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Chong Wei poised to add another feather to his cap

Posted by Lucas Liau Latest News 1:22 PM

PETALING JAYA: World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei looks set to continue his fine form in tournaments at home in the defence of the Malaysia Grand Prix Gold title in Alor Setar from May 3-8.

Chong Wei is the undisputed champion on home soil, the latest success being the Malaysian Open Super Series in January.

And he will start his campaign to add another feather to his cap in Alor Setar against Singapore’s Robin Gonansa.

His first real challenge will come in the third round where he will most probably face Indonesia’s Tommy Sugiarto.

Chong Wei has in his quarter of the draw another Indonesian, fifth seed Simon Santoso. And he is tipped to play against fourth seed Chen Jin from China, whom he has beaten in the last three meetings, for a place in the final.

Indonesian ace Taufik Hidayat is seeded second and will play against national elite sh uttler Liew Daren in the first round.

Daren, who is competing at the Asian championships (ABC) in Chengdu, is not expected to spring a surprise.

Also in the bottom half of the draw are Vietnamese Nguyen Tien Minh (third seed), Korean Lee Hyun-il (ninth) and Malaysian veteran Wong Choong Hann (eighth).

Kuala Lumpur Open winner Chong Wei Feng must be cursing his luck after being drawn against a top ranked Chinese player once again.

The Kedahan, who was beaten by Chen Jin in the first round of the ABC yesterday, will play against seventh seed Bao Chunlai in the first round.

In men’s doubles, world No. 3 Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong are the favourites to win the title in the absence of notable Korean and Chinese pairs.

The top seeds will play against Japanese Yoshiteru Hirobe-Kenta Kazuno in the first round. In their path in the second round are former world junior champions Chooi Kah Ming-Ow Yao Han, who upset Kien Keat-Boon Heong in the quarter-finals of the KL Open earlier this month.

However, the troubled pair of Mak Hee Chun-Tan Wee Kiong face a first-round exit against second seeds Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia.

The other Malaysian men’s pairs in the fray are Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-Hoon Thien How, Goh Wei Shem-Lim Khim Wah, Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Ong Soon Hock, Mohd Lufti Zaim-Voutus Indra Mawan and Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen.

In the women’s doubles, veterans Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty, who are on the comeback trail as a pair after a long layoff, are seeded seventh and they will relish their chances to win the title. They have a first-round match against Indonesians Imawan Gebby Restiyani-Nuraidah Tiara Rosalia.