to in two previous encounters. World Champions Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan have been a little off form lately, winning just one Grand Prix title since their triumph in Kuala Lumpur. In addition to this, the presence of Tony Gunawan/Candra Wijaya, Choong Tan Fook/Lee Wan Wah, Jung Jae Sung/Lee Yong Dae and Jens Eriksen/Martin Luungard Hansen guarantees that the Men's Doubles title will be the most hotly contested title in this tournament.

Women's Singles
This Chinese dominated area is no different to other tournaments we've witnessed this year. With Zhang Ning, Xie Xingfang, Lu Lan and Zhu Lin occupying the 1-4th seeding in this tournament, the only valid question is who of these 4 will win the title, and not which country would win the title. Zhang will try her best to win this title, as it will augur well for her next year when she defends her Olympic title. Her biggest contender is first seed and world number 1 Xie Xingfang, who looked impressive in her win against Pi Hongyan en route to winning the maiden French Open title. Lu Lan has improved tremendously over the year, from a backup shuttler that loses to players like Wong Mew Choo to one who can win a Super Series title. This hotly contested field will be interesting to watch, but if one things for sure, China will certainly dominate this title.

Women's Doubles
Zhang Yawen and Wei Yili, who recovered from their shock first round exit in the hands of Malaysians Wong Pei Tty and Chin Eei Hui to win the French Open, are the top seeds while World Champions Yang Wei and Zhang Jiewen are second seeds. History dictates that Yang Wei and Zhang Jiewen would win this title, as Yang Wei has won this title for the past 4 years. However, Chinese Taipei pair of Chien/Cheng, Korean pair Lee/Lee, Indonesian pair Vita/Natsir and Malaysian pair Wong/Chin provide stiff competition. It would be interesting to see which pair stamp their dominance ahead of the year ending Super Series Finals.

Mixed Doubles
Obviously favorites are world number 1 Gao Ling and Zheng Bo. Indonesians Widianto and Natsir will try to prevent Gao and Zheng's continued dominance in the Mixed Doubles, but there is not much that they can do. World Championship bronze medalists Xie/Zhang and Marrisa/Limpele are dark horses, but ultimately, I still think Gao and Zheng would win this title.

For results of the China Open go here:

Badminton Loonsport

Badminton Predictions - China Open

An unusually large amount of mouth watering matches litter the opening day of the China Open.

Wang Chen vs. Saina Nehwal
Both players put on unconvincing performances in the European circuit. Wang got eliminated by Malaysian Wong Mew Choo in the first round in Paris while the young Nehwal experienced a shock defeat in the hands of a lesser known opponent in the quarterfinals of the Vietnam Open. Wang's efficient and elegant footwork and her deceptive play will certainly put Nehwal in a difficult position. Although talented, Nehwal still lacks the grace and skill of the Chinese veterans. Given that Wang's prior injury will not affect her game, she should take this in 2 sets.

Julia Meulendijk vs. Zhu Lin
On paper the young Chinese appears to be a clear favorite for this match. However, world champion Zhu appears to be going through a slump in her career, with defeats to Chinese second stringer Lu Lan in Odsense and Ella Dhiel in Paris. Julia can be a lethal player at times, but this match will fall circumstantially; if Zhu is performing at her best, she will take this match in 2 sets. If however, she continues being inconsistent, she will break the home crowd's heart, and continue her horrendous run.

Wang Lin vs. Xu Huaiwen
The World Junior Champion faces Chinese cum German Xu in a classic veteran versus youngling match. Xu has disappeared from dominating the badminton scene for a long time, and many have been silently branding her as a spent force. Wang is one of the up and coming forces from the Chinese badminton powerhouse, and where better to stamp her mark than at her homeground? However, I still think Xu still has enough to fend off Wang's challenge and should take this match in 3 sets.

Lin Dan vs. Park Sung Hwan
Lin Dan's shock defeat to Park in the second round of the 2007 Malaysian Open raised several eyebrows. However, Super Dan has since avenged his defeat many times, the last being in Paris where he demolished Park in the second round. Despite of this, Lin has always been most vulnerable in the opening rounds, and Park is anything but an easy first round opponent. However, Lin should fend off Park's surge, and should take this game in 2 sets.

Kenneth Jonassen vs. Anup Sridhar
Giant Killer Sridhar faces off against the resilient and gritty Dane Jonassen in another veteran vs. up and coming match. While Anup's impressive run in the World Championship is well, impressive, his uninspiring performances in Europe shows that he still has much to learn. Jonassen, at an age where most badminton players retire, is known to fight on and on even when faced with imminent defeat. Anup on the other hand, still does not have the mental capacity of being a champion. As to who would take this game, I think Jonassen should fend off Sridhar's attack, and should take this game in 2 sets.

Bao Chunlai vs. Taufik Hidayat
Indonesia's golden boy Hidayat was a relatively quiet force in the recently concluded European circuit. Losing to Bao in Odsense and Lin in Paris, Taufik is still hunting for his first Super Series title. Hidayat will be gunning to avenge his defeat in the hands of Bao in Odsense. Hidayat will have a game plan to attack Bao's perceived mental weakness, but the question is whether he has the ability to put it into action, especially with rumors of his faltering stamina. Bao, although affectionately called Mr. Runner Up, is a very formidable player. Taufik will want to win this match and go far in this tournament in the hopes of defending his Olympic title in Beijing next year. Tough to call.

Wong Choong Hann vs. Sony Dwi Kuncoro
Wong disappointingly lost to Park Sung Hwan in the first round of the French Open, and another first round exit could very well dash his hopes of qualifying for next year's Olympic. The deceptive quality of Kuncoro is something to look out for, and it will be tough for Wong to actually pull this off. If Wong wants to not only qualify but qualify and do well in next year's ultimate test, he would have to pull off another convincing performance, just like the one in China Masters. China is Wong's happy hunting ground, and hopefully he and Malaysian supporters will return happy this time. Unfortunately, on current form, it looks like Sony would win in an extremely close encounter.

Lee Chong Wei vs. Boonsak Ponsana
Lee is obviously the favorite for this match. In fact, barring any upsets, the second seed should go all the way to the finals and meet Lin Dan. Another tough first round opponent, this time in the form of Singapore Open winner Ponsana. Lee should easily pull this off, although Boonsak is known to put up a fight at times.

Stay tuned for the predictions on the doubles games!

I'm Back!

Dear readers,

Sorry for the lack of updates. As my exams are over, I will resume blogging in The Badminton Blog.

The next tournament is the China Open, which commences next week, followed by the Hong Kong Open. Both are Super Series Tournaments and are extremely important in the lead up to the year ending Super Series Finals, tipped to be held in Kuala Lumpur, although dates are will actually be confirmed next week. I will be comprehensively blogging on those two events, and I hope you do join me in The Badminton Blog.

Meanwhile, do stay tuned for more badminton news and analysis.

Victor

Announcement

This blog will go on a hiatus until 16/11/07, as I am currently studying for my examinations.

Activity will resume for the China Open.

Tournament Analysis - French Open

This third last leg of the inaugural Super Series has ended with the continued domination of China, albeit with a reduced margin. China has managed to snatch 3 titles, the Men's Doubles, Women's Doubles and Women's Singles. Malaysia continues its one medal run through Lee, who swept past Bao, while Indonesia claimed the Mixed Doubles title through Vita Marrisa/Flandy Limpele with the injury of top seeds Gao and Zheng.

Although Malaysians witnessed the tragedy of Koo and Tan as they crashed out of the Quarterfinals in a dramatic match against their Achilles heel: the Japanese pairs, this tournament did result in the breakthrough win by Wong Mew Choo who reached the Semifinals before losing to top seed and eventual winner Xie Xingfang. This would restore much needed confidence in the Malaysian lass, who was going through a slump in her career.

Cai and Fu's win again reinforced the fact that the Men's Doubles title is a musical chair title, with no one pair being able to dominate the scene completely. This certainly makes the race for the end of year Super Series Finals, tipped to be in Kuala Lumpur, more interesting. Similarly, Lee Chong Wei's win also opens the possibility that he may pose a stiff challenge to world number 1 Lin Dan.

Keep your eyes open for the two finals legs of the Super Series, the China Open and Hong Kong Open.

Tournament Prediction - French Open

Predictions for the finals of the inaugural French Super Series:

Lee Chong Wei vs. Bao Chunlai
Viewers were deprived of a Lee Chong Wei vs. Lin Dan match up when Bao edged Lin Dan in three thrilling sets yesterday, defying his horrendous record against the Chinese southpaw. Lee easily swept past an exhausted Chen Jin, and would be out to avenge his shock defeat in the hands of the Chinese last week in the semifinals of the Danish Open in Odsense. Bao aka. Mr Runner Up unfortunately, or fortunately for Malaysians, will achieve another runner up position, making it his FOURTH runner up in a Super Series event (Malaysian Open, Indonesian Open, Denmark Open). I predict Lee in 2 relatively tight sets.

Choong/Lee vs. Cai/Fu
Another exciting encounter, with the Chinese wanting to make up for their consecutive loses in Macau and Kuala Lumpur. Choong and Lee swept past the Japanese killers who took out reigning world number 1 Koo and Tan. Encounters between these two pairs have always been of the highest standard, and I believe this will be no different. As to who would actually win this match, it all depends whether Choong and Lee can maintain their attack and focus. Cai and Fu's strategy will be to tire out and seep the stamina of Choong and Lee. However, the veterans know better than to allow that. Choong and Lee in 3 sets.

Pi Hongyan vs. Xie Xingfang
With the French crowd behind Pi, the three time French Open RUNNER UP will be out to gain victory for the first time. Reining world number 1 Xie will be out to consolidate her position, but will find it difficult to battle Pi and the boisterous French crowd who's enthusiasm in the form of Mexican Waves and standing ovations can easily match the Danish and the Asians. Pi in three sets.

Xie/Zhang vs. Marrisa/Limpele
Both are world championship bronze medalists, and both will be out to gain supremacy after the exit of top seed Gao/Zheng and second seeds Natsir/Widianto. Tough match to call, but I believe Xie Zhongbo's power will prevail eventually. Three very tight sets in favor of the Chinese.

Badminton Analysis- French Open

Lee leads the way for the Malaysian tigers!

Lee Chong Wei played a superb game today, defeating the Macau Open champion in a lopsided scoreline of 21-8 21-8 which can only indicate that he is playing top badminton although slightly injured. It is not often that you can witness such demolishing between top 5 players. In fact, I cannot recall when such a big scoreline was achieved when two top 5 ranked players faced off.

Chen Jin never looked to be in the match, at one point trailing 15-1 in the first game. The second was no different, with everything, pace, shots and angles all being dictated by the lanky Malaysian shuttler. Chen Jin had absolutely no reply for the superb defensive and patient display exhibited by Chong Wei.

Although Chen Jin was rumored to be injured, this is taking nothing away from the Malaysian shuttler, who exhibited such calmness in his shot-making, that one would say that he was in completely different league of his own. Although I failed to catch the game live, Chen Jin's injury, if it didn't warrant him to withdraw, meant that it couldn't have affected him too much. Hence, all credit for Chong Wei for such an exhibition of skills.

This certainly augurs well for tomorrow finals, against either Lin Dan or Bao Chunlai, who are battling it out in court now. With such a confident and demolishing display today, this certainly makes his opponent tomorrow, whoever he is, to be the underdog.

All the best to all Malaysians!

Match Report – Semifinals French Open

Lee Chong Wei vs. Chen Jin
Both fight to secure a semifinals spot, with Lee trying to prevent an all Chinese encounter

After a cautious start by both players, Lee flies off to a magical lead, with Chen Jin unable to find any answers to Lee’s patient game. Chen attempted to play a long drawn out rallying game, but evidently failed as he trailed 1-11 in the mid game interval. The second game interval saw Lee play the most magnificent badminton ever, allowing Chen one point before taking a massive 16-2 lead that seemed unreachable. Chen Jin attempted to stage a comeback that saw him marginally reduce Lee’s humungous lead to 7-19. However, Chen’s futile efforts were all in vain when Lee took the first set eventually at 21-8, a complete whitewash.

Lee continued his gallant run, taking the first 3 points to lead 3-0. Refusing commit the same mistake as he did in Odsense, he raced to a further 6-1 lead, before conceding another point. It seemed like Chen Jin was being whitewashed. At 9-2, it seemed that this was a repeat of the lopsided first game. This proved true when Lee took the mid game interval advantage at an enormous 11-2 lead. Not much to report here as Lee continues his dominating form into an 11 point lead at 14-3. Reports have come in stating that they suspect Chen Jin to have an injury. By the looks of the score, it appears so, but Chen Jin seems to be playing fine. Chen Jin carries on, narrowing Lee’s lead to 6-15. The highly anticipated fight back did not occur, as Lee earned a match point at 20-8, and only needs one to win it 21-8 21-8.

Stay tuned for more reports

For full results of the French Open go here:

Badminton Loonsport Semifinals results

Badminton Predictions - French Open

The Semifinals promise some explosive encounters:

Lin Dan vs. Bao Chunlai
Lin Dan appears to be the clearcut favorite in this semifinal. Bao last beat Lin Dan last year in the China Open, and has since lost to Lin Dan for countless times, including the finals of the Danish Open last week. I am afraid that Bao will once again break his female fans hearts, and will unfortunately lose this game in 3 sets. Lin Dan is roaring to face Lee and gain revenge for the humiliating straight set defeat in the semifinals of the Japan Open in Tokyo a month ago.

Novita/Polii vs. Zhao/Yu
Novita and Polii have played the most incredible badminton yesterday, defeating the gritty Japanese girls in a match that lasted 1 hour and 47 minutes, the longest match since the adoption of the 21 point system. Novita and Polii both looked exhausted and battered after the match, and needed some medical attention during and after the match. After their gallant fight yesterday, I doubt that they have much to throw at Zhao and Yu who are fresh after obtaining a walkover from world champions Zhang/Yang. As much as I want this pair to proceed, I think Zhao and Yu will prevail in 2 sets.

Xie Xingfang vs. Wong Mew Choo
Since Wong's triumph in Kuala Lumpur, Xie has managed to regain revenge by demolishing Wong in Tokyo. Xie will be out to defeat Wong one more time, and set up a possible encounter with her nemesis Zhang Ning. To win, Wong has to learn to shorten the rallies and employ more killer shots. Unless she can pull off a miracle, I doubt that she will make it through to the finals. Xie in 2 sets.

Lee Chong Wei vs. Chen Jin
Lee Chong Wei is playing with an slight injury that however, doesn't seem to hamper his performance. Chen Jin on the other hand, after winning the Macau Open and closely losing to Bao in the Quarterfinals of the Danish Open, will look to end his losing streak to this lanky Malaysian shuttler. Lee is playing with everything he's got, to set up a possible meeting with first seed, world number one and reigning world champion Lin Dan. Lee should pull this off, with a 2 set win, with the 2nd set being the more straightforward of the two.

Zhang Ning vs. Pi Hongyan
This is the rematch of the All England semifinals, where the two battled for more than one hour, with Pi continuing Zhang's bad luck in England. Zhang Ning will be out to get revenge, and the world number 2 will be out to score a consolatory win against Pi. However, Pi, a French National, will have the full support of the Paris stadium, and will be out to please the crowd and advance to her second Super Series finals.

Ohtsuka/Masuda vs. Choong/Lee
Ohtsuka and Masuda have had a magnificent run, defeating former world number 1 and world champions Lars Paaske/Jonas Rasmussen, gritty Indonesian pair Joko/Hendra, and finally reigning world number 1 Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong. Choong and Lee would be relieved that they aren't facing teammates Koo and Tan, but this pair of experienced Japanese shuttlers are no easy meat either. Overall, I think Choong and Lee will win this in 3 tight sets.

All the best to all players!

Tournament Report - French Open

March of the tigers!

In a commendable effort by the Malaysian fighters in Paris, three pairs/players have advanced to the semifinals of the French Super Series tournament, more than any Super Series tournament we've seen before.


The first player that got through was Lee Chong Wei, when he easily breezed past Hong Kong-ian Chan Yan Kit, to set up an encounter with Chen Jin. While Lee Chong Wei is playing with a slight knee injury, he nevertheless, should take the game from Chen Jin without much drama.

The second pair to get through was Choong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah, the Malaysian veterans. Shrugging off their first round defeat in the Danish Open, they proceeded to claim the highly prized scalp of Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan, the current world champions. Today they face the surprise semifinalist Masuda/Ohtsuka which beat our reigning world number 1 Koo and Tan. Choong and Lee should defeat Masuda and Ohtsuka, and set up a mouthwatering finals encounter with Chinese pair Fu and Cai, which they beat on the last 2 occasions.

The third player that got through was our Malaysian lass Wong Mew Choo. Again, shrugging off the first round defeat in Odsense, Wong managed to beat the gritty Ella Diehl in a tight scoreline of 21-19 21-23 21-19 in a match that lasted for more than an hour. She faces world number 1 Xie Xingfang, which she beat in the World Championships but was demolished in the Japan Open. Nevertheless, this will be an interesting encounter for Xie who is trying to stamp her mark further in international badminton.

All the best to all players!

Tournament Report - French Open

Drama in the courts!

The shocking defeat of world number 1 Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong was full of drama yesterday, involving several blatant line calls, yellow cards, and the crowd's allegiance changing from the Malaysians to the Japanese.

It all started when linesmen called several shots from the Malaysians out, when they were very obviously in. This encouraged the French crowd to cheer on the Malaysians, and to support them.

However, everything changed when Tan made a drop shot that did not pass the net. The umpire failed to see this, and awarded to point to the Malaysians. The Japanese started complaining to the umpire, which only saw them receiving a yellow card. The furious French crowd turned against the Malaysians and cheered their hearts out for the Japanese, which in the end gave them the advantage to take this game from the Malaysians in three sets. In the end, the Japanese were given a standing ovation and the umpire was booed loudly when exiting the stadium.

While many might be accusing Koo and Tan for being unsportsmenlike for not notifying the umpire, I believe they should not have been blamed for that. Players are actually encouraged to keep quiet when such bad calls in their favor are made. This is all part of the mind games and psychological process of the game. While in this case, they might have turned the crowd against them, under normal circumstances, no player would have turned against the umpire. Hence, I encourage everybody not to blame Koo and Tan for not revealing the bad call, and just look forward to their next game.

Look on the bright side - at least we can have someone to cheer for (Choong/Lee) instead of sitting on the fence once again!

Tournament Predictions - French Open

The semifinals of the French Open promise some interesting games.

Xie Xingfang vs. Xu Huaiwen
While Xie has struggled past her opponents (except for her magnificent third set against Tine Rasmussen which at one point, she threatened 21-0), Xu has been in punishing form, demolishing all her opponents in straightforward straight sets. However, by virtue of her reputation of one of the badminton queens, Xie is obviously the more highly regarded of the two. Can Xie shrug off her slump to defeat Xu? I believe so, but it will be in three sets again.

Lin Dan vs. Taufik Hidayat.
Oho. Clash of the titans. Battle of the giants. Face off in Paris. What ever you want to call it, it is a badminton fanatic's dream pairing. Sparks fly everytime they meet, and this long overdue rematch promises soem furious badminton. Being stopped from facing each other in the Japan Open, World Championships, Denmark Open and Sudirman Cup, these two can finally take to the courts and settle many of the debates going on. While both players are not in their top form, with Taufik barely surviving a few matchpoints in his last few matches and Lin Dan being stretched by Sony Dwi Kuncoro, it seems that the key to who will win will ultimately lie in whos form is better. Lin Dan has shown that he is in a better form, and would win it unless Taufik pulls off a miracle, which wouldn't suprise me... He is after all, the great Hidayat.

Lee Chong Wei vs. Chan Yan Kit
According to some well placed sources in Paris, Lee appears to be injured, as he has altered his playing style; limiting his jump smashes and dives. This is a remnant of his injury that saw him being defeated by Bao Chunlai. Chan Yan Kit has knocked out yoyo king Hafiz, but he will ultimately have no answers for Lee's new deceptive play. Lee in 2 sets.

Mew Choo vs. Ella Diehl
While Mew Choo pulled off a stunning defeat on Wednesday, some sources appear to be indicating that her defeat wasn't as heroic as perceived. Her more renouned opponent, Wang Chen appeared to be suffering from an injury and wasn't attacking much. However, Mew Choo has found herself in the quarterfinals of this Super Series tournament, and now faces Ella Diehl, which has gone through an equally thrilling run. Knocking out reigning world champion Zhu Lin and Judith, both ranked way higher than her, she now faces the Malaysian lass that appears to be slightly injured herself too. As to who would win, I cannot make such a prediction as both are playing badminton no one has ever seen before this.

Choong/Lee vs. Kido/Setiawan
Choong and Lee were slightly troubled by junior Chinese second stringers yesterday, and now face the off-form reigning world champions. Kido and Setiawan were also stretch, to three games yesterday. However, Kido and Setiawan play the best badminton when facing with this pair, as Choong and Lee's defensive style suits Kido's jumps. The question is whether Choong and Lee can hold their ground against the more feisty and aggresive pair, and unfortunately, I think Choong and Lee cannot. Kido/Setiawan in 3 sets.

Badminton Predictions - French Open

Day 2 of the action:

Park Sung Hwan vs. Lin Dan
Park has been ruthless in demolishing Wong Choong Hann yesterday, but he faces an uphill challenge from the reigning world champion and world number 1 'Super Dan'. While Park beat Lin Dan in this year's edition of the Malaysian Open, Lin Dan has been in invincible ever since, winning 4 Super Series Tournaments. However, after the dodgy second set by Lin yesterday against Kuncoro, it did put some doubts in my mind about this match. However, after Lin completely demolished Kuncoro in a 21-7 scoreline, I am confident that Lin will win this match. Lin Dan in 2 sets, unless Park has some special formula for beating Lin.

Xie Xingfang vs. Tine Rasmussen
The current world number 1 faces up against Tine Rasmussen, the Japan Open champion, who upstaged Xie on her way to the Japan Open title. Xie will be eager to gain revenge here, and I believe she will succeed in doing so. Xie in 2 sets.

Mew Choo vs. Anna Rice
After Mew Choo's shock victory against World Championship runner up Wang Chen, there is no doubt that she is playing at a confidence high. Anna Rice, the little known Canadian, probably won't pose a great threat to her. Wong in 2 sets.

Hafiz Hashim vs. Chan Yan Kit
Hashim, the well known yoyo of Malaysian badminton, faces off against Hong Kong number 2 Chan Yan Kit. While Hashim managed to gain revenge in a loopsided scoreline against his conquerer in the Danish Open, Persson, this is not a big feat to brag about. While Chan Yan Kit is the lesser known of the 2 Hong Kong Men's Singles players, he is nevertheless, a threat. Hashim will prevail if he plays good badminton.

Zhou Mi vs. Zhang Ning
Another veteran vs. veteran battle, with both players being top Chinese players in the early 2000s. While both know each other from back to front, Zhang is the more renounced one - She is the reigning Olympic Champion, and looks and sounds more menacing than Zhou. Zhang in 3 tight sets.

Natsir/Marrissa vs. Zhang/Yang
The reigning world champions take on China Master winners. Zhang and Yang have been in superb form lately, winning the Danish Open after saving 3 matchpoints. Natsir and Marrisa, on the other hand, have not been heard from after their triumph in Li Yongbo's own soil. Zhang and Yang in 2 sets.

Choong/Lee vs. Sun/Xu
In an effort to diversify his Men's Doubles department, Li Yongbo has put together this new pairing. Choong and Lee have a tendency to let their guard down when facing lesser opponents, and this is a time not to do that. On paper, Choong and Lee should win easily, but on paper, in the Danish Open first round, they should also have won against Malaythong/Bach (they lost). Choong and Lee have to be careful and not complacent, or else they will fall victims to Li Yongbo's scratch paring.

For results refer to:


Badminton Loonsport