Day 5 Predictions 13/8/08

Woah... After yesterday's excitement and the ups and the downs, today looks to be just as exciting and nerve wrecking. Those with weak heart... you have been warned!

Maria Kristin Yulianti vs. Saina Nehwal
I don't think either player expected to find themselves in the quarterfinals of the Olympics. Maria has had a dream run so far, beating hot favorite Tine Rasmussen. Saina on the other hand, beat veteran Wang Chen in a hotly contested match. Both matches took almost an hour, and both would be tired today. I think Maria holds the upper hand, as she can outpace Saina's movement which at some times, seem sluggish in comparison. Maria in 3 tight tight sets, but this does no take anything away from the achievements of these two wonderful players.

Pi Hongyan vs. Zhang Ning
I believe Pi has the power to beat Zhang Ning, and we have to see whether Zhang is in top form or not. Pi has after all managed to beat Zhang Ning is several collossal matches, the most memorable being the 2007 All England Semifinals marathon that took more than 70 minutes. It will be another marathon match, expect both sides to throw everything at each other. Zhang has immense pressure on her to defend her title, while Pi, in comparison, does not have as much pressure. It will be close, but I will ultimately give it to Zhang in 3 tight sets.

Lu Lan vs. Wong Mew Choo
On paper Lu appears to be the favorite in this match. In reality however, I think Wong holds the upper hand in this match, because of their playing styles. Lu gets frusrated easily when met with pesky runners, which Wong definitely falls into the category of. Wong will run and get anything back, and her endurance and speed will eventually frusrate Lu into making errors. Wong in 2, 3 if neccesary, but Lu is after all, still the favorite on paper.

Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan vs. Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong
Markis and Hendra are the higher ranked pair, but go into this tournament having not won a match against the Malaysians. Ever. All 5 meetings between the pair have gone the way of Koo and Tan. It seems Rexy has the secret to beating this pair. If the Indonesian coaches have managed to fix this error, maybe Markis and Hendra would come closer to winning this match, but I think Koo and Tan should be able to take this in 2 sets.

Stay tuned for more updates!