Wonder if Ulldahl can get past Ueda and Daren Liew. It's certainly a lot easier draw than last time... Interesting matches in MS: [TABLE="class: ruler matches"] [TR="bgcolor: #FDFDFD"] [TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: right"][TABLE] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: right"]Takuma UEDA [13][/TD] [TD="bgcolor: transparent"][/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TD] [TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: center"]-[/TD] [TD="bgcolor: transparent"][TABLE] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD="bgcolor: transparent"][/TD] [TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Gabriel ULLDAHL [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [TABLE="class: ruler matches"] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: right"][TABLE] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: right"]Pengyu DU [1][/TD] [TD="bgcolor: transparent"][/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TD] [TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: center"]-[/TD] [TD="bgcolor: transparent"][TABLE] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD="bgcolor: transparent"][/TD] [TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Tanongsak SAENSOMBOONSUK [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [TABLE="class: ruler matches"] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: right"][TABLE] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: right"]Viktor AXELSEN [12][/TD] [TD="bgcolor: transparent"][/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TD] [TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: center"]-[/TD] [TD="bgcolor: transparent"][TABLE] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD="bgcolor: transparent"][/TD] [TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Eric PANG[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]
Actually, he peaked before the 2012 Olympics. He was r/u to LCW in 3 tough games, at the MO GPG in May. He took the Thailand Open in June. This May-June period was undoubtedly his peak, when it looked like he could really blast just about anyone off the court. He did win the Indonesia Open GPG in late Septmeber, but it was hardly a top-level representation of international players at that event. After that, he did his fade-away trick until the Malaysian Open SSP January this year, r/u to LCW in a lame match.
You are right, but I meant was after the Olympic qualification round. Chinese players are not prize money oriented, they are organized by team and their sole purpose was to complete the assignments from their government. The biggest assignment is the Olympics. Therefore Chinese players give up all the tournaments after Olympic qualification round. Same thing applied to Sony in 2008 too. He won his first ever super series Djarum Indonesia open 2008 in June 2008, right before the Olympic games. There is no doubt, Sony is the best among the players who disqualified for the Olympics.
There's garbage time, or junk time in some games. For badminton match, there is no garbage time, but for badminton season, there are some garbage seasons. The biggest garbage season is after the Olympic qualification round to the next year Chinese new year. During this time, except Olympic game, all the other tournaments are at very lower level. Between the end of qualification round and Olympics, the Olympic players don't want to waste their energy, fight spirit and chances getting hurt or injured there. After Olympics, winners are celebrating, and losers are healing their wounds. Even the Chinese national team will not be functioning until the next year Chinese new year. All Chinese players, no matter playing at Olympics or not, are all sent home.
Sony's career path hasn't followed the silhouette of a mountain -- up, peak, down. With all his unlucky injuries it's been more like a sine wave -- up, down, up, down. When he's fired up, he is really great to watch. And he strikes one as a true gentleman-type. -__ Meanwhile, back to the Swiss Open....
Well, if this is true, then it's really sad, because this is the kind of thing that can really hurt the game.
Though K.Srikanth lost to Jan O Jorgensen in three games. I am very happy by the way he fought against formidable opponent who even ousted Chen Jin in straight games very very easily in All England quarterfinals 2013 with the score 21-7,21-14. I expect a very good future for this wonderful youngster. Hope they will send him for more tournaments ahead. I don't even have that much confidence in Kashyap or Ajay. But K.Srikanth is something special. I appreciate the good work done by srikanth.
Predictions of matches involving INA players: MS R32 Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka [14] vs Petr Koukal - Hayom nearly lost to Varma again yesterday and this is another tricky match that he can't afford to lose this match if he wants to remain in Pelatnas. WS R32 Tai Tsu Ying [6] vs Maria Febe Kusumastuti - I can't see Febe winning this, having lost twice to Tai. Febe also had an atrocious 2012, losing 10 times (out of 14 tourneys) in the first round of either the Qualifying or Main Draw. Only 4 times she managed to crawl past R32. Hera Desi vs Shizuka Uchida - the Japanese beat Hera Desi in the last time they met (Osaka IC 2012). Hera has a higher ranking and I hope she can progress. Adriyanti Firdasari vs Jiang Yanjiao [6] - Firda has a 0-6 record against Jiang and like Febe, her 2012 record was equally bad (losing 10 times also in first round of Qualifying or Main Draw). MD R32 Angga Pratama/Rian Agung Saputro [4] vs Ronan Labar/Mathias Quere - a warm-up match for Angga/Rian before the tough match starts tomorrow possibly against Tsai/Lee of TPE. Hendra A. Gunawan/Yonathan Suryatama Dasuki vs Baptiste Careme/Gaetan Mittelheisser - the INA pair is looking for their first win of the year. I think they will progress. Rasmus Bonde/Mads Conrad Petersen vs Markis Kido/Alvent Yulianto Chandra - Kido/Alvent are fighting for the last spot in the WC 2013 with AG/Yoke. I hope they can beat the Danes. Lu Chia Bin/Chen Hung Ling vs Mohd Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan - Ahsan/Hendra are hoped to progress far this week. WD R32 Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth/Rizki Amelia Pradipta [6] vs Lauren Smith/Gabrielle White - the INA pair should fulfill their seeding. Jung Kyung Eun/Kim Ha Na [3] vs Suci Rizky Andini/Della Destiara Haris - both Suci/Della and Gebby/Tiara are not consistent yet! Another first-round exit beckons. Vivian Hoo Kah Mun/Woon Khe Wei vs Nitya Krishinda Maheswari/Anneke Feinya Agustine [7] - Nitya/Feinya should win a GPG title this year and the withdrawal of Bao/Wang this week helps. Meiliana Jauhari/Liliyana Natsir get a free pass to R16 thanks to the withdrawal of the CHN pair. XD R32 Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir [1] vs Peter Baesbauer/Isabel Herttrich - two easy opening matches for the defending champion and their first tough match will come in the QF against possibly Mads Pieler Kolding/Kamilla Rytter-Juhl [6] or Shin Baek Cheol/Jang Ye Na. Markis Kido/Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth [5] vs Chris Adcock/Gabrielle White - a tough opener for Kido/Pia and I hope they can progress far also this week to keep their chance of the WC spot. Anders Kristiansen/Julie Houmann vs Mohd Rijal/Debby Susanto [3] - Rijal/Debby performed well last week and this week, they will be tested by the much-improved Danish pair. Their target this week is to reach another SF and hopefully challenge Joachim Fischer-Nielsen/Christinna Pedersen [2]. Alvent Yulianto Chandra/Rizki Amelia Pradipta vs Sudket Prapakamol/Kunchala Voravichitchaikul [7] - a scratch pairing for the Thais but I think they are still too strong for Alvent/Rizki.
Only saw the last half of the rubber but that was more like Chris ErrorCock than Chris Adcock. Gabby seemed to play well from the little I saw.
Unfortunately, some uber-patriotic people out there still have the "Country comes first! The hell with the game!" mindset. What to do?
[TABLE="class: ruler matches"] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD="align: right"][TABLE] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD="align: right"]Prannoy H. S.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TD] [TD="align: center"]-[/TD] [TD][TABLE] [TR="bgcolor: transparent"] [TD][/TD] [TD]Boonsak PONSANA [7][/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TD] [TD]18-21 21-13 21-12[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] Wowww.. What a performance by the 20 year old youngster... Really amazing. I never thought that he will get past Boonsak, a fighter. The way he got beaten is very wonderful and really a true reflection of fighting spirit this youngster. ... I am amazed.
Kana Ito is giving tough test for AE runner-up, Ratchanok. One game all with identical scoreline, 21-10. Let's see what happen in decider...
