Koo-Tan run out of steam against veterans Choong-Lee
News 9:39 AM
KUALA LUMPUR: For Malaysia’s Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, their Achilles heel seems to be their own compatriots.
Yesterday, it all went wrong for second seeds Kien Keat-Boon Heong when they were blown away 12-21, 17-21 by veterans Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah in just 24 minutes in an all-Malaysian men’s doubles quarter-final of the Hong Kong Open.
The defeat ended Kien Keat-Boon Heong’s good run in international tournaments in the last month. They won the Denmark Open and were runners-up at the French Open.
This is not the first time that Kien Keat-Boon Heong have been shown the exit by fellow Malaysians.
They had also lost to the same pair and to Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng and Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif several times over the last two years.
National doubles coach Rosman Razak praised the veterans but agreed that Kien Keat-Boon Heong would have to have better knowledge of their compatriots.
“Today, Tan Fook-Wan Wah played good. They seemed to have more energy and better speed and read the game well,” said Rosman in a telephone interview.
“It is difficult for Koo-Tan when they are playing against fellow Malaysians because their team-mates know their every move. It is something Koo-Tan have to work on.
“I will discuss with chief coach (Rexy Mainaky) and see whether we should review Koo-Tan’s participation in next week’s China Open. We have to be fair to them as it has been quite hectic for them.”
On Tan Fook-Wan Wah’s chances against Denmark’s Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen in the semi-final today, Rosman said: “I am happy that we still have a Malaysian pair in the semi-final. I hope that they will continue with their fine form.”
Quarter final results
Men’s singles: Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Mohd Hafiz Hashim (Mas) 10-21, 21-15, 24-22; Bao Chunlai (Chn) bt Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka (Ina) 21-15, 21-15; Peter-Gade Christensen (Den) bt Simon Santoso (Ina) 21-12, 21-8; Kenichi Tago (Jpn) bt Chan Yan Kit (Hkg) 19-21, 21-9, 21-12.
Men’s doubles: Alven Yulianto-Hendra Gunawan (Ina) bt Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan (Ina) 21-11, 21-18; Jung Jae-sung-Lee Yong-dae (Kor) bt Anthony Clark-Nathan Robertson (Eng) 17-21, 21-16, 21-16; Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen (Den) bt Hendra Wijaya-Hendri Kuniawan Saputra (Sin) 21-16, 21-17; Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah (Mas) bt Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (Mas) 21-12, 21-17.
Women’s singles: Wang Lin (Chn) bt Bae Seung-hee (Kor) 21-18, 21-5; Jiang Yanjiao (Chn) bt Wang Shixian (Chn) 21-18, 21-13; Wang Yihan (Chn) bt Lu Lan (Chn) 21-17, 21-15; Wang Xin (Chn) bt Pi Hongyan (Fra) 21-13, 21-18
Women’s doubles: Ma Jin-Wang Xiaoli (Chn) bt Ha Jung-eun-Lee Kyung-won (Kor) 21-13, 21-16; Cheng Shu-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) bt Kim Min-jung-Park Sun-young (Kor) 21-11, 23-21; Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty (Mas) bt Chien Yu-chin-Wang Pei-rong (Tpe) 21-17, 21-15; Du Jing-Yu Yang (Chn) bt Tian Qing-Zhang Yawen (Chn) 21-17, 21-10.
Mixed doubles: Nova Widianto-Lilyana Natsir (Ina) bt He Hanbin-Yu Yang (Chn) 19-21, 21-9, 21-9; Fang Chieh-min-Wang Pei-rong (Tpe) bt Qiu Zihan-Tian Qing (Chn) 21-18, 21-19; Hendra Gunawan-Vita Marissa (Ina) bt Fran Kurniawan Teng-Pia Zebadiah Bernadet (Ina) 22-20, 18-21, 21-11; Robert Mateusiak-Nadiezda Kostiuczyk (Pol) bt Anthony Clark-Donna Kellogg (Eng) 21-13, 21-16.
Posted by Lucas Liau
on 9:39 AM.
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