http://www.u-netsurf.ne.jp/nichiba/2005/yoj/ews.htm Zhang and Xie had straight-forward victories. Wang Chen lost the first set 11-6 against Yonekura but managed to slog out 11-9, 13-11 for the win. Pi Hongyan also needed 3 sets to beat Zhu Lin. Something tells me we'll see another Zhang-Xie final.
I don't know exactly how's Li Mao training style but I'm pretty sure that Misbun training style is more physical fitness and very tough. In term of techniques, Misbun always saying that he will not change the natural techniques or skills of the players. What he does is try to sharpen up those techniques or skills. LCW was at his best last year and getting stronger and stronger. Of course, for this year, everybody in Malaysia expects he'll goes further. He's known as a 'plastic man' and a fighter. This year, he lost to Hafiz in straight game for the first time in German Open. And went through into the semi final in All England (I think he was lucky enough coz no strongest players in his half before he met Roslin in Q-final) and lost to Chen Hong in straight game as well. Today he lost to Jonassen also in straight game. What has happened to him? He's one of the Malaysian hope beside Hafiz. :crying:
I can see Chandra/Sigit having a chance but I can't be convinced that Jens/Martin can beat Fu/Cai tomorrow.
Bach/Gunawan I notice Howard Bach and Tony Gunawan gave a good fight against Eriksen/Lundgaard, only bowing in three games 15-11 11-15 15-9. They seem to be capable of competing with the very bests! (interesting for the World Champs...)
hmm I definetely think Chong wei is a good player but perhaps you are overating him a bit. Of course he won the malaysian open 04 and showedwhat talent he has but after that he hasnt proved that he is "mature" what the final in singapore showed us. There is nothing wrong with him, he's still in my opinion from the 5-8 best player curently and will in my opinion in a year or two perhaps be the top 3.. I dont think Gade is fading away, Gade will never be as good as from 98-01 because of that knee injury who prevents him from doing hard power training. We have to realise that, but I think he has gets better and better since the All England final 04. Losing to Taufik in a 95 battle in 3 hard sets isnt that bad.
I heard that Taufik was diminished in that match (?), so it's maybe not so good... I still believe Gade is currently one of the top players in the world even so!
well, lets just see it this way: gade:-losing 95 mins and 3 sets to taufik no matter how his condition is is NOT bad, and it was VERY close indeed -being world no.2 at his age and still can cope with younger players is GREAT taufik:-as diminished as he was he still managed to get to semifinal in a 5* event with great line-ups, not every player able to accomplish that -could win over pg who is one of the top players(and higher ranked than him) is not a easy task
Yes, I agree. Though Peter Gade is not so old, he is 28 and still has quite a few years at top level ahead of him if he avoids new injuries. Well, we all know Taufik is a real genius. He is simply out of this world!
Somehow, danish players are like good wine.... they get better with age . Look at the evidence around you!! No disrespect to you JR and TL!! But I mean generally, Kenneth Jonassen is proof of that!
Shall we add more?? Peter Gade, Peter Rasmussen? Although he was quite good in his younger days.... and then Jens Eriksen and Martin Lungaard...
I wouldn't put Peter Rasmussen in that list as he was very good as he was young (world champ in 97) and then was unfortunately injured most of the time in his later career... True for the others.
Logic my dear friend, not 'something'. WangC has never beaten a higher ranked Chinese player till the the Indo O and that because the Chinese girls were in rebellion. ZhangN all the way. Pi, is 28 and over the top and only makes SF if she meets mainly 2nd team/non-Chinese. Her time was the Ye Zy and GongZC when she got to the National Games finals (2002?). She is also too fat, probably also not training strictlly (like YaoJ and WangC). She was panting like a Persian cat after each low left frontside retrival partly because she goes right up to the shuttle instead of stretching and because of carrying all the extra weight. I am surprised all the oldies won: shows the youngsters still have something to learn and one of them is expeirnce. For 3 qualifiies to get to QF in a major tournament is tops; so take note of these girls. Zhu is best. Jiang is younger but got into a groove and couldn't change when facing Cheng Shao-chieh in the WJC SF; inflexible. LuLan was given w.o. by WangLin in SF to save her for the F but flopped 4,7 to Cheng. Lacks big match temperament like tonight. (I am thinking of ghosts of juniors WangRong and RongLu who also failed in this department.) Final Zhang v Xie. Zhang will try to break the run, but I am afraid she'll lose. Y
For a top 7 player to aim to get to QF where all the top players play is no ambition at all. So he is satisified and his supporters say its OK. It isn't OK at all. How low can you aim in life?? He must try at least for the Sf if not the F. You put the point about the women's game very deftly and elegantly in double negative but many will miss your point. Simply, the women's results usually follow the seeding closely. True, but those 3 Chinese qualifiers are really as good as anyone after No. 4 Y
About Pi, she is only 26 in fact (born in january 79) and she trains full time at the french national centre, so I don't think she lacks training. She obviously lacks quality sparring however and has to train with the men to get some opposition. I agree she can't seem to manage to get any further than SF in most tournaments, except at recent Swiss Open of course!
His target was to reach QF, this doesn't mean that he didn't have the ambition to win the tournament!
Ach! You caught me about her age - and talking about a woman too. Tsk tsk how ungalant. Sorry Mlle Pi. But she's French now and the French like their women a bit fuller, not mince, she's quite a Boticelli type now. Maybe she has the fear factor. After the National Games R-u, she was banned from playing for Denmark (?) where she first emigrated and from the China Open. Now its OK. But she cannot play the rubber set with the top players. Rememeber Zhang doubling up in the front right forecourt after Xie sent one of her feints into the corner, at the end of one of those gruelling 30-stroke rallies in the AE? Can't see Pi playing that rally or the others. Notice when GongR & ZhouM broke the regimen, their concentration and the quality of play fell. The results don't lie. Y
02111953 please try to be respectful about players please. As for LCW, I think he has done pretty well. MAL should not have too high hope for him. Saying he is off form is not true. You cannot expect him to win everytime. The biggest tournament is the WC, judg them then, but LCW is still very young.
Yes, with Tony Gunawan in there, one will *always* have a chance and most likely fight to the last set...It's all a matter of experince/playing more matches..Too bad, his partner HBach is not as "internationally experienced" as Tony is, which could affect the mind/mental game, add to that the lack of "quality" sparring partner(s) @ OCBC/U.S. in general..I think by the time WC comes around, both of them should be quite *seasoned* and if they meet JE/MLH again, they could get the best of them next time...
