News Diary for Sunday Aug 22

K.M. Boopathy
New Straits Times
08-22-2010
The Malaysian challenge
Byline: K.M. Boopathy
Edition: New Sunday Times
Section: Main Section

K.M. BOOPATHY takes a look at what we can expect from the national shuttlers in the Paris World Championships which start tomorrow.

Men's & Women's Singles
Lee Chong Wei

World Ranking: 1

Age: 28

Titles in 2010: Malaysia Open, Korea Open, Malaysia Grand Prix Gold, All England, Indonesia Open, Macau Open

World Championship best: Semi-finals (2005)

Form Guide: Very successful in open tournaments but has struggled to transform that form in major events. Rival Lin Dan is exactly the opposite and both are expected to meet in the semis in Paris. The sound beating Chong Wei received at the hands of Lin Dan during the Thomas Cup took some time to heal and the Olympic champion will be the player the Malaysian must overcome in order to taste a first world crown.

Wong Mew Choo

World Ranking: 19

Age: 27

Titles in 2010: Nil

World Championships best: Last 16 (2007)

Form Guide: Injuries and lack of confidence haven't helped Mew Choo in becoming a world class player. Has performed well in patches, like in 2007 when she won the China Open beating the then top China shuttlers. Mew Choo's form this year has been poor and she faces another early exit in Paris.

Hafiz Hashim

World Ranking: 18

Age: 28

Titles in 2010: Nil

World Championships best: Last 16 (2003)

Form Guide: Hafiz is fortunate to be given a chance to play in the World Championships despite his poor form. A second round meeting with Chong Wei means there is nothing much he can achieve in Paris.

Wong Choong Hann

World Ranking: 21

Age: 33

Titles in 2010: Nil

World Championships best: Runner-up (2003)

Form Guide: Choong Hann is Malaysia's best ever singles performer at the World Championships but is way past his prime. The lack of depth in the national back-up squad has allowed him to qualify again for the major event but he is not likely to get past the preliminary rounds.

Lydia Cheah

World Ranking: 78

Age: 22

Titles in 2010: Nil

World Championships best: Preliminary rounds

Form Guide: A player gifted with skills and height, Lydia has not achieved her true potential. Very erratic and fumbles when the stakes are high. Hard to predict her performance and another early casualty.

Men's Doubles

Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong

World Ranking: 1

Age: 25 and 23

Titles in 2010: Malaysia Open

World Championships best: Semi-finals (2009)

Form Guide: They are the World No 1 but their performance hardly resembles that status. Kien Keat-Boon Heong's inconsistency is legendary and they must discard that weakness if they want to progress in Paris. A training stint at the University of Bath is said to have put them in a good frame of mind but bogeymen Jung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae of South Korea will be in their path en route to a place in the last four.

Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah

World Ranking: 17

Age: 34 and 35

Titles in 2010: Nil

World Championships best: Semi-finals (2001, 2007)

Form Guide: Tan Fook-Wan Wah have already shown interest in taking up coaching and are probably playing only because they have qualified for the major event. Managed to reach the semis twice but it will be a tall order for them.

Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen

World Ranking: 21

Age: 27 and 26

Titles in 2010: Nil

World Championships best: debutants

Form Guide: Teik Chai-Bin Shen capitalised on the pathetic form of Zakry Latif-Fairuzizuan Tazari to qualify and it will be hard for them to match the elite pairs. Credit is due to them for pushing the backup pairs to the sidelines but not expected to make any surprises.

Mixed Doubles

Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying

World Ranking: 24

Age: 22 and 20

Titles in 2010: Asian Championships

World Championships best: 1st rd (2009)

Form Guide: Playing in their second world championships and the most improved Malaysian pair. Showed their ability by winning the Asian Championships but still have a long way to go as they are plagued by inconsistency. Need to be more confident if they wish to shock some big names in Paris.

(Copyright 2010)