mod, please merge this thread http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36056 into here
INDRA, accept it...."the end is near for TH and he faces the final curtain......". After the WC, I think he will announce his retirement because he will respect his body, and his desire is not there anymore. He has achieved more than any normal player. The LD's and the LCW's are too hard to beat. The WC is certainly LD's or LCW's. The minnow players would be Chen Jin and PG.
You're right about Lin Dan's overhead smash. Even when he gets a clear on his right hand side he has the uncanny ability to smash it quite hard. I'm a Gade fan but when I watched their match that Gade eventually won at the China Masters this year I noticed that Lin Dan got a number of points when he caught Gade of guard with a sudden overhead jumpsmash.
That's not true. If you observed very clearly LCW's attack is not as good (shall I say as powerful) as LD's. His style is on accuracy and precision. You noticed that LCW's placement of shuttles are always on sidelines, regardless of smashing,dropping,and lobbing. All of his clear shots are near perfect that's why LD always misjudge at the baseline and that's why he cannot get a clean shot even though his smash is powerful. Basically LCW needs to keep pushing LD until LD's clear is not long enough to the baseline and then LCW will execute his smash. You will notice that in almost everytime when the shuttle was clear perfectly (meaning very close to the baseline) LCW will not choose to smash. However LD has the ability to execute full court smash even the shuttle was cleared perfectly by LCW.
TH has been slacking off A "LOT". TH won't close his curtains yet, at least not anytime soon... Does TH have any injuries lately? Not that I heard of at least, but TH should be playing a bit harder to respect the game of badminton.. More training should do it for TH..
Totally agree. LCW has better technique but LD has better physique, and LD is "smarter" than LCW, he uses his physical ability in a perfect way and his opponents are always surprised when their "perfect" clears are suddenly smashed back with unimaginable power. In the past, anyone who wants to beat LD has to have very good technique. Like Taufik and CH. Then he needs to keep controlling LD using all kinds of attacking shots: basically, your technique needs to be so good that you never give LD defensive clears. This is how Taufik beated LD in WC final. And actually this is how Ji Xinpeng beated Gade (the "LD" around that time) in 2000. LCW's technique, I have to say, is not as good as Taufik or CH yet. But now he has developed such good defence that he (the only one who) can give LD defensive clears. So let's wait and see whether this is a new way to beat LD.
now now, be nice. i can't see both LD and LCW not making the final though, one of them losing maybe, but both? hmmmm .... hard to imagine ....
Ya i agree with u that LD is more powerful than LCW is smashing but yesterday i also watch the LD vs Taufik in the Sudirman Cup game and taufik also can get a lot of point by smashing. And ya i agree with u that LCW placement is very good but that din seem to have much effect on LD as him cover the court very well and sometimes can attack u suddenly even though the shuttle is near baseline especially his overhead smashing . And i also notice that he seldom perform smashing on his fore hand side when the shuttle is high and near baseline.
Maybe Taufik can get lots of points by smashing then but it will not be as effective now. Becoz LD's defense has improved alot this year. LD and LCW has different strengths. LD has very powerful smashes and good defense as well. LCW has excellent deception and some very tricky wrist work which really trouble his opponent's less effective footwork. And 1 more thing is that LCW has recently developed 1 more weapon, which is his excellent defense esp when facing LD..... This makes their future meetings increasing interesting, becoz LD no longer has the absolute advantage against LCW...
i think its not on your style.. its on how you use a play in critical moments of the game.. i think LD has a better playing style, but LCW's decision-making made him a tough guy 2 beat..
Misbun: Lee can do it In today's Sports section of The Star, "National singles coach Misbun Sidek backs world no.1 Lee Chong Wei to put on a sterling performance and end Malaysia's title drought in the WC." Misbun is confident that LCW will handle the pressure well despite his fourth consecutive defeat outside Malaysia by Lin Dan. "When he (LCW) lost his world no.1 ranking a few months ago, he did not lose heart but was instead strong enough to fight to regain the top ranking." "This shows that he has matured and he is experienced enough to handle the tasks at the highest level of competition. After featuring in the semi-finals in the last world championships in Anaheim last year his standard has improved and he is capable of going further this time." Misbun, who trained LCW until the arrival of singles coach Li Mao early last year, still trains national number two Hafiz, who is seeded 8th in the WC. Apart from LD, PG and TH, Misbun also named three other Chinese CJ, BCL and CH as strong contenders. Not forgetting his own protege, he said Hafiz and LHI could also spring surprises. Hafiz, who won the prestigious AE in 2003, has been blowing hot and cold and has only the Philippines Open title to show for thus far this year. As I recalled, Misbun's confidence in LCW contrasted diametrically with that of LCW's own coach, Li Mao, who felt that LD is still the best. Maybe Li Mao is playing a mind's game with Li Yongbo. But let it be cautioned that when Malaysia displays signs of "over"-confidence, her players did not seem to do well in the end, as recent past records had demonstrated. I only wish that Misbun had kept mum.
I can't agree with you,Loh.I feel Misbun is correct.It's high time Lcw believe that he is good enough to take the title.He has to take the bull by the horns in order to be the world champ.I am sick of reading of the need of the easier draw in our Malaysian press.Lcw does not need any easy draw cos he has to win all his games in order to be the world champion.He has all the skills.So,Go all out and end Malaysia's gold drought in the WC.
Yes, LCW has improved a great deal and his recent battles with LD has not been one-sided in LD's favour. Why then did Li Mao not publicly affirm that LCW will beat LD if they should meet again in the WC Finals? I think he does not want to pressure LCW, but at the same time maybe he is working hard on LCW's mental toughness, which is critical, all things being equal. That's why I think Misbun should not have made public the impression that LCW will win. This will not do LCW any good if he is already very determined and assured of himself. Let LCW show it on the court. What Misbun is quite correct though is that there are others who will want to wear the WC crown as well and I think CJ will be most dangerous. I wish LCW well and hope that he will take all opponents seriously on his way to the final.
yup, what misbun said is likely to add to the pressure already on LCW. all that tension can't be good for the lad ...
