Badminton: Stunning upset by Choong Hann By RAJES PAUL PETALING JAYA: Seasoned singles shuttler Wong Choong Hann pulled off a stunning win over China’s Bao Chunlai while Malaysia's doubles pairs also had a great run in the Macau Open yesterday. Yesterday, Choong Hann received a big boost in his aspiration to win a place for next year’s Beijing Olympic Games when he stayed on top of his game to beat the second seeded Chunlai and world No. 4, 18-21, 21-16, 21-17 in the quarter-finals. It was Choong Hann’s first win over Chunlai in five years. His previous win against the lanky Chunlai was at the 2002 Singapore Open. VETERAN shuttler Wong Choong Hann capped a fine day for Malaysia at the Macau Open by stunning world No. 4 Bao Chunlai to enter the men’s singles semi-finals yesterday. Men’s doubles pairs, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Lee Wan Wah-Choong Tan Fook, are through to the last four as well. Today, world No. 16 Choong Hann will take on two-time world junior champion Chen Jin in the semi-finals. He has never beaten the fifth seeded Chen Jin since a win at the 2005 Danish Open but he did come very close to upsetting the Chinese at this year’s Malaysian Open. Although thrilled with the win, the 30-year-old Choong Hann did not want to get overly excited. “It is a big upset for me. I have not beaten him for a very long time and I am happy with the achievement today,” said Choong Hann in a telephone interview from Macau yesterday. “But this is just a start for me. Hopefully, I can achieve more wins against top players on a regular basis. This certainly shows I am on the right track in my chase for a place for the Olympics. On the semi-final match against Chen Jin, he said: “I still remember the defeat against him at this year’s Malaysian Open. I fought very hard but he did not give up. It will not be eas]y against him but I will give my best shot.” The other men’s singles semi-finals will be between South Korean Park Sung-hwan and Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia, who defeated Malaysia's Mohd Roslin Hashim 21-18, 21-16 yesterday. In the men’s doubles, Malaysia’s top two pairs - Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah - marched into the semi-finals in convincing fashion. Kien Keat-Boon Heong blew away South Koreans Jung Jae-sung-Lee Yong-dae 21-13, 21-14. Another scalp: Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong beat South Koreans Jung Jae-sung-Lee Yong-dae 21-13, 21-14 to march into the semi-finals of the Macau Open With the win, Kien Keat-Boon Heong now hold the record of having beaten all the top pairs in the world since they forged their partnerships last October. Tan Fook-Wan Wah ended the gallant run of back-up shuttlers Mohd Razif Abdul Latif-Khoo Chung Chiat with a 21-11, 21-16 win. Today, Kien Keat-Boon Heong will take on reigning world champions Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia while Tan Fook-Wan Wah meet top seeds Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng of China. Gan Teik Chai-Lin Woon Fui came close to making it a grand day for Malaysia yesterday but they went down to Markis-Hendra despite holding a 20-18 lead in the rubber game. They lost 16-21, 21-9, 21-23. i juz hope that 2day all malysia shuttlers will through to the final,,.... MALAYSIA BOLEH!!!
Excellent article vching!! A good tribute to our rock. I spoke to Choong Hann last year after he lost to Chong Wei in a local tournament, this was not long after he came back after injury. He was alone in a corridor outside wiping down. I just said don't give up and don't loose hope. His comeback was really tough, as he had to go through many qualifying rounds initially. Now he is world number 16, simply brilliant!!! Wonderful character and never gives up. A good role model for all.
Vching,....STOP doing that.............i tot Ur yesterday strategy works very well....how come U supporting WCH,...U should condemn MAS players today like U did yesterday so.....they can win .................
Whoever play well and win over their opponents are BOLEH ! Whoever deserve to the final are BOLEH ! So...(for MD--the most interesting matches today)... MALAYSIA BOLEH ! INDONESIA BOLEH ! CHINA BOLEH !
Btw, are you studying to be a writer or journalist? It's quite good, the write-up that is. Of course a sports journalist would have to add in some game analysis which some of BCers are good in. Not many young people nowadays who can write well in English. Standard of English in Malaysia have dropped a lot.
oh yah... forgot liao.... that BIGGEST WASTE OF SPACE!!!! he should just GIVE UP BADMINTON!!!! wasting the country's resources by sending this useless player into a tournament. Lose la for sure. How can you beat the GALLANT BRAVE GREAT ALMIGHTY SUPERIOR IN EVERY ASPECT CHEN JIN!!!! Chen Jin is so obivously a BETTER PLAYER than LOUSY LOUSY WONG CHOONG HAN!!!! WORST PLAYER I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. i don't think i will even bother WATCHING HIM PLAY.... how can he even WIN AGAINST ANYONE!!! BIGGEST WASTE OF SPACE!!! WONG CHOONG HANN SUCKS WONG CHOONG HANN SUCKs (and one more for luck) WONG CHOONG HAN REALLY REALLY SUCKS!!!! CHEN JIN ROCKS CHEN JIN ROCKS (one more for luck) CHEN JIN REALLY REALLY ROCKS!!!!
ok i will try to add in some game analysis... i didn't do so because I didn't watch the games (couldn't find any live coverage)
To George Dear George, Let's pray that success will be by our sides. Hope there will be a good tremendous results for our players. From: Ayu
preparing for training :crying: i totally agree with you.WCH wasting his time competing in all these events..sure lose la today..haih no hope.. just GIV UP
