stomach ailment forces tan fook to surrender in last eight

Stomach ailment forces Tan Fook to surrender in last eight

PETALING JAYA: It was another sad ending for men’s doubles shuttler Choong Tan Fook in the ongoing Korean Open.
Yesterday, veterans Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah had to concede a walkover to youngsters Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong in the second game of their quarter-final clash at the US$300,000 tournament. Tan Fook was down with a stomach ailment.
The senior pair had lost 19-21 in the first game.
Just a week ago, the veteran duo suffered a big blow in front of home fans when they lost in the first round of the Malaysian Open.
The Korean Open was supposed to be their stage for redemption but misfortune struck again for the beleaguered pair, who are trying to revive their career after a poor performance at the World Championships in Madrid in September.
Then, they had lost in the second round.
Said national doubles coach Rexy Mainaky: “I received a report from Pang (Cheh Chang in Seoul). Tan Fook complained of pain in his stomach whenever he went for overhead shots.
“He did not want to take a risk. He would have played all out if they had not been up against Malaysian opponents. His heart is still set on doing well at the All-England.
The Indonesian said that he would decide the future of the veterans after giving them another shot to prove themselves at the All-England, to be held in Birmingham from March 6-11.
“I am not upset that Tan Fook gave up. It was probably the best move considering his age,” said Rexy. “It is now time for him to recover and get ready for the All-England challenge.
“This pair have been there for a long time and we must tackle their problems differently. “For the time being, they have to watch their weight. Let’s see how they fare at the next tournament.”

 

Badminton: Kien Keat-Boon Heong and Hafiz keep Malaysian flag flying
By RAJES PAUL


PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s best bet Lee Chong Wei was bundled out of the Korean Open yesterday but compatriots Mohd Hafiz Hashim and Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong reached the Korean Open semi-finals in contrasting fashions at the Olympic Gymnasium in Seoul.
National number one Chong Wei failed to keep his proud record against China’s Chen Jin intact when he went down fighting 21-14, 15-21, 16-21 in a 55-minute battle.
It was Chong Wei’s first defeat to the Chinese in their three meetings and a sign that his “invincibility” against some of the top Chinese players is wearing off.
His winning streak against another Chinese player Bao Chunlai also ended at last year’s world meet. Since then, the Malaysian has not beaten Chunlai.
Hafiz, however, will get a chance to avenge Chong Wei’s defeat when he takes on Chen Jin in today’s semi-finals.
But it will be an uphill task. The 25-year-old Hafiz failed to beat the Chinese in their three meetings last year – losing at the All-England, Thailand Open and the China Masters.
Yesterday, Hafiz made it through by the skin of his teeth, slogging for 51 minutes before beating gritty Indonesian Sony Dwi Kuncoro 21-16, 13-21, 23-21 in the quarter-finals.
National coach Misbun Sidek was pleasantly surprised by Hafiz’s performance. “He likes to strike when the attention is not on him. This is one his best results after a long while and I’m happy.
“He has played Chen Jin many times but in the Thailand Open last year, he had to practically give up because of a knee injury. “If Hafiz feels comfortable and confident with his physical condition, the Chinese will find him a tough opponent tomorrow (today),” said Misbun.
Hafiz’s previous best result in a major tournament was a runner-up finish at the 2005 Danish Open.
Elder brother Roslin, who stole the show at the last year’s Korean Open by emerging as runner-up, could not emulate the feat of his younger brother yesterday.
He lost 18-21, 15-21 to world champion Lin Dan of China – but not after giving the top seed a run for his money.
Lin Dan will take on Chunlai in the semi-final today.
While Hafiz had to go through heart-stopping moments to seal a place in the semi-finals, Asian Games and Malaysian Open winners Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong had it easy in the men’s doubles.
They won a ticket to the semi-finals against South Korean Lee Jae-jin-Hwang Ji-man after only 10 minutes of action.
Their opponents, fellow Malaysians Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah, conceded a walkover after losing the first game 19-21.
Tan Fook was down with a stomach ailment.
Said national doubles coach Rexy Mainaky: “It must be tiring for them to come this far. But whatever the outcome tomorrow, I hope that it will be fair.”
“I received reports that the Koreans (Jae-jin-Ji-man) won their first round match amid strong protests from their opponents (Mathias Boe-Joachim Nielsen Fischer of Denmark) over poor line calls.”
The other semi-final will be between South Korea’s top pair of Jung Jae-sung-Lee Yong-dae and the American-Indonesian combination of Tony Gunawan-Candra Wijaya. Meanwhile, Kien Keat’s hopes of continuing his winning ways with Wong Pei Tty in the mixed doubles ended when they bowed out 20-22, 15-21 to China’s Xie Zhong-bo-Zhang Yawen