Badminton: Hee Chun-Wee Kiong score breakthrough win over world No. 1 pair
News 10:39 AM
PETALING JAYA: Four months of hard work under national coach Tan Kim Her finally bore fruit for back-up men’s doubles shuttlers Mak Hee Chun-Tan Wee Kiong.
Yesterday, they achieved their first big breakthrough when they dumped defending champions and top seeds Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong 21-19, 21-19 in a 40-minute quarter-final match of the Malaysian Open Grand Prix Gold at Stadium Bandaraya in Johor Baru.
It was the duo’s first win against their more illustrious compatriots and world number one pair Kien Keat-Boon Heong.
Today, they will take on Indonesians Alven Yulianto-Hendra Gunawan, who enjoyed an easy ride into the last four after their opponents Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen conceded a walkover at 6-21, 5-16.
Rising pair: Mak Hee Chun (left) and Tan Wee Kiong are motivated under coach Tan Kim Her. Kim Her was happy with the back-up players’ sensational win and believed more could be tapped from the youngsters.
“Hee Chun-Wee Kiong played well to pull the rug from under Koo and Tan. They were well prepared and did not let their guard down,” said Kim Her.
“They knew that the pressure was on them to produce in three consecutive tournaments - the ongoing Malaysian Open and the upcoming Macau and Taiwan Opens. And today, they showed me that they can handle the pressure - at least in the first one.”
Earlier, Kim Her had said that a good showing in these Opens would be rewarded with places in the upcoming majors - the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
But the former national doubles coach of South Korea said that the real challenge for his boys would be today against the Indonesians.
“I don’t want this win to go to their heads. The battle is far from over.
“They have been playing with Koo and Tan so often and they know each other’s game so well. Now, the challenge is for Hee Chun and Wee Kiong to beat a top pair from another country. We will know today whether they can cope with this pressure,” he added.
Meanwhile, Mohd Hafiz Hashim was left disappointed yesterday in the men’s singles when he ran out of steam and lost 21-19, 17-21, 11-21 to veteran Wong Choong Hann.
Choong Hann, who will take on second seed Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia today, said: “I could not reply his flurry of smashes in the first round but I switched my strategy to get the better of him at the net. And that worked well for me.”
“This is a timely boost for me ahead of the world championships (Aug 23-29 in Paris). But I also hope to be consistent in the Macau and Taiwan Opens.”
The other semi-final will be between world number one and defending champion Lee Chong Wei and Ajay Jayram of India.
Malaysia’s challenge is also alive in three other events with Wong Mew Choo, Ng Hui Lin-Ng Hui Ern and Ong Jian Guo-Sabrina Chong making it to the semi-finals in the women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles respectively.
Mew Choo will take on Zhou Mi of Hong Kong; Hui Lin-Hui Ern will face Macau’s Zhang Dan-Zhang Zhibo; and Jian Guo-Sabrina will meet Fitriawan Devin Lahardi-Lilyana Natsir of Indonesia.
Quarter-final results:
Men’s singles: Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Andre Kurniawan Tedjono (Ina) 21-11, 21-9; Ajay Jayram (Ind) bt Chan Yan Kit (Hkg) 21-19, 21-13; Wong Choong Hann (Mas) bt Mohd Hafiz Hashim (Mas) 19-21, 21-17, 21-11; Taufik Hidayat (Ina) bt Hu Yun (Hkg) 21-13, 9-21, 21-11.
Men’s doubles: Wiratama Yohan Hadikusumo-Wong Wai Hong (Hkg) bt Pratama Angga-Saputro Rian Agung (Ina) 10-21, 21-11, 21-16; Mak Hee Chun-Tan Wee Kiong (Mas) bt Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (Mas) 21-19, 21-19; Hendra Setiawan-Markis Kido (Ina) bt Candra Wijaya-Luluk Hadiyanto (Ina) 21-10, 21-17; Alven Yulianto-Hendra Gunawan (Ina) bt Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen (Mas) 21-6, 16-5 rtd.
Women’s singles: Yip Pui Yin (Hkg) bt Tee Jing Yi (Mas) 21-8, 21-14; Wong Mew Choo (Mas) bt Chan Tsz Ka (Hkg) 21-12, 21-13; Zhou Mi (Hkg) bt Misaki Matsumoto (Jpn) 21-14, 21-9; Pi Hongyan (Fra) bt Salakjit Ponsana (Tha) 21-12, 14-21, 21-10.
Women’s doubles: A. Duanganong-V. Kunchala (Tha) bt Rie Eto-Yu Wakita (Jpn) 21-18, 14-21, 21-16; Zhang Dan-Zhang Zhibo (Mac) bt Amitrapai Savitree-Munkit Vacharaporn (Tha) 21-15, 21-18; Ng Hui Lin-Ng Hui Ern (Mas) bt Chan Tsz Ka-Chau Hoi Wah (Hkg) 21-13, 23-21; Melati Nadya-Lita Nurlita (Ina) bt Lote Jonathans-Paulien van Dooramalem (Ned) 21-19, 21-10.
Mixed doubles: Sudket Prapakamol-T. Saralee (Tha) bt Tan Wee Kiong-Woon Khe Wei 21-17, 21-11; Markis Kido-Lita Nurlita (Ina) bt Hendra Gunawan-Vita Marissa (Ina) 10-21, 21-18, 21-15; Ong Jian Guo-Sabrina Chong Sook Chin (Mas) bt Shintaro Ikeda-Reiko Shiota (Jpn) 19-21, 21-18, 21-12; Fitriawan Devin Lahardi-Lilyana Natsir (Ina) bt Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying (Mas) 21-11, 21-9.
Yesterday, they achieved their first big breakthrough when they dumped defending champions and top seeds Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong 21-19, 21-19 in a 40-minute quarter-final match of the Malaysian Open Grand Prix Gold at Stadium Bandaraya in Johor Baru.
It was the duo’s first win against their more illustrious compatriots and world number one pair Kien Keat-Boon Heong.
Today, they will take on Indonesians Alven Yulianto-Hendra Gunawan, who enjoyed an easy ride into the last four after their opponents Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen conceded a walkover at 6-21, 5-16.
Rising pair: Mak Hee Chun (left) and Tan Wee Kiong are motivated under coach Tan Kim Her. “Hee Chun-Wee Kiong played well to pull the rug from under Koo and Tan. They were well prepared and did not let their guard down,” said Kim Her.
“They knew that the pressure was on them to produce in three consecutive tournaments - the ongoing Malaysian Open and the upcoming Macau and Taiwan Opens. And today, they showed me that they can handle the pressure - at least in the first one.”
Earlier, Kim Her had said that a good showing in these Opens would be rewarded with places in the upcoming majors - the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
But the former national doubles coach of South Korea said that the real challenge for his boys would be today against the Indonesians.
“I don’t want this win to go to their heads. The battle is far from over.
“They have been playing with Koo and Tan so often and they know each other’s game so well. Now, the challenge is for Hee Chun and Wee Kiong to beat a top pair from another country. We will know today whether they can cope with this pressure,” he added.
Meanwhile, Mohd Hafiz Hashim was left disappointed yesterday in the men’s singles when he ran out of steam and lost 21-19, 17-21, 11-21 to veteran Wong Choong Hann.
Choong Hann, who will take on second seed Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia today, said: “I could not reply his flurry of smashes in the first round but I switched my strategy to get the better of him at the net. And that worked well for me.”
“This is a timely boost for me ahead of the world championships (Aug 23-29 in Paris). But I also hope to be consistent in the Macau and Taiwan Opens.”
The other semi-final will be between world number one and defending champion Lee Chong Wei and Ajay Jayram of India.
Malaysia’s challenge is also alive in three other events with Wong Mew Choo, Ng Hui Lin-Ng Hui Ern and Ong Jian Guo-Sabrina Chong making it to the semi-finals in the women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles respectively.
Mew Choo will take on Zhou Mi of Hong Kong; Hui Lin-Hui Ern will face Macau’s Zhang Dan-Zhang Zhibo; and Jian Guo-Sabrina will meet Fitriawan Devin Lahardi-Lilyana Natsir of Indonesia.
Quarter-final results:
Men’s singles: Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Andre Kurniawan Tedjono (Ina) 21-11, 21-9; Ajay Jayram (Ind) bt Chan Yan Kit (Hkg) 21-19, 21-13; Wong Choong Hann (Mas) bt Mohd Hafiz Hashim (Mas) 19-21, 21-17, 21-11; Taufik Hidayat (Ina) bt Hu Yun (Hkg) 21-13, 9-21, 21-11.
Men’s doubles: Wiratama Yohan Hadikusumo-Wong Wai Hong (Hkg) bt Pratama Angga-Saputro Rian Agung (Ina) 10-21, 21-11, 21-16; Mak Hee Chun-Tan Wee Kiong (Mas) bt Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (Mas) 21-19, 21-19; Hendra Setiawan-Markis Kido (Ina) bt Candra Wijaya-Luluk Hadiyanto (Ina) 21-10, 21-17; Alven Yulianto-Hendra Gunawan (Ina) bt Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen (Mas) 21-6, 16-5 rtd.
Women’s singles: Yip Pui Yin (Hkg) bt Tee Jing Yi (Mas) 21-8, 21-14; Wong Mew Choo (Mas) bt Chan Tsz Ka (Hkg) 21-12, 21-13; Zhou Mi (Hkg) bt Misaki Matsumoto (Jpn) 21-14, 21-9; Pi Hongyan (Fra) bt Salakjit Ponsana (Tha) 21-12, 14-21, 21-10.
Women’s doubles: A. Duanganong-V. Kunchala (Tha) bt Rie Eto-Yu Wakita (Jpn) 21-18, 14-21, 21-16; Zhang Dan-Zhang Zhibo (Mac) bt Amitrapai Savitree-Munkit Vacharaporn (Tha) 21-15, 21-18; Ng Hui Lin-Ng Hui Ern (Mas) bt Chan Tsz Ka-Chau Hoi Wah (Hkg) 21-13, 23-21; Melati Nadya-Lita Nurlita (Ina) bt Lote Jonathans-Paulien van Dooramalem (Ned) 21-19, 21-10.
Mixed doubles: Sudket Prapakamol-T. Saralee (Tha) bt Tan Wee Kiong-Woon Khe Wei 21-17, 21-11; Markis Kido-Lita Nurlita (Ina) bt Hendra Gunawan-Vita Marissa (Ina) 10-21, 21-18, 21-15; Ong Jian Guo-Sabrina Chong Sook Chin (Mas) bt Shintaro Ikeda-Reiko Shiota (Jpn) 19-21, 21-18, 21-12; Fitriawan Devin Lahardi-Lilyana Natsir (Ina) bt Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying (Mas) 21-11, 21-9.
Posted by Lucas Liau
on 10:39 AM.
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