from another source Wednesday January 10, 2007 Badminton: Lin Dan and Taufik to clash in opening round BY RAJES PAUL PETALING JAYA: The 50th edition of the Malaysian Open Badminton Championships is set for an explosive start with world champion Lin Dan of China up against Olympic and Asian Games gold medallist Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia in the first round of the men’s singles competition. In the draw released yesterday for the US$200,000 championships, which begin with the qualifying tournament on Tuesday at the Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium (KLBA) in Cheras, the top two Malaysian players, Lee Chong Wei and Mohd Hafiz Hashim, found themselves in the same half of the draw. The Malaysian Open is the opening leg of the inaugural Super Series, which limits seedings to the top eight in a 32-entry draw. And the Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) decision not to apply the national separation ruling has set up intriguing early round battles. The top-seeded Lin Dan, who is chasing an elusive Malaysian Open title, will get an early opportunity to avenge the defeat by Taufik in the final of the Doha Asian Games last month. Taufik, who is ranked 12th in the world, is unseeded. Three-time champion Chong Wei, who is seeded second, greeted the first-round match between Lin Dan and Taufik with delight. “It is good that one of them will have to make an early exit. It is one fewer hurdle for me to worry about,” said the 24-year-old Chong Wei. But Chong Wei has a big stumbling block in his path to the semi-finals. He is expected to meet World Championships runner-up Bao Chunlai of China in the quarter-finals. “I still remember the defeat by Chunlai in the quarter-finals of the world meet in Madrid last year. It will be good if I get to avenge the defeat in front of my home supporters,” he said. Chong Wei will take on Bjoern Joppien of Germany in the first round. Victory will give him a second round match against Japanese Shoji Sato or Poland’s Wacha Przemyslaw. “There is a possibility for me to meet Hafiz (the world number 10) in the semi-finals. Previously, the top two players from a country go to different halves of the draw,” he said. “I find it unfair but this is the new ruling. The consolation is that I will not be meeting him (the unseeded Hafiz) in the early rounds.” Hafiz has a first-round match against Chinese veteran Chen Hong and he also has a Chinese youngster, Chen Jin, in the same quarter. Denmark’s top two players – Peter Gade-Christensen and Kenneth Jonassen – were drawn in the top half and could meet in the semi-finals. The likely high hurdle for Gade-Christensen is a projected quarter-final against China’s Chen Yu. Jonassen is expected to play against the winner of the match between Lin Dan and Taufik for a place in the semi-finals. ------------ Formidable foes: The Malaysian Open badminton tournament could not have asked for a more explosive opener – a clash between Lin Dan (left) and Taufik Hidayat.
Badminton/Malaysia Open: Doubles jeopardy as Chong Wei faces 'the great wall' 10 Jan 2007 K.M. Boopathy -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) decision to do away with the nationality separation policy for the Super Series proved costly for Malaysia as all six men’s doubles pairs were drawn in the same half for the Malaysia Open which begins in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. WHEN the draw for next week’s Malaysia Open was made yesterday, Lee Chong Wei found the Great Wall of China in his way. Chong Wei, the defending champion, is scripted to face three great barriers in the form of Bao Chunlai, Chen Hong and Lin Dan. The Malaysian No 1 is drawn to meet Chunlai in the quarterfinals, Chen Hong in the semis and, possibly, Lin Dan in the final. As for Malaysia’s Asian Games doubles gold medallists Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, the ‘enemies’, at least in the early rounds, are from within. As all six Malaysian pairs have been drawn in the same half, they may well end up destroying one another’s chances. Kien Keat-Boon Heong have to come through the qualifiers and awaiting them in the first round are teammates Chan Chong Ming-Hoon Thien How. A win for either pair will see a second-round match against veterans Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah. On another front, Lin Dan and Indonesia’s Taufik Hidayat will have a chance to ‘kill’ each other early as they are meeting in the first round of the men’s singles. Malaysia’s No 1 singles player Lee Chong Wei’s hopes of winning his fourth consecutive title will face a stiff challenge after he was drawn with the possibility of meeting China’s Bao Chunlai, Chen Hong and Lin Dan in the quarter-final, semi-final and final respectively. But for the neutrals, the draw also pitted reigning Asian Games and Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia against world champion Lin Dan in the very first round. In the men’s doubles, Malaysia’s chances already suffered a setback when Asian Games champions Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong were forced to play in the qualifying round, but after yesterday’s draw, the damage could be even worse. Kien Keat-Boon Heong, who should have little problem beating Vitaly Durkin-Alexandr Nikolaenko of Russia and compatriots Chew Choon Eng-Hong Chien Hun in the qualifying rounds, will meet teammates Chan Chong Ming-Hoon Thien How in the first round of the main draw. If Kien Keat-Boon Heong secure victory, they have veterans Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah, the joint third seeds, awaiting them in the second round. And if they progress, will most likely come up against joint fifth seeds Lin Woon Fui-Fairuzizuan Tazari in the last eight. Woon Fui-Fairuzizuan have a tough first round match themselves where they play China’s No 2 Guo Zhendong-Xie Zhongbo. Gan Teik Chai-Zakry Latif are also in the same half of the draw but they play Thailand’s Sudket Prapakamol-Patapol Ngernsrisuk in the first round before an uphill task against second seeds Jens Eriksen-Martin Lundgaard Hansen of Denmark in the next round. National men’s doubles coach Rexy Mainaky was not amused with the situation and said that the tournament does not look like a Super Series event at all. "The Super Series was supposed to involve all the best players but this is not the case this time. I just can’t rationalise how all our pairs ended up in the bottom half," said Rexy. "I don’t think the national ranking (players who are ranked higher with previous partners will still receive favourable seedings) should have been used for the tournament. " I’m sure I will not be the only person to raise this matter and I expect the other coaches will feel the same way. "It also makes it difficult for us to gain ranking points if we keep meeting each other in every tournament. If this continues, it is going to be extremely difficult qualifying for the World Championships and the Olympics (in 2008). "Even the men’s singles is affected as the qualifying tournament looks as tough as the main draw now." In the men’s singles, second seed Chong Wei should clear the first round against Bjoern Joppein of Germany and has an equally easy second round match against Japan’s Shoji Sato. However, he is expected to meet Bao Chunlai in the last eight and either Chen Hong or Chen Jin, also from China, in the semis. Chong Wei may well be hoping for a favour from Taufik to eliminate Lin Dan in the first round. Taufik had branded Lin Dan "arrogant" during the Asian Games and the latter would be going all out for revenge in the Malaysia Open. If Lin Dan beats Taufik, he should meet Park Sung Hwan of South Korea in the second round with Peter Gade Christensen of Denmark his likely opponent in the last four. Other Malaysians are not expected to go far in the tournament. Hafiz Hashim could not have asked a for a tougher match as he opens against Chen Hong, while Wong Choong Hann must go through three matches in the qualifying rounds and the first round of the main draw against John Moody of New Zealand in the first two days of the tournament. Chen Jin awaits Choong Hann in the second round. Kuan Beng Hong’s second round opponent will be Bao Chunlai while Yeoh Kay Bin is expected to take on Chen Yu of China in another second round match.
i think its bad for the world ranking side but great for spectators to see the matches .... its definately straight to the action .... no more waiting for semi or final .... they pretty much have to fight all the way to be on top .... not all at least the top seeds now have tougher route as they meet each other in the early stages .... giving other more chance to gain world ranking points ....
1st round of the competition is already as good as any final match in the world of badminton ... its like doha final all over again .... and im gonna watch it live !!! so nice .. hahaha c u guys there !
I don't see.. ..a lot of the Korean players either..Perhaps event can give us more infos on their absences?..
What about the rest of the schedule? Can't seem to find this on the website and the draw is difficult to read as well as the competitors' names are set far apart in relatively small print. I understand that the Qualifying Round is on Tue 16, and R1 on Wed, but will the finals be played on Sun 21 (starting what time?). If the Finals are on Sunday, so SF will be on Saturday, and QF on Friday, which means there will be a R2 on Thursday? Am I correct and what about the start times, any morning, afternoon and evening sessions?
Lin Dan vs Taufik in the first round ......doesn't anyone see this as a TOTAL FIX? The malaysian official arranged this draw so Lee Chong Wei will have easy victory. I bet when China Open comes around, you'll see Taufik vs Lee Chong Wei in the FIRST ROUND......
