Chong Wei beats Chunlai to check into quarters
Top News 9:33 AM
PETALING JAYA: Defending champion Lee Chong Wei checked into the
quarter-finals of the All-England badminton championships but the title
continued to remain elusive for Indonesian old-timer Taufik Hidayat
after his challenge came to an abrupt end in Birmingham.
Yesterday,
Chong Wei underlined his superiority over Bao Chunlai of China with a
21-16, 21-16 win in a 42-minute second round match.
The win extended Chong Wei’s proud record of having won every match against the former World Championships runner-up since 2007.
A day earlier, the Malaysian blew away France’s Brice Leverdez 21-9, 21-11 in just 24 minutes.
Coach Tey Seu Bock was happy with Chong Wei’s cool and composed manner in packing off the lanky Chunlai yesterday.
“Chong Wei was mentally prepared to face Bao and played the right tactical game. He never gave Bao any room or opportunity to retaliate,” said Seu Bock in a telephone interview.
“Bao was in good condition but he was at a loss and did not know how to play against a focused Chong Wei. We hope that our sole Malaysian singles player will keep up his momentum.”
There was, however, a shocking – and sad – end to second seed Taufik’s challenge when he went down tamely 10-21, 14-21 to Japan’s Kazushi Yamada in the opening round on Wednesday.
With the defeat, Taufik’s jinx at the All-England continued, having lost in the finals in 1999 and 2000.
The gifted player has won all the other major titles in the world.
Seu Bock said: “Taufik ran out of steam here. This could probably be due to his hectic schedule of playing in the Indonesia and China leagues back-to-back.”
Yamada will take on another giant-killer Wang Zhengming of China for a place in the quarter-finals.
World junior champion Zhengming ended the challenge of South Korea’s Park Sung-hwan, another early title contender, with a sensational 21-17, 21-17 win.
There were no such setbacks, however, for two other seeded players – Lin Dan of China and Peter Gade-Christensen of Denmark.
Four-time All-England champion Lin Dan packed off Malaysian veteran Wong Choong Hann 21-14, 21-17 to set up a second round match against Indonesian Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka.
Gade-Christensen beat last year’s runner-up Kenichi Tago 21-9, 22-20 for a place in the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s challenge in the women’s singles ended when Wong Mew Choo went down 16-21, 16-21 to Wang Xin of China.
Posted by Lucas Liau
on 9:33 AM.
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