Danish Open Analysis

Finally over my Olympic disappointment. Happy to say that The Badminton Blog will now continue its coverage of all tournaments around the world!

Okay, maybe not all around the world.

Anyway, the Danish Open is upon us! Oh my. I remember blogging about the Danish Open last year. Who could forget the excitement of the Malaysian number 1 WD pair Wong Pei Tty and Chin Eei Hui defeat the World Number 1s? Oh wait. That was the Frech Open. My bad.

This year's Danish Open will be less exciting, due to the fact that we don't have an Olympic Games and Thomas Cup in the horizon. Nevertheless, it'll be interesting to watch for a few reasons. Can Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong continue their run from Macau? Can they prove that they are once again, a force to be reckoned with? They certainly have caused the Malaysians lots of grief, many blaming them for Malaysia's 3-2 defeat to China in the Thomas Cup and their underperformance in the Olympic Games. (Me, I blame them for losing my PAWs in both the Thomas Cup and the Olympics :-) )

What about the split super pairing of Fu Haifeng and Cai Yun? I'll certainly look back at that pairing with a bit of nostalgia. Now they both appear to have taken over as the senior player in their respective pairings, Fu being paired with Shen Ye and Cai being paired with Chen Xu. Fu Haifeng must be crying no fair how Cai and Shen Ye have been seeded 6th while his pair remains unseeded. Nevertheless, both pairs are to be treated with the utmost caution.

On the other hand, is the era of the Sony here? No, not the Japanese brand. The player, Sony Dwi Kuncoro. He defeated Chong Wei enroute to winning the Japan Open title, while defeating Chen Jin in the China Open finals. Two back to back Super series victories. No mean feat!

Then we have the Chinese women singles players. Can they regain their strength and dominance after the departure of Zhang Ning and Xie Xingfang? It now falls onto the shoulders of Lu Lan, Zhu Lin, Wang Yihan and Wang Lin. On the other hand, we have Maria Kristin Yulianti who appears to be emerging as the new Susi.

In the men single's department, we have the two Danish homecrowd favorites Peter Gade and Kenneth Jonassen, who are both by no means young. It appears that both the world number 1 and number 2, Chong Wei and Lin Dan have opted out of this tournament. We also have super veteran Wong Choong Hann, now outside the BAM, playing. Can he overcome the dissapointment of losing to the unheralded Hsieh Yu Hsin of Taiwan in Beijing?

This Denmark Open will certainly be an interesting barometer to gauge the landscape of the future badminton scene!

Asian Badminton Championship Post Mortem & Thomas Cup Analysis

Malaysia failed to win any titles at the just concluded Asian Badminton Championships, with both our top tier men and women players bowing out unexpectedly. Our men, Lee Chong Wei, Kien Keat and Boon Heong, and Tan Fook and Wan Wah failed to reach the finals, while Wong Mew Choo bowed out early too.

While some may brand the Asian Badminton Championship as a total disaster of an outing for Malaysia, there were several pleasing performances, especially from our second tier players. Wong Choong Hann and Hafiz Hashim managed to scalp Chen Yu and Bao Chunlai, a welcoming improvement in the depth of our Men's Singles, which before this, was experiencing a crisis. This certainly takes some pressure of Lee Chong Wei to perform, knowing that he has several notable players to back him up. Kien Keat and Boon Heong on the other hand, according to my calculations, which will officially take over as Malaysia's top Men's Doubles pair at the Thomas Cup, put up a commendable fight against Lee and Jung of Korea, but ultimately faltered.

Which brings us to the Thomas Cup, going to be held in Jakarta at the famed Istora Senayan. While some might comment that Malaysia have been left in a worse than ever position after the Asian Badminton Championships (ABC), I would say that Malaysia is now in a stronger position compared to before they participated in the ABC. There are several reasons for this:

- With the stepping up of Choong Hann and Hafiz Hashim, some pressure can be relieved on Lee, who is expected to deliver a point in all Thomas Cup ties. We all know how much pressure can affect a player's ability.

- The 2nd MS and 3rd MS ties can now be regarded as 'hopes' for team Malaysia to clinch a point. Previously, the 2nd and 3rd MS were regarded as 'sure losses'.

- After unconvincing performances of Kien Keat and Boon Heong throughout the past few tournaments, they have now stood up with their brave and spirited performance against Jung and Lee. This certainly puts to rest many fears that Koo and Tan are slipping further and further away as the Thomas Cup approaches.

- Koo and Tan take over as MD1. I believe this is a good thing for team Malaysia. Why? Lets just look at the possible matchups:

against China:
I believe Koo and Tan stand a better chance against Cai and Fu than Choong and Lee. With Koo and Tan as MD1, Malaysia's chances of sweeping both MD points, a must if Malaysia wants to win, looks brighter than if Malaysia were to field Choong/Lee as MD1.

against Indonesia:
Koo and Tan fare better against Markis and Kido than Choong and Lee will. Koo and Tan have never been defeated by the pair, while Choong and Lee have consistently lost to them. I believe both Choong and Lee and Koo and Tan will both have equal chance of defeating Candra/Nova or Alvent/Luluk, the possible 2nd Indonesian MD.

However, with the improvement of the Malaysian squad, the Korean squad's improvement is also a worrying trend, seeing that they are in the same group as us. Although we beat them in the Asian Qualifying finals, they were fielding a weaker team. If full strength Korea vs. full strength Malaysia would be matched up:

Lee vs. Park (55:45)
Koo/Tan vs. Jung/Lee (45:55)
Choong Hann vs. Hyun Il (45:55)
Choong/Lee vs. Hwang/Lee (50:50)
Hafiz vs. Seung Mo (50:50)

... Korea will hold the upper hand. However, Korea beating us might not necessarily be a bad thing, as then we will be placed away from China's half of the draw. However, this would severely affect the morale of the team, which is seen as a contributing factor in Malaysia's shock lost to Denmark in the 2006 semifinals.

Nevertheless, we all know anything can happen in Thomas Cup. How else do you explain China's lost to Malaysia in the 2002 and 1992 semifinals? How else do you explain Denmark's lost to Indonesia in the 2000 semifinals? Players are known to step up and perform beyond their normal capabilities in the Thomas Cup, and hopefully, the Malaysian players will.

Victor

Asian Badminton Championships - Day 3 Analysis

Yesterday has been a extremely good day for Malaysia, except for a minor hiccup. But lets focus on the good things:

Hafiz Hashim managed to beat World Number 3 Bao Chunlai in 3 sets. This is extremely significant because 1. he is in the quarterfinals, a first in a long long long long time 2. he beat Bao 3. he won in 3 sets. Hafiz Hashim's usual weakness is his stamina, lack of confidence and lack of focus. However, he has managed to overcome all of these weaknesses to gain a timely confidence boost ahead of the Thomas Cup. This certainly spells good things for the Malaysian contingent. Hafiz faces Sony Dwi Kuncoro today, and while I agree that Sony is a formidable opponent, I think Hafiz, having overcome all his weaknesses, would be able to - seize the day.

Wong Choong Hann was impressive in his dismissal of the slumping Chen Yu. I have nothing against Chen Yu, but I think he, together with Chen Hong, will be slowing fading into the scenes. Choong Hann was extremely impressive, especially in the second game, where he dictated complete pace and won 21-9. He faces world number4 Chen Jin today, and you can read my predictions in the predictions post.

Wee Kiong and Khe Wei failed yet again to win in a major match. It is time these guys started to step up, and I hope they do it soon.

On another note, a badminton record has been set. A Singaporean Women's Doubles team has managed to beat a Turkmenistan team 21-0 21-0. I think the Singaporeans should have at least given a few points, maybe 5 each game. Don't be so kiasu lah :D ! The Turkmenistan girls are new to the scene and need encouragement. What would happen to badminton in Turkmenistan now that you have dealt such a big confidence blow to them?

Both Koo/Tan, Choong/Lee and Zakry/Fairuz expectedly came through. All six of them broke no sweat in sweeping past their lesser opponents. At least their opponents got points :P.

Chong Wei was beaten by Boonsak. Boonsak is an extremely well rounded player, and the only thing he lacks is his offense. However, think might be a blessing in disguise for Chong Wei, as he himself was reluctant to participate in this tournament, and now he can have his badminton free weekend.

The other question to ask is will his (girl)friend Wong Mew Choo join him? Mew Choo has been unconvincing for the past few days, being stretched into 3 sets yesterday. Mew Choo seems to have a problem against Thai players. Hopefully, she can pull through against Wang Lin today, but if she doesn't no harm done!

Day 3 has been a day of bullying, with the famous and powerful names killing and massacring the lesser known Asian players. (ahem, Turkmenistan) Hopefully this will not discourage these players. Badminton needs to grow.

Malaysian WS youngsters Lydia and Julia, who were expected to win against their lesser known opponents, were both defeated. Malaysia really lacks depth in WS. Although they have Mew Choo, it is not enough. Once Mew Choo is gone, who is going to take over?

Thats all for today folk! Stay tuned for more news from The Badminton Blog

Thomas Cup 2008 Analysis

You are probably wondering whether The Badminton Blog has gone AWOL. No, it hasn't. The Badminton Blog is just working on bringing its readers a live telecast to its readers. Be patient :).

Anyway, after vowing not to make any more predictions for the Thomas Cup, I have decided to analyze Malaysia's position.

Malaysia has lost the reliability of a crucial pair Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong. They have failed to beyond the second round of any tournament this year, and has dropped steadily down th rankings. This certainly doesn't help Malaysia's cause. Once viewed as unbeatable, this pair seem to have hit a few snags.

On the brighter side, Choong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah have stood up and seem be back in form. However, I still think they would be fielded as the second singles regardless of their rankings (a country does not have to follow the official ranking in fielding players in positions). I will explain this later.

Lee Chong Wei's surprisingly tame defeat in the hands of Lin Dan puts Malaysia in an even tougher position.

How, how, how to put together a credible team?

This is how Malaysia should do it.

Field Koo and Tan as MD1. Koo and Tan may lose to lesser pairs, but I have no doubt that they have a better chance at beating Cai/Fu, Jung/Lee and Kido/Setiawan than Tan Fook and Wan Wah. Tan Fook and Wan Wah will fare better against the 2nd Men's Doubles of the badminton powers. Hwang/Lee, Guo/Xie and Yulianto/Hadiyanto. They have a better chance of beating them than the premier pairs. After all, a point is still a point, no matter if its the MD1 or the MD2 point.

Now we are left with the Chong Wei, Hafiz and Choong Hann trio. To arrange the also require strategizing nothing short of Sun Tze's Art of War. Chong Wei, presumably will beat Taufik and Hyun Il, but cannot beat Lin Dan. Hafiz is a strong team player, but he is still a 'yoyo'. Choong Hann is unpredictable, but nevertheless reliable. So what to do with them?

Put Chong Wei in MS2. He will deliver a 'sure win' point. I have more confidence in Choong Hann than Hafiz, so put Choong Hann in MS3. Let Hafiz be sacrificed.

This is all assuming the other teams won't do it. You never know what goes on in the background. Information on what the opposing team is fielding is crucial.

So my team will be
MS1: Hafiz
MS2: Chong Wei
MS3: Choong Hann
MD1: Koo/Tan
MD2: Choong/Lee

Against China, they would fare:

Hafiz to lose to Lin Dan
Chong Wei to beat Bao Chunlai
Choong Hann to lose to Chen Jin
Koo/Tan to beat Cai/Fu
Choong/Lee to beat Guo/Xie

However, against other teams, like Indonesia, Korea and Denmark, Malaysia should field full strength:

KOREA
Chong Wei to beat Hyun Il
Choong Hann to lose to Sung Hwan
Hafiz to beat Seung Mo
Koo/Tan to beat Jung/Lee
Choong/Lee to beat Hwang/Lee

However, the Koreans are always full of suprises. They are the masters of strategizing.

Indonesia
Chong Wei to beat Taufik
Choong Hann to lose to Sony
Hafiz to lose to Simon
Koo/Tan to beat Kido/Setiawan
Choong/Lee to beat Yulianto/Hadiyanto

Indonesia is my second pick after China for the title. Taufik, Sony, Simon, Kido, Setiawan, Yulianto, Hadiyanto and 20,000 fans is a challenge to beat.

Of course, all of these are just theoretical situation. Besides, not only Malayisa can do it. Other countries and choose and pick their team.

Indeed interesting. Stay tuned for more news from The Badminton Blog

Why China never does well in South East Asia?

Why is South East Asia China's blind spot?
An examination and analysis in consultation with several retired national players.

No doubt China has been always been a strong badminton force ever since the turn of the century. However, if there is one place where China claims the least titles, it is the South East Asian region. Indonesia has long held the honor of denying China many titles, being an Indonesian stronghold, while Malaysia holds many bad memories for Chinese players. Singapore on the other hand, yields better performances from the Chinese team, but in comparison to other tournaments, is still significantly lower. Why is it that China cannot perform in South East Asia?

When this question was posed to an retired National player, he jokingly remarked that it was the food. Oh, he adds, and the water too. Although all this was said in jest, this might hold a bit of sense. Perhaps its the food and the water that Chinese players are not used to. One Chinese player even brought bottled water and Chinese local food to Malaysia when participating in Malaysian tournaments. However, after asking several other retired players, some of them that used to play for China, this theory was dismissed by all of them. Oh well... It was a nice try.

"Perhaps it is the crowd support?" - suggested someone. Yes. That must be it. Indonesian crowds, with their chants of "Ganyang Malaysia" and other furious chants, have always instilled fears in the heart of players and foreign supporters alike. On the other hand, the Malaysian supporters, not to be outdone, are equally boisterous and rowdy. In fact, the noisiest badminton encounters are usually the Thomas Cup finals encounters between Indonesia and Malaysia. The banging of the kompangs and the drums could very well be the reason why Chinese players get intimidated. It is often said that foreign players are not only against the other player facing them at the other side of the court, but are also against the crowd that would boo, cheer and chant their hearts out.. Perhaps?

Another theory is because Malaysian and Indonesian players perform better in their home ground. This must surely be true for Malaysia - this is where the phrase Jaguh Kampung comes from. Indonesian players are equally guilty of this: they seem to be able to sweep all 5 titles in their home ground, while not being able to do so outside Indonesia. Surely, this must be a contributing factor.

I believe it is a combination of these factors that result in South East Asia being the blind spot for China. What do you think?

China vs. Rest of the World (Thomas Cup Style)

Previously, I have published an article comparing China vs. Rest of the World Sudirman Cup style. Now, I will examine China vs. Rest of the World Thomas Cup style.

Men's Singles 1
Lin Dan vs. Lee Chong Wei
It will be a close fight, with world number 1 vs. world number 2. Lin Dan obviously holds the upper hand, and with his recent triumph in Hong Kong Open (although admittedly, under dubious circumstances), and would be the favorite to win this meeting. However, with Lee's underdog status, he might just spring us a suprise and beat Lin Dan in 3 tight sets. However, presently, Lin Dan would prevail in 3 sets.

China 1 World 0

Men's Doubles 1
Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong vs. Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng
Although Koo and Tan have been anything but impressive lately, Cai and Fu have also been going through a slump. I believe Koo and Tan will prevail in this match in 2 sets.

China 1 World 1

Men's Singles 2
Bao Chunlai vs. Peter Gade
Tough to say. While Gade is certainly past his prime, Bao is known to falter miserably when faced with this sort of pressure. This brings back memories of the 2002 Thomas Cup semifinals against Malaysia, where Bao faltered even though he was the favorite. Therefore, I believe Gade's experience will prevail in the end, with him beating Bao in 3 sets.

China 1 World 2

Men's Doubles 2
Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan vs. Guo Zhengdong/Xie Zhongbo
No doubt, Markis and Hendra obviously hold the upper hand against the lesser known, but sometimes lethal Chinese pair. Markis and Hendra to win in 2 sets.

China 1 World 3

Men's Singles 3
Chen Jin vs. Taufik Hidayat
Again, another match that could go either way. Chen Jin has been quite impressivev lately, but if you are to discount anyone, discount anyone but the great Hidayat. If all were to go to plan, this match would not be played, but if this match were to be played, I believe Taufik will win in 2 sets.

China 1 World 4

Evidently, the world fares better against China in the Men's department than the Women's. This has always been well known, with China's depth in Women's Singles and Women's Doubles legendary.

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.

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?

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

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.

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!

World Junior Championships

Malaysia made a near perfect march into the Quarter Finals of the World Junior Championships, where no Malaysian lost except for 15th seed Tee Jing Yi in the Women's Singles discipline.

However, many Malaysians face tough opponents in their Quarter Finals match tomorrow. Lydia Cheah, Malaysia's top hope is facing the formidable Chinese machinery in the form of third seed Wang Lin, Teo Kok Siang is facing Korean Park Sung Min, and top seed Mohammad Abdul Latif faces unseeded but possibly lethal opponent Kim Sa Rang tomorrow.

All the best to all the players especially the Malaysian contingent.

Analysis of Malaysian Campaign in the Danish Open

Men's Singles
Once again, this tournament reinforces the fact that Malaysia has no depth in Mens Singles. With the sole exception of Lee Chong Wei, who went unsupported into the Semifinals, and Hafiz Hashim, who made it to the second round only to lose to qualifier Joachim Persson , all other Malaysian Men's Singles players did not make it past the first round. Lee Chong Wei might be a great player, but he cannot be expected to carry the Malaysian challenge every single time. This is putting too much pressure on him, and we all know that Malaysian players usually crack under pressure. BAM should actively try to find more capable shuttlers to at least make it to the quarterfinals, and throw out the ones that exist merely to make up the numbers for the tournament and be involved in the process.

Men's Doubles
The result of this tournament is another repetition of many others; Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong are left to carry the challenge, and they take another Super Series title again, saving Malaysian blushes, while veterans Choong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah once again prove that they are good for nothing but for defeating Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng, hence clearing the way for Koo and Tan, when they lost to Howard Bach and Khan Bob Malaythong in the first round. Choong and Tan might be good for clearing the way for Koo and Tan, but if they are unable to beat lesser pairs, they cannot proceed to the later rounds. This is a persistant weakness of Choong and Tan, and I hope they will correct it before Thomas Cup or Beijing Olympics next year.

Women's Singles
The unsuprising lost of Mew Choo in the hands of European based Chinese Jiang in two straight sets does raise some eyebrows, once again, proving the inconsistencies in Malaysian Women's Singles. Overall a disastrous category, although Malaysians were not really expecting anything from this.

Women's Doubles
One of the silver linings of this tournament. Chin Eei Hui and Wong Pei Tty, by scalping the first seed, put Malaysia back on the Women's Doubles map. Unfortunately, they were defeated by Zhao Tingting and Yu Yang, partially because of Eei Hui's injury. I look forward to more results from this pair, and I hope that they can prove that they are really a pair to reckon with in future tournaments, by that, also proving that their win here wasn't a fluke.

I look forward to the commencement of the French Open, and stay tuned for more updates from The Badminton Blog.

Tournament Analysis - Denmark Open

Malaysians snatch Men's Doubles title after initial jittery start

After a stunning display of badminton where young Malaysian guns Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong came from a set down to defeat homeground favorites and hopes Jens Eriksen and Martin Lungaard Hansen, no one can dare accuse Koo and Tan of being a spent force anymore.

Just months ago, the Malaysian public, somewhat encouraged by the Malaysian media began vilifying and crucifying Koo and Tan for their failures in the World Championships. Many alleged that Koo and Tan were a spent force that should be split up. Now, I will have to brace myself for the overwhelming jumping of the bandwagon from the Malaysian public, who's allegiance seem to be ever changing, as Koo and Tan have resumed their winning ways. "Kick them when they're down, but worship them when they are up" seems to be the mentality of some Malaysian badminton fans.

Nevertheless, this should take nothing away from their spectacular victory in Odsense. After shockingly losing the first set when at they were leading all the way up to 13-10, many thought Koo and Tan did not possess the mental capacity to win the remaining games. Many thought the game was as well as over. Defying these pessimistic calls, Koo and Tan proceeded to pull away from the Danish pair after having a cat and mouse prelude of a second set. After being tied at 8-8 in the second set, Koo and Tan proceeded to chalk up a convincing 14-21 21-14 21-12 victory that did nothing but reaffirm their number 1 position, be it in the official ranking list or the eyes of many fans.

Hopefully Koo and Tan can maintain their winning ways into the French Open, another crucial tournament offering valuable Olympic ranking points.

Triumph of Super Dan

After the erratic performance shown by Lin Dan in yesterday's semifinals against the obvious underdog Kenneth Jonassen, Lin once against showed why he is regarded as the best player in the world after the systematic annihilation of compatriot Bao Chunlai in a straightforward 2 set match, defying many who predicted that Bao would finally stop breaking his female fan's heart and shed his Mr Runner Up title by winning his first title of the year.

Bao, after shutting down three badminton superstars: Taufik, Chen Jin and Lee Chong Wei, surprisingly meekly succumbed to the pressure of the world number 1 in a loopsided scoreline of 21-15 21-12. Lin never allowed Bao to get into the match with the latter never ever leading in both games. With 18 smash winners to a miserable 5, Lin Dan once against has showcased the badminton power game at its highest level, and systematically treated the Danish audience to his supremacy.

By earning his 6th title of the year, and 24th overall international title, Lin has reminded many fans of his domineering presence in the international badminton scene. With the Super Series Finals, a 500,000 U.S. Dollars tournament coming up, and with the 200,000 U.S. Dollar French Open on next week, such untroubled dominance would certainly ring in many fan's ears, and might even instill fear in the minds of other players. His performance today reinforces: Can Lin Dan be beaten?

It remains to see whether players such as Lee and Taufik are still able to pose a credible challenge to the Chinese machine. Naturally it begs the question: Who is in a position to deny China's Olympic titles, Thomas Cup and Uber Cup next year?

Badminton Predictions - Denmark Open

Lin Dan vs. Bao Chunlai
Under normal circumstances, I would say that Lin Dan would most certainly prevail. But after seeing Bao survive Lee Chong Wei, Chen Jin and Taufik, I think this might be the match for Bao to shed his Mr. Runner Up status. Denmark certainly brings back memories for him; that is where he won his first international title, when he ironically beat Lin Dan in the finals. But circumstances have changed ever since. Lin Dan has become the poster boy for Chinese badminton, while Bao has been somewhat shunned into the shadows of the great Dan. Bao is a man with a mission, out to prove to Li Yongbo and his female fans that he can win titles. While it is rare for me to say this, I would say that Bao will prevail over Lin Dan in 3 tight sets.

Lu Lan vs. Zhang Ning
After Zhang Ning defies me and survives a scare from World Championship runner up Wang Chen, she appears to be marching towards another title, albeit with an injury that didn't seem to trouble her yesterday. The person that stands in her way is Lu Lan, who only months ago was considered a second stringer for badminton. However, she has stood up, scalping current World Number one Xie Xingfang and World Champion Zhu Lin in straight sets. Youngster vs. veteran... who will prevail? Tough to call, as I haven't seen Lu Lan playing in such impressive form before.

Koo/Tan vs. Eriksen/Luungard Hansen
Under normal circumstances I would give this match to Koo and Tan, as they have never lost to this pair before. However, seeing Eriksen and Luungard Hansen defeat Cai and Fu, would certainly make the contest closer. Koo and Tan are not only against Eriksen and Luungard Hansen, they are against the boisterous Danish crowd that could easily match the fanaticism of the Malaysians or Indonesians. However, Koo and Tan have proved their worth against Kido and Setiawan, and I would say Koo and Tan would win in 2 tight sets, breaking the hearts of the Danish people.

Yang/Zhang vs. Lee/Lee
There is no question in my mind that Yang and Zhang will win this title; I've said in the beginning, I'll say it now: Yang and Zhang are unstoppable... and Lee/Lee certainly won't be the ones to stop them. Yang/Zhang in two easy sets.

Robertson/Emms vs. He/Yu
Well.... this certainly is interesting. With the crashing out of the two top Indonesian seeds, it is now a battle between Robertson and Emms, former world champions and world number 1, against He and Yu, second stringers from China. I will have to give this game to Robertson and Emms, as they have shown that they won't crack under pressure. Furthermore, skill-wise, Robertson and Emms also hold the upper hand. Robertson/Emms in two sets.

Stay tuned for updates.
PS: I will be commenting on the World Junior Championships and the French Open next week.

Badminton Tournament - Denmark Open

Kien Keat and Boon Heong's march towards title reaffirms themselves as world number 1

After Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong's punishing showcase of badminton skills at the highest level, it looks like no one is in the position of denying this great pair their 6th title of the year, a remarkable feat by itself, complimented by the fact that they've only been together for a little over a year.

After destroying reigning world champions Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan in both games, where the score of 21-18 21-10 didn't wasn't a true testimony to the differences in quality, they will take on homeground favorites Eriksen and Luungard Hansen, who upset the more fancied Cai and Fu for the Danish Open title. Koo and Tan are clear favorites for this title, and it will take some pretty spectacular badminton to upstage this dynamic duo.

Kido and Setiawan were nervy and edgy the whole match, while Koo and Tan took control from the first point right till the last, unrelentingly keeping the flow of the points coming in their favor. Indeed, the world champion's 5th straight defeat out of their 5 meetings would not only discourage this pair, but also pose questions as to whether they really deserve to be world champions. They certainly didn't play like one today; looking unsettled, never looking confortable. One might go as far as saying that Kido and Setiawan lose all confidence when meeting this pair, and start to panic.

It seems that no one will be able to stop Koo and Tan's march toward the Danish Open title, and I wish both players all the best.
MALAYSIA BOLEH

China vs. The Rest of the World

This kind of exhibition match has been held before, although not in badminton. For example, in Chess, there is a still ongoing Russia vs. Rest of the World. I had a request to examine China vs. The Rest of the World in the form of the Sudirman Cup competition. Here we go:

Men's Singles
Lin Dan vs. Lee Chong Wei
This will be a crucial match in the whole tie. Both players are capable of winning the match, and it would have to come down to which player had a better form on the day. Lin Dan or Lee to win in 3 sets.

Zhang Ning vs. Wang Chen
I had a hard time deciding who should represent China, but ultimately I went with Zhang Ning. I feel that if Zhang and Wang were at their peaks, Zhang would prevail. However, Wang has proved that she is capable in beating Zhang, evident in her win in Kuala Lumpur. Wang to win in 3 sets.

Koo/Tan vs. Cai/Fu
In current form, Koo/Tan will trounce Cai/Fu easily. Cai and Fu are going through a slump, and I don't see how they could win this match. Koo/Tan has been in punishing form; destroying all top pairs along the way. Koo/Tan to win in 2 straightforward sets.

Zhang/Yang vs. Lee/Lee
Zhang/Yang to win no doubt. Who can challenge Li Yongbo's girls at Women's Doubles? Evidently no one. Zhang/Yang to win in 2.

Zheng/Gao vs. Natsir/Widianto
Would be a another crucial match. Both pairs again, are capable of beating each other, but I think Zheng/Gao will ultimately prevail on that day, as they have proven to be the premier Mixed Doubles pair in the world. Zheng/Gao to win in 3 sets.

So overall, China would win 3-2 or lose 2-3 depending on the Men's Singles match. It would be interesting to hold such a match...

Badminton Analysis- Denmark Open

Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng - End of an era or just a cycle?

It cannot be denied that Cai and Fu have consistently dominated the Men's Doubles badminton scene for the past 2 years. They have been the world number 1 for 13 straight months, and have been almost a household name in many badminton fanatic's minds. However, after a string of defeats, starting with the World Championships, when they were defeated by veterans Choong and Lee, to the Japan Open, Macau Open, Chinese Taipei Open, and finally ending with their exit 15 minutes ago in the hands of veterans Eriksen and Luungard Hansen. While Cai and Fu might be going through a phase, suspicion after their slump is beginning to form: are they a spent force already?

Evidently Chinese coaches such as Li Yongbo and Tian Bingyi, who were themselves Chinese Men's Doubles aces, are concerned. With Cai Yun nearing the 30 psychological age barrier, Li and Tian have begun to look for other Men's Doubles players. With the obvious example being the pairing up of Xie Zhongbo and Guo Zhengdong, and the recent combination of Chen Xu and Sun Junjie, Chinese coaches are no doubt, concerned about the future of China's Men's Doubles.

Evidently, both Tian and Li want to avoid being left in a position where there are no reliable Men's Doubles players. This would leave them in a very vulnerable position, especially for the Thomas Cup. Traditionally, China has been known to fail when they do not have strong Men's Doubles players to back up their traditional depth in Men's Singles, as a lot of pressure is put on all three singles players to win. This is exactly why China failed to win the Thomas Cup in the 1980s even when they had poker faced smashing machines like Yang Yang and Zhao Jianhua.

Although my analysis might be premature, it is best to wait a few more tournaments to draw actual conclusions.