I personally think it's going to be number 1. The Chinese team is really getting to be too strong. I will be laughing with you if it's number 3. It's about time Hafiz shines. Long overdue.
You must be referring to the match between LHI and Hafiz in Doha Asian games where LHI saved something like 11+ match points and beat Hafiz in first set...
I didn't even expect Hafiz to get pass Ng Wei to begin with... Afterall, Hafiz has been playing so bad, that even Ng Wei defeated him in Doha team event... but if he does break the great wall in this Korea Open, it will be a bigger story than Gade winning Malaysia Open after being hospitalized prior to the tournament.
I was going to say the same thing. They were dominating in 05 & 06, but they aren't doing so well lately.
MD JJS/LYD vs MK/HS This one is hard too, but I think Indo will come out on top FHF/CY vs TG/CW 50/50 Hard to say, Fu and Cai can play the fast game but they're not so good when the pace varies. KKK/TBH vs CTF/LWW I agree, but should be good match to see MS LD vs RH Totally agree BCL vs CY I think CY is better at the net and is more offensive then BCL LCWvs CJ I think CJ will win this time SDK vs HH no comment
First of all, as a fan of Fu.HF... I still have to say that TG/CW will beat them considering Fu/Cai's current form(which is terrible). If somehow Fu/Cai manage to win over TG/CW, it will be a huge upset in my book. Please don't become the next Hafiz now, Fu and Cai !!!:crying: Just maybe LYB needs to partner Fu with someone new, Cai is getting old(27) for a Chinese player. BCL should win over CY... even though Bao doesn't seem to have a real offensive mind like LD, but his style of play is still world class and he is not Mr. Runner-up for nothing... although he may have a harder time to pull another runner-up since he will most likely face LD in the semi-finals.:crying: Sony vs Hafiz... even though it will be interesting to see Hafiz pull out one last win before he gets destroy by his next opponent(LCW or CJ), but I really like to see another one of those typical Hafiz style of losing, which is Hafiz wins big 1st game, have a lead in 2nd... crash in the middle of 2nd, then fail miserably at the end...
If scenario #2 occurs, that would pretty much sum up the world of international badminton... a total FARCE
My calls (winners in bold as always) WD Greysa POLII/Vita MARISSA - Yawen ZHANG/Yili WEI The CHN duo will prove too strong but the INA pair will be no pushovers Ling GAO/Sui HUANG - Youn Kyung JUNG/Soo Jung HONG The legends will swat the Koreans aside Jing DU/Tingting ZHAO - Wei YANG/Jiewen ZHANG The higher seed CHN pair will "win" Kyung Won LEE/Hyo Jung LEE - Kamila AUGUSTYN/Nadiezda KOSTIUCZYK Koreans to topple the Poles... TIMBER!! MD Kien Keat KOO/Boon Heong TAN - Tan Fook CHOONG/Wan Wah LEE Taking a leaf right out of the LYB book of match manipulation, the old guys are "requested" to lay down and die. . But no need for that, Koo & Tan will win regardless. Jae Jin LEE/Ji Man HWANG - Jens ERIKSEN/Martin LUNDGAARD HANSEN The old guys will still be standing sfter this skirmish Jae Sung JUNG/Yong Dae LEE - Markis KIDO/Hendra SETIAWAN As much as I like Markis & Hendra, I think the Koreans will be seriously motivated Haifeng FU/Yun CAI - Tony GUNAWAN/Chandra WIJAYA Watch the masters dismantle the one-dimensional Chinese pair MS Yu CHEN - Chunlai BAO The on-form Bao will win easily. Otherwise, LYB will ochestrate a Bao win Jin CHEN - Chong Wei LEE Based on form, CJ should win. But I have a sneaking feeling LCW will rise to the occasion Dan LIN - Roslin HASHIM M. LD will own Roslin Sony Dwi KUNCORO - Muhd Hafiz B HASHIM Again, which Hafiz will show up? Sony has been living on the edge this far and tonight, Hafiz will push him over WS Huaiwen XU - Lin ZHU The youngster continues her excellent form Chia-Chi HUANG - Petya NEDELTCHEVA In the battle of the unheralded, the more consistent Petya should prevail Lan LU - Yoon Hee SEO Can the Wang Chen slayer repeat. In a word, NO Ella KARACHKOVA - Xingfang XIE Xie should ease through although Ella has shown well XD Yawen ZHANG/Zhongbo XIE - Pei Tty WONG/Kien Keat KOO One too many Chinese in the way of the MAS pair Kamilla RYTTER JUHL/Thomas LAYBOURN - Britta ANDERSEN/Joachim FISCHER NIELSEN And the battle of Denmark goes to.... Gail EMMS/Nathan ROBERTSON - Saralee THOUNGTHONGKAM/Sudket PRAPAKAMOL Sad to say the end of the road for the higher seeded Thais Suzanne RAYAPPAN/David LINDLEY - Ling GAO/Bo ZHENG Gao & Zheng bring out the heavy artillery
I like this paring also, but the problem isn't just Cai. Eventhough 27 yrs old, i think he's still fast. I think Cai does a great job of setting up for Fu. Fu hower lets his power gets to his head all he wants to do is just smash or play the power game. If they vary their game play or be more dynamic like Sigit (Which I don't think there's ever going to be another Sigit). I don't think it'll be a problem for them win tournaments. You're right that the Indo has a higher chance of winning, but I'm hoping that the Chinese will come out on top.
Sigit is top-tier, just like the korean double player Lee D. Soo... those two have the most deceptive drop shots from the back-court I have seen so far. Actually Lee D.Soo's drops shots had Tony/Candra stood still a couple of times during their match in Olympic 2000.. it was fantastic!!! The last time I've seen Fu tried to vary his game from the back-court was not deceptive enough nor successful at all... he is more of a power player and should aim his smashes where it is more difficult for his opponents to return. Although I must say if I were to receive his smashes, I may just prefer to keep my racket in front of my face instead... Also, when was the last time we got to see Cai really control the front court and keep the game in favor of Cai/Fu's favor... Not very often lately, and that's part of the reason they even lost to the weakest out of all Malaysian's doubles pair in the recent Malaysian open... that was just bad!!!
Did INA WD pair win over JPN pair ? I wasnt following n tournament software isnt updated, but if you look at the match stats, they hint JPN won.
My calls (winners in bold as always) WD Greysia/Vita or Akao/Matsuda - Yawen ZHANG/Yili WEI I thought Japs won against INA, anyway neither INA nor JAP can pass CHN wall. Ling GAO/Sui HUANG - Youn Kyung JUNG/Soo Jung HONG A broad grin from GL does the trick .... Jing DU/Tingting ZHAO - Wei YANG/Jiewen ZHANG CTF's girlfriend shows her worth. Kyung Won LEE/Hyo Jung LEE - Kamila AUGUSTYN/Nadiezda KOSTIUCZYK Poles struck down by lightning and thunderous LHJ smashes. MD Kien Keat KOO/Boon Heong TAN - Tan Fook CHOONG/Wan Wah LEE No team orders, Choong/Lee will raise their game, they have more to lose ... Jae Jin LEE/Ji Man HWANG - Jens ERIKSEN/Martin LUNDGAARD HANSEN Old guys stay wise to KOR tricks. Jae Sung JUNG/Yong Dae LEE - Markis KIDO/Hendra SETIAWAN KOR to take it subject to condition of LYD's ankle. INA has a chance if the game extends to 3. Haifeng FU/Yun CAI - Tony GUNAWAN/Chandra WIJAYA World Champions humbled yet again. MS Yu CHEN - Chunlai BAO Bao doesn't need LYB's team orders. Jin CHEN - Chong Wei LEE WMC will be angry, I'm betting against her BF. Dan LIN - Roslin HASHIM M. Roslin will try gamely, but .... Sony Dwi KUNCORO - Muhd Hafiz B HASHIM Hafiz should be more stable now. WS Huaiwen XU - Lin ZHU The youngster needs to kill Xu quick, else the tables will turn. Chia-Chi HUANG - Petya NEDELTCHEVA All hail Petya!!! Lan LU - Yoon Hee SEO End of the road for gritty home girl. Ella KARACHKOVA - Xingfang XIE Double X will not compromise. XD Yawen ZHANG/Zhongbo XIE - Pei Tty WONG/Kien Keat KOO All depends on Koo's recovery rate, and even then it's uphill all the way. Kamilla RYTTER JUHL/Thomas LAYBOURN - Britta ANDERSEN/Joachim FISCHER NIELSEN Juhl's height and Laybourn's experience will prove decisive .... Gail EMMS/Nathan ROBERTSON - Saralee THOUNGTHONGKAM/Sudket PRAPAKAMOL Almost 50-50, can we see another tight 3 game battle? Suzanne RAYAPPAN/David LINDLEY - Ling GAO/Bo ZHENG Zheng bring out heavy artillery, Gao machineguns loose net returns.
new ranking released... chong wei no.5.. big drop... the last time he was out of top3 was in 2005 i think....
Well, he deserves the drop. Perhaps it will take some pressure off him. KKK/TBH rose to #50. Still not good enough to guarantee direct main draw entry, but at least guarantee entry to qualification rounds.
after this KO, probably i think in top 40???? perhaps.. den they just need to play in gold grand prix.. win a few and whip the others in WC this year.. if they can reach top 10 by this WC, i really SALUTE them!!!! as for chong wei, i have no idea wad happened to him.. he used to beat Chunlai but now seeks likewise.... is it tat he lost confidence or is it Bao improved too much for him or wad??? only he knows the answer...
With the KO quarter-final appearance, KKK/TBH will be at least in the top 40. If they do better, they could be in the top 30, and avoid having to qualify. I think they can reach top 10. There are still 5 more SS events before the WC, but not sure when the WC qualification cut-off point is. Even when LCW was beating BCL last time, their levels were quite close. So, if LCW's form goes down, the edge is lost.
