always nice to watch the pair, no outward gamemanship, no bravado, just quietly getting job done. there were a few rallies that look like they were in danger of falling asleep though, as the incoming shots must have appeared so predictable.
Well, they beat AaronSoh, ChoiSeo and KamuraSonoda. They might lose against LeeWang but if they can beat most of the pairs, doesnt need to retire. still can continue for 2 years. The reason their games dont drop that much as they get older, is they dont use power and speed to outmanoeuvre opponents. They can still play WC in Huelva and Tokyo next year and see how it goes. Eventually they will lose in WC but i'm sure Hendra will try to get that 5th WC Gold and many more titles and who knows AsianGames next year at Hangzhou.
Doubt so. Not easy to keep on training, maintain form and sharpness, at their age. They have already achieved much, so I'd think they will call it a day after the Olympics and spend more time with their family.
They will still play after Olympic, usually Indonesian players like to end their career in home tournament Whether they will still play in 3 years time, depends on their results and fitness
What happened to Paulus Firman? Limpele replace him as MAS MD coach? Limpele did good with Satwik / Chirag too if I remember, made them the first Indian MD to win superseries titles
Great opportunities for a Medal in WC. I would say they can go to SF but i expect at least a QF result for AhsanHendra.
Only not this year after PBSI confirmed Indonesia's withdrawal. I think they will still compete next year but the result is uncertain. The have not got good results in the last few tournaments, but Hendra's brilliant front play was visible in IO against Hoki/Kobayashi, unfortunately their speed was not on their side. Hoping for the best for this legendary pair!
I don't think they should. Just ride into the sunset with that unbeaten record and 3 gold medals. Perfect end for them
They will still play next year but i'm not sure if they will play in ThomasCup. Hendra already won it though i can see Ahsan still being in the squad. Also maybe not in AsianGames in which Hendra can go for unprecedented 3rd AG title.
Good to see that The Daddies stand on the podium again. Runner-up is a good start. I hope they'll reach great form and perform well this year.
For anyone who is interested in Hendra's own opinion about his loss against both TPE and MAS pairs in the Olympics: TPE pair: He found no way to win against them. At first, he thought he got a chance based on their last meet in Thailand Open. But the TPE pair's growth exceeds their expectation. MAS pair: He is actually pretty confident to win against them in the bronze medal match. But he got a sudden mind-blanking in set 2 and could not recover from that. It's a sad journey for both of them, especially for Ahsan, since he's a good player without any Olympics medal. Is there any notable good player without any Olympics medal?