Since it is CHINA open, I think Lin Dan will mostly win the game even though I hope Taufik will take it away from him
One step at a time That's how the Malaysian players lost most of the time as they see too far ahead Taufik immediate attention should be on Chen Jin, still is in front of 13billion RP OF CHINA anyway.
Taufik lost to LD last time because he couldn't keep up his pace. That was a week ago. Taufik can't be in good enough shape now after only a week.
To make it tougher on Taufik, he has 3 world class players whom he has NOT beaten this year awaits him... if it works out like expectation... Chen Jin(never played before), Chen Hong (1:0 this year only), Lin Dan (3:0 this year only). Even if he can crack a little part of the great wall, the rest of the great wall may just fall on him and crush him.
Like the (Phil Collins') song goes....tonight's the night, ow-wow.... ..hehehe, if Taufik can escape and win this CO, man, i'll say this will "arguably" be the *toughest* and *hardest* title he'll get in his career. Yup, much harder than the WC and OG. Why? because now, take into account the shape and form he's in, he's also playing in China, a place where thruout his badminton career, he's had the most difficult time of playing in and winning....we shall see...
Yup, that's what i said before, the OC gold taufik was easy. LD, C hong, Bao CL all got eliminated early due to stage fright. taufik only hard work was to beat PG. Taufik beat shon of KOR to take gold, #30 now. LD was beaten by susilo, #49 now. Ie, the OC game bears no reference of technical standing or competency, only mental stableness for that day.
Can we determine now (rather than after the fact) whether TH wants to win this time? Otherwise, in case he loses, people will say he didn't really want to win the title, AGAIN! Personally, I don't care who ends up winning. As a badminton fan, I just want to see players trying their best.....as simple as that!
I actually kinda agree with Cooler on this. During the 2004 Athens Olympics, although Taufik played some excellent badminton, I agree that a little bit of luck was on his side as some of the tougher opponents such as LD, BCL, CH, LCW, LHI, & KJ were not in his path. Of course he probably would have beat them if he had met them but then again the latter rounds such as the semifinals & finals might have been different if he had met these players earlier since they have the ability to push Taufik to his limit. As we all know he is NOT known for his stamina/endurance so he might have ran out of gas in the semifinal/final stages in this hypothetical situation. But my hat goes off to him for maintaining his mental strength during that momentus occassion. However, I must agree that his wins at the 2005 World Championships was due to his skills more than his luck since he did meet & beat many of these tough opponents on his way to victory.
yes, i agree, it's an excuse but it was still based on some technical merit where as taufik excuses are more subjective (feelings, don't like the linejudging, not enough training, unpredictability, not fit, etc) Again, yes, a win is a win but in taufik's mind, an OC gold means superiority over other championships. So for him, doesnt matter he loses other events because he carries the OC gold and trumps all other wins in his mind.
hehehe, let me go on........(i didnt before afraid that cooler might sound too anti taufik which i'm not, i'm for fair comparision, not emotional rantings ) what happen 05 WC was also in taufik favor. I wasn't there but i watched it by live streaming plus what my fren told me because he was there. 1. when i was watching it i know LD was in trouble. He can't do even basic things right, he was playing like a B+ to A- level player at certain moments. A give away of mental unstablilty from my interpretation. Take a look at the 05 WC MS final, u will agree. 2. my fren (onetoughbirdie) came back and told me and made the confirmation. LD looks cold and pale, like he saw a ghost. After the match, LD face look blank, like under a spell, a spell of zombie. Why? Taufik's presence, the current OC gold medalist, was enough to give any a psyche out fit. Plus the pressure of expecting to win after losing the OC, LD end up stuttering on court. TH didnt beat LD, LD beat LD that day. yes, another excuse for LD one advice on playing taufik: don't let his OC gold status psych u out. See him as another opponent.
..hmm, IMO, i think Taufik has been given a "2nd chance" of redeeming himself in this CO for his performance in the recent WC...In that WC, i believe he would've gone thru 3 CHN MS player in order to win the title again. And since he failed to deliver, in a way, this will be his 2nd chance; cos in order to win the CO title, he will have to go thru most likely 3 CHN MS and in front of their home crowd(unlike in the WC where he played in a neutral ground)....let's see what can Taufik muster up this time??..
..i concur, i concur!.. **BTW, in my other thread, (whether Taufik wants to win or not)i've already put my "money" on Taufik not winning this CO(as well as the just concluded JO)..hehe
yes, i say TH effort in JO was solid from the start to the end of 2nd game of the MS final. Too bad his lack of effort on the last game of the match made all his JO effort less meaningful