Simply breathtaking Koo-Tan overcome stifling conditions to smash into semis
Koo Kien Keat, News, Top News 5:05 PM
MALAYSIA’S Koo Kien Keat gave a really big hug to Tan Boon
Heong after they downed nemesis Lee Yong-dae-Jung Jae-sung of South
Korea to march into the semi-finals of the World Badminton
Championships.
Yesterday, Kien Keat-Boon Heong overcame the heat, exhaustion and huge expectations that came with their world number one tag to beat the two-time World Championships runners-up Yong-dae-jae-sung 23-25, 21-13, 21-14 in a gruelling 72-minute match.
It was their first win over the Koreans after eight straight losses in international tournaments over two years. In fact, the Malaysians even lost to the Koreans in the recent Taiwan Open semi-finals just three weeks ago.
Today, the Malaysians will take on China’s Guo Zhendong-Xu Chen in the last four. The Malaysians hold a 2-1 record against the Chinese.
Ecstasy:
Malaysia's Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong celebrates after defeating
Korea's Jung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae in the men's doubles quarterfinals at
the BWF World Badminton Champhionships in Paris, Friday. Koo-Tan won
23-25, 21-13, 21-14. GLENN GUAN/The Star
Yesterday
though, Boon Heong created some anxious moments in the Malaysian camp en
route to beating the Koreans. He was breathless trying to cope with the
immense heat in the Pierre de Coubertin Stadium but the lanky shuttler
refused to give up.
And Kien Keat praised Boon Heong for persevering.
“I am very proud of my partner today.
“He was affected by the heat and was breathless.
“But he still fought on,” said Kien Keat.
“This really speaks of our determination here. We have come through so many hurdles. He was so tired and we had to be mentally strong to overcome the Koreans. Luckily, we pulled through.”
Kien Keat, however, felt that they should have nicked the opening game.
“It was a waste to lose the first game. It drained a lot of energy from us,” he said.
Malaysia's Koo
Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong celebrate after defeating Korea's Jung Jae
Sung-Lee Yong Dae in the men's doubles quarterfinals at the BWF World
Badminton Champhionships in Paris on Friday. Koo-Tan won 23-25, 21-13,
21-14. Pic shows them reacting after the win. GLENN GUAN/The Star
(Paris)
It was indeed an energy-sapping match, with
both pairs snapping at each other’s heels and keeping the fans at the
edge of their seats.
The tempo eased a little in the second game and the Malaysians pounced on the jaded Koreans to force the decider. What a torrid game it turned out to be until 11-9.
After cooling down with ice packs and getting a lot of encouragement from coaches Rexy Mainaky and Pang Cheh Chang during the breather, the duo came back stronger to slowly open up a gap to race home for victory.
Boon Heong was happy that he managed to hang on, vowing to come back fresh for the semi-final clash against the Chinese today.
“The heat affected me and I felt so tired,” said Boon Heong, who did his part with his powerful smashes towards the end of the game.
QUARTER-FINALS
Men’s singles: Chen Jin (Chn) bt Hsueh Hsuan-yi (Tpe) 22-24, 21-5, 21-13; Taufik Hidayat (Ina) bt Lee Chong Wei (Mas) 21-15, 11-21, 21-12; Park Sung-hwan (Kor) bt Lin Dan (Chn) 21-13, 21-13; Peter Gade-Christensen (Den) bt Kazushi Yamada (Jpn) 21-19, 21-12.
Men’s doubles: Guo Zhendong-Chen Xu (Chn) bt Lars Paaske- Jonas Rasmussen (Den) 21-16, 23-21; Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (Mas) bt Jung Jae-sung-Lee Yong-dae (Kor) 23-25, 21-13, 21-14.
Women’s singles: Tine Baun (Den) bt Cheng Shao-chieh (Tpe) 21-18, 21-13; Wang Lin (Chn) bt Eriko Hirose (Jpn) 21-16, 21-17; Wang Shixian (Chn) bt Saina Nehwal (Ind) 21-8, 21-14; Wang Xin (Chn) bt Pi Hongyan (Fra) 21-13, 21-15.
Women’s doubles: Ma Jin-Wang Xiaoli (Chn) bt He Jung-eun-Kim Min-jung (Kor) 21-19, 17-21, 21-12; Cheng Shu-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) bt Maeda Miyuki-Satoko Suetsuna (Jpn) 21-8, 21-14.
Mixed doubles: He Hanbin-Yu Yang (Chn) bt Thomas Laybourn-Camilla Rytter Juhl (Den) 21-19, 21-16; Zheng Bo-Ma Jin (Chn) bt Nova Widianto-Lilyana Natsir (Ina) 21-19, 23-21; Ko Sung-hyun-Ha Jung-eun (Kor) bt Diju V-Jwala Gutta (Ind) 21-16, 21-19; Lee Sheng-mu-Chien Yu-chin (Tpe) bt Tao Jiaming-Zhang Jawen (Chn) 14-21, 21-17, 21-18.
Yesterday, Kien Keat-Boon Heong overcame the heat, exhaustion and huge expectations that came with their world number one tag to beat the two-time World Championships runners-up Yong-dae-jae-sung 23-25, 21-13, 21-14 in a gruelling 72-minute match.
It was their first win over the Koreans after eight straight losses in international tournaments over two years. In fact, the Malaysians even lost to the Koreans in the recent Taiwan Open semi-finals just three weeks ago.
Today, the Malaysians will take on China’s Guo Zhendong-Xu Chen in the last four. The Malaysians hold a 2-1 record against the Chinese.
Ecstasy:
Malaysia's Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong celebrates after defeating
Korea's Jung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae in the men's doubles quarterfinals at
the BWF World Badminton Champhionships in Paris, Friday. Koo-Tan won
23-25, 21-13, 21-14. GLENN GUAN/The Star And Kien Keat praised Boon Heong for persevering.
“I am very proud of my partner today.
“He was affected by the heat and was breathless.
“But he still fought on,” said Kien Keat.
“This really speaks of our determination here. We have come through so many hurdles. He was so tired and we had to be mentally strong to overcome the Koreans. Luckily, we pulled through.”
Kien Keat, however, felt that they should have nicked the opening game.
“It was a waste to lose the first game. It drained a lot of energy from us,” he said.
Malaysia's Koo
Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong celebrate after defeating Korea's Jung Jae
Sung-Lee Yong Dae in the men's doubles quarterfinals at the BWF World
Badminton Champhionships in Paris on Friday. Koo-Tan won 23-25, 21-13,
21-14. Pic shows them reacting after the win. GLENN GUAN/The Star
(Paris) The tempo eased a little in the second game and the Malaysians pounced on the jaded Koreans to force the decider. What a torrid game it turned out to be until 11-9.
After cooling down with ice packs and getting a lot of encouragement from coaches Rexy Mainaky and Pang Cheh Chang during the breather, the duo came back stronger to slowly open up a gap to race home for victory.
Boon Heong was happy that he managed to hang on, vowing to come back fresh for the semi-final clash against the Chinese today.
“The heat affected me and I felt so tired,” said Boon Heong, who did his part with his powerful smashes towards the end of the game.
QUARTER-FINALS
Men’s singles: Chen Jin (Chn) bt Hsueh Hsuan-yi (Tpe) 22-24, 21-5, 21-13; Taufik Hidayat (Ina) bt Lee Chong Wei (Mas) 21-15, 11-21, 21-12; Park Sung-hwan (Kor) bt Lin Dan (Chn) 21-13, 21-13; Peter Gade-Christensen (Den) bt Kazushi Yamada (Jpn) 21-19, 21-12.
Men’s doubles: Guo Zhendong-Chen Xu (Chn) bt Lars Paaske- Jonas Rasmussen (Den) 21-16, 23-21; Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (Mas) bt Jung Jae-sung-Lee Yong-dae (Kor) 23-25, 21-13, 21-14.
Women’s singles: Tine Baun (Den) bt Cheng Shao-chieh (Tpe) 21-18, 21-13; Wang Lin (Chn) bt Eriko Hirose (Jpn) 21-16, 21-17; Wang Shixian (Chn) bt Saina Nehwal (Ind) 21-8, 21-14; Wang Xin (Chn) bt Pi Hongyan (Fra) 21-13, 21-15.
Women’s doubles: Ma Jin-Wang Xiaoli (Chn) bt He Jung-eun-Kim Min-jung (Kor) 21-19, 17-21, 21-12; Cheng Shu-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) bt Maeda Miyuki-Satoko Suetsuna (Jpn) 21-8, 21-14.
Mixed doubles: He Hanbin-Yu Yang (Chn) bt Thomas Laybourn-Camilla Rytter Juhl (Den) 21-19, 21-16; Zheng Bo-Ma Jin (Chn) bt Nova Widianto-Lilyana Natsir (Ina) 21-19, 23-21; Ko Sung-hyun-Ha Jung-eun (Kor) bt Diju V-Jwala Gutta (Ind) 21-16, 21-19; Lee Sheng-mu-Chien Yu-chin (Tpe) bt Tao Jiaming-Zhang Jawen (Chn) 14-21, 21-17, 21-18.
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