Back-up shuttler goes down to China’s top youngster
News 1:51 PM
KUALA LUMPUR: Back-up shuttler Tan Chun Seang crashed out in the qualifying tournament of the Singapore Open yesterday to leave the battle for men’s singles supremacy to a handful of senior players led by Lee Chong Wei.
The 21-year-old failed to lift the image of Malaysia’s back-up shuttlers when he went down 13-21, 21-17, 7-21 to China’s top youngster Gong Weijie in a 44-minute second-round match. He had beaten Dane Christian Lind Thomsen 16-21, 21-19, 23-21 in the opening round.
Chun Seang thus failed to join three World Championships-bound Malaysians in the main draw — Chong Wei, Wong Choong Hann and Lee Tsuen Seng. The other Malaysian in the fray is Sairul Amar Ayob.
In the absence of Lin Dan, top seed and world No. 1 Chong Wei is expected to nail his third Super Series title this year after his success in the Malaysian and Swiss Opens.
“I have not managed to retain an Open title outside Malaysia. This is another shot for me to get it right. I will give my best” said Chong Wei.
Chong Wei, who will take on England’s Andrew Smith in the opening round today, is in the same half of the draw as Choong Hann, Sairul and China’s Bao Chunlai and Chen Jin. He is tipped to play against Chunlai in the quarter-finals.
As for Choong Hann and Tsuen Seng, the Singapore Open will allow them to assess their form ahead of the world championships in Hyderabad from Aug 10-16.
Choong Hann has a tougher path as he has Chunlai in his path in the second round.
Tsuen Seng is in the bottom half of the draw with second seed Peter-Gade Christensen of Denmark, South Korean Park Sung-hwan and Indonesians Sony Dwi Kuncoro and Simon Santoso.
Meanwhile, hopes will be on three world championships-bound pairs Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah and Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng to bring joy to Malaysia in the men’s doubles.
However, it wikll not be an easy task for them because the Singapore Open have attracted all the top pairs, including top seeded Indonesians Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan, South Koreans Lee Yong-dae-Jung Jae-sung, Chinese Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng and Danes Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen and Mathias Boe-Carsten Morgensen.
In the women’s singles and doubles competitions, Malaysia’s success will depend on the conditions of Wong Mew Choo and Chin Eei Hui, who skipped the Pahang Open two weeks ago to recover from injuries.
Mew Choo will take on South Korean Hwang Hye-youn today while top seeds Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty a first-round bye.
Said national doubles coach Rosman Razak: “Eei Hui showed good progress in training over the last two weeks. But she can be her own worst enemy. We hope that she will not have the fear of aggravating her back injury and will give her best.”
Posted by Lucas Liau
on 1:51 PM.
Filed under
