Koo-Tan celebrate anniversary with Danish title
By RAJES PAUL
Thestar online
PETALING JAYA: It was not the best of their performances but Malaysia's Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong celebrated their one-year partnership by winning the Danish Open title in Odense yesterday.
They recovered from a sluggish first game to beat the “old men of badminton” – Jens Eriksen-Martin Lundgaard Hansen of Denmark – 14-21, 21-14, 21-12 in a fast-paced 48-minute men's doubles final.
It was the Malaysians' fourth win over the Danes since they paired up a year ago.
And they are probably the first Malaysian pair to live up to their status as the world number one in a tournament.
With the win, Kien Keat-Boon Heong are now the biggest winners in the inaugural Super Series – having won a total of four titles. Their other successes were in the Malaysian Open, All-England and Swiss Open.
They now stand tall as the most successful Malaysian pair by winning a total of seven titles since they forged a partnership last October.
They were the gold medallists in the Doha Asian Games and also emerged as the champions in the Open tournaments in the Philippines and Macau.
Kien Keat, who was coming out from a bout of flu and suffering from blisters, said that they could have played better.
“I think that this was our worst performance as a pair in a final. Both of us just could not get our game going in the first game.
“But fortunately, we got it right at the end,” said Kien Keat in a telephone interview from Odense.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong led 6-2 and 11-8 in the first game. But they allowed the Danes to dictate the pace and take the first game.
The momentum changed with the score at 9-9 in the second game. The Malaysians found their rhythm and with their strong attacks and solid defence finally wore down the Danes, who ran out of steam in the decider.
Kien Keat added that he was happy that Boon Heong supported him throughout the match.
“I have not completely recovered from flu. My voice is still hoarse and there are blisters on my feet.
“Everything did not go well for me but throughout the tournament, Boon Heong gave his full support. I am happy with that,” he said.

“There was no pressure although we were the number one pair. For us, winning titles is more important. We will continue with our chase to add more titles under our belt.”
It was Kien Keat's second Danish Open title. He won it with Chan Chong Ming in 2005.
In the men's singles, Lin Dan of China underlined his status as the world's best player when he put up a solid show to beat compatriot Bao Chunlai 21-15, 21-12 in a 36-minute final.
With the win, the world champion continues to dominate in the Super Series with four titles. He was also the winner in the Korean Open, All-England and China Open.
How Koo-Tan won it
First round: Beat Hendri Kurniawan Saputra-Hendra Wijaya (Sin) 21-14, 21-15
Second round: Beat Joko Riyadi-Hendra Setiawan (Ina) 21-18, 21-18
Quarter-finals: Beat Mathias Boe-Carsten Morgensen (Den) 21-14, 21-19
Semi-finals: Beat Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan (Ina) 21-18, 21-10
Final: Beat Jens Eriksen-Martin Lundgaard Hansen (Den) 14-21, 21-14, 21-12.