The Star: Chong Wei sets up quarter-final date with Taufik By RIZAL ABDULLAH JOHOR BARU: Defending champion and top seed Lee Chong Wei marched into the men’s singles quarter-finals of the US$125,000 Yonex-Sunrise Asian Badminton Championships with two convincing wins yesterday at the Indoor Stadium here. And he is set for a big test today against reigning Olympic and Asian Games champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia. Malaysia’s interest in the women’s singles is also alive with Wong Mew Choo advancing with a 22-20, 21-10 win over India's Trupti Murgunde. She will play against Mizuki Fujii of Japan for a place in the semi-finals. Fujii ended Malaysian youngster Lydia Cheah’s run with a 21-13, 24-22 victory. Lydia had eliminated last year’s runner-up Kaori Mori in the opening round. Julia Wong also fell in the second round, losing 21-18, 11-21, 11-21 to Eriko Hirose of Japan. Yesterday, the 25-year-old Chong Wei defeated Chinese newcomer Chen Long 21-10, 21-8 in the second round and followed up with victory over Ng Wei of Hong Kong, winning 21-10, 21-15. Taufik, however, was taken to three games in his third-round match against another Chinese rookie, Gong Weijie, before winning 15-21, 21-10, 21-10. Chong Wei said after his victory over Ng Wei that he was glad that he was able to play the matches yesterday with confidence. “I have not had this feeling of confidence for quite some time. It makes me feel good but I am not predicting my chances in the quarter-finals against Taufik. The last time I played against him was at the Asian Games (in Doha last December) and I was beaten in straight games,” said Chong Wei. Taufik, who is back in competition after skipping the All-England and Swiss Open last month because of a dispute with the All-Indonesian Badminton Federation (PBSI), was also not willing to predict his chances against Chong Wei. “Win or lose, I will be more than happy if the badminton fans get to enjoy a good match. Chong Wei is the defending champion and he will have the backing of the home crowd,” said Taufik, a two-time winner of the ABC. Joining Chong Wei in the quarter-finals is Yeoh Kay Bin, who defeated fifth-eighth seed Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand 24-22, 13-21, 23-21 in the third round. Veteran Wong Choong Hann and the Hashim brothers, Mohd Hafiz and Mohd Roslin, crashed out in the second round. Choon Hann fell to his third consecutive defeat by Simon Santoso, going down 23-25, 13-21. The former national number one was also beaten by the Indonesian in the All-England qualifying tournament and in the first round of the Swiss Open. Roslin crashed to his first defeat by South Korea’s Shon Seung-mo, losing 21-17, 19-21, 20-22. Coach Misbun Sidek was particularly upset over Hafiz’s exit. The national number two was beaten 18-21, 20-22 by Chinese newcomer Lu Qicheng. “I just don’t understand Hafiz. In the first round (against Korean Hong Ji-hoon) he played like a champion. But against the Chinese it was a complete reversal. He must change his attitude if he wants to win tournaments,” said Misbun.
