Koo-Tan face contrasting fortunes after tricky doubles draw

KUALA LUMPUR: There were contrasting fortunes for Malaysia’s top men doubles shuttlers Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong when the draw for the World Championships was released yesterday.

First, there were smiles when the fourth seeds found out that they will not have the company of three big names – Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng of China, Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia and South Koreans Lee Yong-dae-Jung Jae-sung in their half.

The Malaysians were drawn together with second seeds Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen of Denmark, South Koreans Ko Sung-hyun-Yoo Yeon-seong, Mohd Ahsan-Bona Septano of Indonesia and China’s Chai Biao-Guo Zhengdong.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong have beaten all these pairs except for Sung-hyun-Yeon-seong.

The Malaysians may meet the Koreans in the quarter-finals and on paper, the odds are stacked against Kien Keat-Boon Heong after having lost four times to pair over the last one year.

Rexy says that his ultimate aim is to see a re-match between Kien Keat-Boon Heong and three-time world champion Cai Yun-Haifeng but he admits that it would not be easy. Last year, Cai Yun-Haifeng came from behind to beat Kien Keat-Boon Heong in the final in Paris.

“Cai Yun-Haifeng are probably in the best condition now. They may be the veterans but their game is solid and they are playing well,” said Rexy.

“It is good that Cai Yun-Haifeng and two other top pairs are not in the same half but it does not make it any easier for Koo and Tan. They have not beaten the second ranked Koreans (Sung-hyun-Yeon-seong) but they can do it during the world meet.

“Last year, they defeated Yong-dae-Jae-sung for the first time (in two years) and they can pull off the same act.”

Besides, Kien Keat-Boon Heong, Malaysia will also have two other pairs – Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-Hoon Thien How and Lim Khim Wah-Chan Peng Soon – at Wembley but they are unlikely to go far.

Zakry-Thien How have been drawn to play 2005 world champions Howard Bach-Tony Gunawan of United States in the first round. Even if they win, they may have to face two other giants – Markis-Hendra and Lee Sheng-mu-Fang Chieh-min of Taiwan – in their quarter.

Khim Wah-Peng Soon are in the same quarter with Cai Yun-Haifeng of China and Japanese Naoki Kawamae-Shoji Sato.

Without any representative in the women’s singles for the first time, Malaysia will focus their attention on the women’s doubles through Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty and Ng Hui Lin-Ng Hui Ern.

But Japanese players could spoil their party. Eei Hui-Pei Tty are set to take on fourth seeds Mizuki Fujii-Reika Kakiiwa in the second round while the Ng sisters may play 15th seeds Matsutomo Misaki-Ayala Takahashi in the last 32.

Said Rexy: “Pei Tty has been working hard to get back to good form and we still have hopes on them. They can go at least until the quarter-final if they can raise their game.”

In the mixed doubles, where China, Indonesia, England, Denmark and South Korea will be fighting for honours, not much is expected from Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying and Ong Jian Guo-Sabrina Chong.

Posted by Lucas Liau on 3:03 PM. Filed under Latest News . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0