Thomas/Uber Cup News..

NST

So near yet so far


2008/05/17

THE stage was set for Hafiz Hashim to, as he did in Guangzhou six years ago, to turn hero again but the shuttler failed to deliver as Malaysia were beaten 3-2 by China in their Thomas Cup semi-final at Istora Senayan yesterday. Second doubles Zakry Latif-Fairuzizuan Tazari kept Malaysia in the hunt with a fabulous performance against Xie Zhengbo-Guo Zhengdong after first doubles Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong failed to deliver an expected point but Hafiz found Chen Jin just too good in the deciding singles.

It was also a wasted effort for first singles Lee Chong Wei, who was a class above World No 1 Lin Dan in the first singles.

In the end, Malaysia were left to lick their wounds on a day where they came so close to making the final.

The day started poorly for Malaysia when the coaches had to re-jig the lineup after Choong Tan Fook woke up with a bout of flu.

The plan had been to play Zakry-Fairuzizuan as first doubles and the scratch pair of Kien Keat-Tan Fook as second but with Tan Fook unwell, chief coach Yap Kim Hock and doubles coach Rexy Mainaky went for Kien Keat-Boon Heong as first and Zakry-Fairuzizuan as second.

And when World No 2 Chong Wei started on a furious note, which left Lin Dan breathless at times, hopes were high that it would be Malaysia's day.

Chong Wei raced to a 7-0 lead before Lin Dan earned his first point but the Malaysian kept the shuttle low and mixed his game with a variety of dropshots and net play to win the opening game 21-12.

Lin Dan failed to make any headway in the second game and Chong Wei finished him off 21-14 for only his fourth win over the world champion in 12 meetings.

Then came Kien Keat-Boon Heong against World No 2 Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng, opponents who have always found the Malaysians too hot to handle.

But Kien Keat-Boon Heong were erratic at best and the unforced errors count was simply too high as they fell 21-16, 21-19.

The momentum had swung China's way as a resigned Malaysia knew that Wong Choong Hann would not be able to beat Bao Chunlai.

It went as expected as Choong Hann lost 21-18, 21-7.

It was then the turn of debutants Zakry-Fairuzizuan and they didn't disappoint Rexy with a brilliant 21-17, 21-15 win over Zhongbo-Zhendong.

Malaysia were level and hoping that Hafiz would finally find the something extra to beat Chen Jin, having lost their previous four meetings.

Hafiz gave it a go, albeit briefly, in the first game and it was point-for-point until Chen Jin led 11-9 at the break.

But that was it as Hafiz's form suddenly deserted him and Chen Jin won 21-12.

It was more of the same in the second as Chen Jin romped home 21-16 to take China into the final and send Malaysia home.


http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Saturday/Sport/2242868/Article/pppull_index_html

 

NST

Hafiz puzzles Misbun


2008/05/17

NATIONAL singles coach Misbun Sidek experienced conflicting emotions yesterday. Elation when Lee Chong Wei got the better of World No 1 Lin Dan and dejection when a rather insipid Hafiz Hashim fell 21-12, 21-16 to Chen Jin, a defeat which handed China a 3-2 victory in the Thomas Cup semi-final.

The manner of Hafiz's defeat raised questions about Misbun's assertion coming into the tournament that the shuttler was back at his best but the coach stood firm.

"As far as I'm concerned, I did my job well to prepare Hafiz and I was actually quite confident he would be back to his best. However, it did not materialise today (yesterday)," he said.

"If I'm not a good coach, then why is Chong Wei doing well? I feel dumbfounded when I think about Hafiz

"No doubt, Chen Jin was the favourite but Hafiz could have given him more of a fight. I motivated him before the match, reminding him to give his best, but it failed. The best of Hafiz, I feel, will never come. He must learn to help himself from now on."

But it is the opposite for Chong Wei, whose confidence received a tremendous boost after the easy 21-12, 21-14 over Lin Dan.

"Malaysia's defeat disappoints me but on the individual front, I believe that I can give Lin Dan a fight for the Olympics gold in Beijing," said Chong Wei.

"Lin Dan wasn't his normal self and made numerous mistakes but I believe I also played very well.

"What is important now for me is to build on this and continue working hard till the Olympics."

Even China chief coach Li Yongbo admitted that Chong Wei will be a threat to Lin Dan's hopes of winning gold at the Beijing Games.

"It's a different Chong Wei that I saw today (yesterday). If he keeps it up, he will do well at the Olympics. I need to prepare Lin Dan for it," said Yongbo.

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Saturday/Sport/2242871/Article/pppull_index_html

 

The Star Online > Sports
Saturday May 17, 2008

Malaysia unable to capitalise on fiery start against China

MALAYSIA were the underdogs, knowing very well that they needed to win the two doubles matches to have a chance of beating China in the Thomas Cup semi-finals at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta yesterday.

They only managed to get one from the second doubles match after Lee Chong Wei had giving them a rousing start to raise hopes of an upset over the defending champions. And Malaysia ended up as 2-3 losers.

Much was expected of Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong to press on the advantage Chong Wei had given the team with a comfortable 21-12, 21-14 win over world number one Lin Dan. But the pair lost the first doubles match against Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng at 16-21, 17-21 defeat.

Veteran Wong Choong Hann lost 18-21, 7-21 to Bao Chunlai in the next match to hand the lead to China, who had lost to Malaysia in the semi-finals of three previous editions in 1992, 1994 and 2002.

After Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif played superbly to keep Malaysia alive with a 21-17, 21-15 win over Guo Zhengdong-Xie Zhongbo, Mohd Hafiz Hashim had the task to turn the tables on Chen Jin to take Malaysia into the final. But he crashed to a 12-21, 16-21 defeat by a player carrying a hand injury.

Said skipper Choong Hann: “The team tried really hard. We were up against a very strong side and there is no shame in our defeat.”

With the defeat, Malaysia continue the chase to regain the Cup they won at the Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur in 1992.

Doubles chief coach Rexy Mainaky was especially disappointed with the defeat of Kien Keat-Boon Heong.

“As a team, we gave China a good fight. But as a coach for Kien Keat-Boon Heong, I am really disappointed. They are the strongest pair but turned out to be the weakest today. Hopes were high on them to deliver a point and they failed,” he said.

“I am tired of their up-and-down performances. Koo played well but not Tan.
“They like to take turns like this. They were hardly motivated on the court.”
National chief coach Yap Kim Hock felt that the team gave their best in the contest.

“I am satisfied with the performances. China were strong and they proved this again today.”

 

The Star Online > Sports
Saturday May 17, 2008


Major shake-up in men's doubles after Olympics

THE current national men’s pairs will be reshuffled after the Olympics in August.

Doubles chief coach Rexy Mainaky said following the failure of Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong to deliver a needed point in the Thomas Cup semi-finals against China yesterday that he would have made the changes immediately if not for the Beijing Games.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong are the qualifiers for the Games together with veterans Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah.

In the 3-0 victory over Japan in the quarter-finals, Tan Fook paired up with Kien Keat to great effect. But Rexy was unable to tinker with the doubles line-up against China after Wan Wah picked up a slight injury and Tan Fook came down with fever.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong had to play in the first doubles while third-ranked Mohd Fairuzizuan Tazari-Mohd Zakry Latif were given their baptism of fire in the Finals.

“A major shake-up to form the strongest pairs will be taken after the Olympics. For now, I need to sit down with Koo and Tan and have a heart-to-heart talk with them. I need to understand what is inside their hearts and minds,” he said.

“A player needs to be self-motivated to earn success and make his country and team proud. I did not see this quality in them today. Both players don't seem to be able to get into stride together during a match. Today, it was Boon Heong who had a bad day.”

Kien Keat had a difficult time explaining why they were unable to put up a stronger challenge against world number two Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng. They were beaten 16-21, 17-21 in 39 minutes.

“We were struggling to put points on the board and that only made us more eager to kill the shuttle quickly. We ended up making too many unforced errors and this led to our downfall,” said the dejected Kien Keat.

Prior to their meeting yesterday, Kien Keat-Boon Heong had defeated the Chinese top pair twice in three meetings last year – at the All-England and Swiss Open tournaments. The previous year, they chalked up a famous win over the Chinese in the semi-finals of the Doha Asiad and went on to claim the gold medal.

Besides the top three combinations who featured in the Thomas Cup Finals, there are three other pairs under Rexy's charge in the national senior men’s squad – Tan Bin Shen-Ong Soon Hock, Gan Teik Chai-Lin Woon Fui and Tan Wee Kiong-Hoon Thien How.

________________________________________________________________

Those who wanted KKK/TBH to split, wait a few months. Would be interesting to see how the new pairings will look like.

 

The Star Online > Sports
Saturday May 17, 2008


Hot , hot debut from Fairuzizuan and Zakry

MOHD Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari and Mohd Zakry were short in comparison to the towering Xie Zhongbo and Guo Zhengdong.

But the duo, playing their first-ever match in the Thomas Cup Finals, walked out very tall. They overcame early nerves to beat the Chinese 21-17, 21-15 in a thrilling fourth match of the semi-final tie yesterday.

The win kept Malaysia in contention for a place in the final. But their efforts were all in vain as Mohd Hafiz Hashim fell to a 12-21, 16-21 defeat by Chen Jin in the decider.

Malaysia bowed out but Fairuzizuan-Zakry can take consolation in passing their first test in the Thomas Cup Finals with flying colours.

“Zakry and I were quite nervous at the start of the match and we did not want to look at anyone around us,” said Fairuzizuan.

“It was an important match. We had to win it. Otherwise it was all over for Malaysia. We did not want to let down the team. Slowly but surely, we picked up pace.”

It was a neck-and-neck fight in the first game up till the one-minute interval. Then, the Malaysians grew more confident and entertained the crowd with a good attacking and tactical play to win 21-17. In the second, they were outstanding and saved the tie for Malaysia.

“It was a great feeling to beat this Chinese pair, especially after losing to them in the World Championships (in Kuala Lumpur) last year,” said Fairuzizuan.

“But it is pity that we could not go all the way to win the tie. It would have made our win more meaningful if we had made it.”

He added that the result yesterday was another shot in the arm for their badminton career.

“We want to start winning titles and establish ourselves as one of top pairs in the world,” said Fairuzizuan.

________________________________________________________________

Good work, Courageous Shortie & Fuzzy, keep it up & keep the cobwebs out.

 

The Star Online > Sports
Saturday May 17, 2008


Chong Wei sizzles but Hafiz fizzles out

LEE Chong Wei brought early joy to Malaysia when he raised the chances of victory over China in the Thomas Cup semi-finals yesterday. But in the end, Malaysia bowed out with the tame defeat of Mohd Hafiz Hashim (pic) in a decisive fifth match.

Chong Wei gave a solid display to exact revenge over Lin Dan. The top ranked Malaysian, who lost tamely to the Chinese at the Swiss Open final in March, won the opening match of the tie 21-12, 21-14.

He broke Lin Dan's resolve from the start and took only 36 minutes to demoralize the world number one. After the win, Chinese coach Li Yongbo even gave Chong Wei the thumbs up as he walked towards the celebrating Malaysian camp.

“I even surprised myself with the way I won today. This is one of my greatest wins over Lin Dan. I studied his game intensively after losing without much fight at the Swiss Open. It gives me great satisfaction to nail him down today,” said Chong Wei.

“This has certainly put me in a right mood for the Beijing Olympics. I will continue to improve my game.

“Today, I did my part to win the first point and it certainly would have been double joy for me if Malaysia we had made it to the final. Unfortunately, it did not happen.”

All the flying start from Chong Wei, Malaysia lost the next two matches. Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Wong Choong Hann were beaten Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif levelled the tie at 2-2.

It was left to Hafiz to rise to the occasion to send China packing. But he was beaten 12-21, 16-21 by Chen Jin in a 42-minute littered with mistakes.
A solemn faced Hafiz said: “I gave my best but Chen Jin played better. He kept flicking the shuttle to the back and I could not match his pace.”

Misbun summed up Hafiz's performances by saying: “What can I say. We just did not get to the see the best of Hafiz today. Chen Jin was not his best. But Hafiz failed to take advantage of that. I would have expected to see more aggression from him.

“This is a sad way to lose the tie after the great fightback (from Fairuzizuan and Zakry).”

 

The Star Online > Sports
Saturday May 17, 2008


Yongbo: China not taken to the full distance for a long time

CHINA chief coach Li Yongbo thanked the Malaysian squad for giving his team a great fight in the Thomas Cup semi-finals.

The outspoken Chinese said that it had been quite a while since their men’s team were required to go the full distance before winning a tie.

China needed their third singles player, Chen Jin, to secure a 3-2 victory with a 21-12, 21-16 win over Mohd Hafiz Hashim in the fifth match of the tie.

Prior to the semi-finals, the defending champions had breezed through their previous three encounters in the Finals without dropping a game, let alone a point.

“I have waited for this day for a long time. I finally get the chance to see another country giving the China men’s team a real fight right till the end,” said Yongbo.

“The Malaysians came here with a very strong squad and I am happy that my players managed to overcome them. The close margin of victory does not bother me because what was important was to get into the final.

“Our 3-2 win could have easily been 3-0 if Lin Dan had won the opening match. But it was not his day today and (Lee) Chong Wei was also at his best. In fact, Lin Dan’s defeat turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it spurred his team-mates to play harder and make up the deficit.”

Yongbo added that Lin Dan and second doubles pair of Xie Zhongbo-Guo Zhengdong, who lost the second doubles match, would be asked to prove their worth in the final.

“The best way for them to redeem their battered pride is by helping China retain the Thomas Cup. It can be South Korea or Indonesia, it does not matter. After today’s battling display against Malaysia, I am confident of my players beating any other team in the competition.”

China's second singles player Bao Chunlai, who defeated Wong Choong Hann 21-18, 21-7 to put the defending champions 2-1 up, was surprised by the easy manner of his victory.

“I knew there was a heavy responsibility on my shoulders to win a point after Lin Dan had lost the opening match. But I never expected to win this so easily. Choong Hann was clearly not playing at his best and I could capitalise on the situation,” he said.

Besides Chunlai and Chen Jin, China's other point was delivered by the first doubles pair of Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng.

Six-time champions China will be making their ninth appearance in the final of the Thomas Cup series tomorrow.

 

The Star Online > Sports
Saturday May 17, 2008

Historic first for Koreans

SOUTH Korea made it to the final for the first time in the Thomas Cup 60-year history with an efficient 3-0 victory over a battling Indonesia last night.

The Koreans, who advanced to the semi-finals with a heavily criticised tactical ploy to lose their two group ties, overcame both a determined Indonesian challenge and their extremely noisy fans to set up a final showdown against China tomorrow.

The famed roar from about 10,000 spectators inside the packed Istora Senayan failed to lift Sony Dwi Kuncoro in the first singles match against Park Sung-hwan.

The Korean, who had lost a tough three-game battle against Denmark's Peter Gade-Christensen in the quarter-finals, pulled through 21-12, 12-21, 21-18.
World champions Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan succumbed to the overwhelming pressure of hauling Indonesia back level and were beaten 19-21, 21-18, 10-21 to the in-form Jung Jae-sung-Lee Yong-dae.

The usually reliable Indonesian pair were clearly affected by the demands from the home fans and failed to get their normal game going.

Coach Hendrawan said: “Nothing went right for us today. They panicked after allowing the Koreans to build a huge lead in the deciding game.

“The harder they tried, the more mistakes they made and I am very disappointed with their performance tonight.”

It was left to Indonesian superstar Taufik Hidayat to try and save the hosts from elimination. But Taufik, who was unimpressive in all his earlier matches, played below par again and went down meekly 13-21, 14-21 against Lee Hyun-il.

Hyun-il sealed the victory with a deft drop shot and was promptly mobbed by his team-mates, who ran onto court to hoist the player on their shoulders.
Korean team manager Kim Jong-soo said: “I am happy to be the first team manager to guide South Korea into the final.

“Now I am looking forward to creating history again on Sunday by becoming the first Korean manager to lift the Thomas Cup.

“Our women's team have entered the Uber Cup final five times.
“It will be the first for the men and I am very proud of the team's achievement in getting us this far.”

He added that Sung-hwan's win over Sony in the opening match was crucial and it boost the team's confidence tremendously.

“Our target was to win in both the doubles and take one point in either one of the first two singles. But it turned out better for us when both Sung-hwan and Hyun-il delivered victories in their matches,” said Jong-soo.

For the record, the South Korean women's team lost in all their five appearances in the Uber Cup final.

Their team this time were eliminated by China in the semi-final on Thursday.

 

NST - 19May2008

Kim Hock: Focus on singles

NATIONAL chief coach Yap Kim Hock strongly believes that Malaysia must improve in the singles to have any chance of winning the Thomas Cup.
Kim Hock said the main reason Malaysia failed in Jakarta was because of the lack in depth in the second and third singles.

This makes sense as it was apparent that veteran Wong Choong Hann could not sustain the pace against his younger opponents in the second singles while Hafiz Hashim was a total wreck in the third.

The coach said currently the national singles squad do not have shuttlers of equal standard. "Look at (Lee) Chong Wei who is the World No 2. The gap between him and the other singles players in the national squad is very wide," Kim Hock said in Jakarta yesterday.

And Kim Hock will be hoping that the coaching committee will prepare a comprehensive programme to prepare the talented younger shuttlers from now.
"If the BA of Malaysia (BAM) is serious about winning the Cup in the 2010 Kuala Lumpur edition, the association must start making attempts to prepare the shuttlers for it.

-- I though once KBH lost in 2006 ThomasCup to Denmark, they should raise young talented players for 2008 thomas cup. Too late now.....

"There are no two ways about it. So either we start working on the younger talent or just forget about winning the title. For now, we have depth in the doubles to last us through the next edition but not in the singles.

" However, Kim Hock said if the programme does take root, the BAM must ensure a proper coach is hired to guide the players.

"It will be pointless if we hire the wrong coach. We need a good coach to guide the shuttlers as they still lack basic techniques and skill.

-- I though once LeeMao left year ago, they should hire another quality coach to replace him, too late again.....

This is why I did not field (reserve shuttler) Arif Latif for any of the ties in the Thomas Cup. No doubt he's talented but lacks the characteristics I mentioned earlier," said the coach.

-- Why you pick Arif Latif, the player you did not plan to field at all in the 2008 Thomas Cup, you can pick LSS, Roslin.....who you can field when need.....too late again.


Among the shuttlers Kim Hock singled as having potential are Arif Latif, Kuan Beng Hong, Tan Chun Seang and Chong Wei Feng.

"These players must be given exposure at the highest level. We cannot keep sending them to small tournaments any longer."

On Hafiz's playing future, Kim Hock said the shuttler is very talented but needs to change his attitude both on and off the court.

Regarding the decision on the two doubles to feature in the Beijing Olympics, Kim Hock said it will be finalised before May 30.

"We need to analyse the performances of the three pairs who played in the Thomas Cup before making a decision." The pairs in the running for the two spots Beijing spots are World No 3 Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah and Zakry Latif-Fairuzizuan Tazari.

--about KKK/TBH, one game play bad doesn't mean they will play bad the next game, look at China MD2, they play badly when again MAS pair, but the next day, they play very well when again KOR.

 

"Among the shuttlers Kim Hock singled as having potential are Arif Latif, Kuan Beng Hong, Tan Chun Seang and Chong Wei Feng."

KBH

 

4get abt kuan benghong! its very obvious he was juz a n average player and 4ever will be. Much was expected of him after Tokyo but like bad comedy, he has nothing significant to prove in years after dat.

juz look at Chen Jin, already All-England Champ and has beaten almost all top players b4 including lee chong wei.

 

Bonus for INA Uber Team!

Here's the news taken from ANTARA News Agency (English version) :

05/25/08 09:06
RI Uber team get Rp1 billion worth bonus



Jakarta, (ANTARA News) - The 10-member Indonesia`s Uber team on Saturday received a Rp1 billion worth cash bonus for their success in surpassing the target set for the recent Uber Cup.

The bonus was handed directly by Chairman of the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) and would be divided based on their contribution in the team.

The Indonesia`s Uber team successfully reached to the final round, the first for the last ten years. However, the team failed to grab the Uber Cup after being defeated by China in the final round. The Indonesia`s Uber team was previously set only to reach the semifinal round only.

"The men`s Thomas team did not get any bonus as it failed to reach the target set," head of the building section of PBSI Lius Pongoh said.

The Indonesian men`s team was set to reach the final round but it was defeated by the South Korean team in the semifinal round.

The Uber and Thomas Cup was held here on May 11-18.China won both the Uber and Thomas Cups in the event.(*) COPYRIGHT © 2008

 

Badminton rule change for Thomas and Uber Cup to prevent tanking
Fri Sep 12, 2:02 AM ET



The Badminton World Federation (BWF) are set to introduce new rules for the Thomas and Uber Cup to prevent further controversies after South Korea threw matches at this year's tournament.

The showpiece event in Jakarta in May was overshadowed when South Korean team manager Kim Jong-Soo said their tactics in the Thomas Cup were to avoid winning their group.

The reason, he said, was to give them a more favourable quarter-final draw. They duly lost to England and Malaysia, fielding weakened teams.

Currently, the tournament is structured so the top finisher in each three-team group receives a bye to the quarter-finals, while the other two play an elimination game to make the last eight.

The BWF acknowledged the controversy marred the reputation of the sport's premier team event and that tanking cheated spectators.

BWF secretary general Stuart Borrie told Malaysia's Star newspaper Friday that they planned to close the loophole in the rules.

"We cannot blame the coaches or the team managers. There was a set of rules and the teams merely saw the opportunity of making the best use of them," he said.

"The BWF and their members want this to be reviewed. We are looking at having a draw process halfway through the finals to ensure that teams do not get the chance to deliberately lose their ties."

Borrie added that it was important for the finals to justify their status as the championships that brought out the best in teams.

"We are also concerned that England did not have their best team for the last finals as they wanted to focus on the Beijing Olympics," he said.

"The Thomas-Uber Cup finals should be the stage for a team to showcase their best. All these will be looked into at the next executive meeting (in Lausanne next month)."