I hope to see the newly-formed pairs of Choong/Chew, Chan/Koo and Sigit/Candra perform. Choong/Chew are seeded fifth at this tournament and they have to meet tough opponents. In the second round, either Indonesia's Hendra/Markhis or newly-formed Archer/Clark would be difficult. It's fifty-fifty for them against World Champions Lars/JR but I hope they would win. As for Candra and Sigit, they have high chances of winning since Ha and Kim aren't here. Their tough opponents should be against Lars and Jonas.
Seniors aim to emulate juniors’ success BY RAJES PAUL KUALA LUMPUR: The senior national shuttlers are impressed with the success of Hoon Thein How-Tan Boon Heong in winning the world junior title and they will be out to keep up the momentum when they return to international competition at the China Open next week. But from the draw released by the International Badminton Federation (IBF) on Monday, the shuttlers led by Wong Choong Hann are in for a tough time. The 28-year-old Choong Hann, who has enjoyed a great run in the last three China Open tournaments, that they would have good results to show from their first international outing after a lapse of two months. The national senior shuttlers were suspended from international competition after the failure to win a medal at the Athens Olympics in August. “Their (Thien How-Boon Heong) win is important, in a way, for all of us in the national team. We are happy for them. Now have to produce encouraging results to further lift team spirits,†said Choong Hann. He conceded that it would not be easy for them in the China Open. “I may face Sony (Dwi Kuncoro) of Indonesia in the third round. I lost to him at the Thomas Cup Finals in Jakarta (in May),†said Choong Hann. “I have a good record in the China Open but I cannot dwell on the past. It will be a different challenge and I have to give it my best shot.†Choong Hann, who won the China Open in 2002 and was the runner-up in 2001 and last year, is tipped to play against top seed Lin Dan of China, who won both the Dutch and Danish Opens last month. In the same quarter as Lin Dan are his teammate, Chen Hong, and Thailand's Boonsak Ponsana. Lee Chong Wei also has an Indonesian in his path in the third round – Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat. “I have a Chinese opponent (Wu Yunyong) in the first round. It is never easy playing against a Chinese player on their home turf. “I hope I can make it to the third round for a projected match against Taufik. He is the Olympic champion and it will be good to play against him.†The Penangite was the loser the last time he played against Taufik – in the Asian Badminton Confederation (ABC) Championships this year. Mohd Hafiz Hashim has withdrawn from the tournament. The other Malaysian singles players in the fray are not expected to go far. Kuan Beng Hong is drawn to meet seventh seed Kenneth Jonassen of Denmark in the first round while Yeoh Kay Bin will play against 16th seed Agus Hariyanto of Hong Kong. In the doubles, veteran Choong Tan Fook is looking forward to a good start to his new partnership with Chew Choon Eng. Surprisingly, they have been seeded fifth in the six-star (US$250,000) tournament. The duo have been drawn in the same quarter with second seeds and reigning world champions Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen of Denmark, Indonesian Markis Kidho-Hendra Setiawan and England's Anthony Clark-Simon Archer. Chan Chong Ming-Koo Kien Keat are in for a tough time in their first international outing as a pair. They will play against sixth seeds Liu Kwok Wa-Albertus Susanto Njoto of Hong Kong in the first round. They are in the same quarter as top seeds Jens Eriksen-Martin Lundgaard Hansen and teammates Ong Soon Hock-Tan Bin Shen. Malaysia will also have two women's pairs in the tournament – Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui and Ooi Sock Ai-Mooi Hing Yau.
