@Cheung, thanks so much for all the photos, very well taken. Keep coming. Maybe you might want to create a separate thread for it, makes for easier viewing and more convenient than having to search for them in the relevant tournament threads ? Just a casual suggestion.
JOJ said it already after his first match in Hong Kong - it's a completely different arena than they played in China, like black and white. A lot of wind, etc. Making it a place where you'll not play long rallies with precise shots, etc, and making one side very different from the other. China was much more playable. So he analyzed a lot of unforced errors would come, and a different playing style would be called for. However, he didn't deliver it himself today. Verma on the other hand, probably played the match of his life - I think he was a bit lucky at the right times (and JOJ seemed unable to put together a full set of concentration), but Verma surely came in there fighting with all he had in him. Good stuff by the Indian. I don't know if JOJ underestimated the field at the end, since he was the only seeded player left in the quarters. He's done that before, and talked openly in interviews about it - it's something that comes to him once in a while when playing lower ranked tournaments. He hates it himself and has worked mentally to get rid of that attitude. I don't think he underestimated Verma - who the Danish coaching team knew from his recent match vs. Antonsen. I think Verma just hit the top of his game at the right time. One thing is sure now, we will get a surprise super series winner tomorrow
First of all, you misunderstood the name and got confused. He did not play Antonsen at all in recent times. That was his brother Sourabh verma. JOJ yesterday in his post match interview, " I tried to be tricky in the second set and sneak a set, but he was too good. He was fresh… well played, good game, credit to him. I need to take some days off.".
Well. Yes and no Of course you're right that Antonsen played his brother, my mistake. But I was actually thinking of Sameer from the BitBurger Open. He was setup to play Kim Bruun (the Danish pro I know best, and talk to regularly about these matches). Kim simply lost out unexpected to some Ukranian player in the round before, so he never faced Sameer. It was later in the same tournament Antonsen faced Sourabh, and I mistakenly thought back to the talks about Sameer I had with Kim... Anyway, it's not like they haven't seen them play, either of the brothers. Baddy - question for you: Sourabh was mistakenly registered as VARMA in his first BWF tournament. For some reason he has never changed that mistake, and is still listed as VARMA in the BWF database, and as such on all entry forms/draw sheets/results/statistic pages/etc. I noticed during the BitBurger Open that he even print the wrongly spelled name on his shirt! Do you know WHY he's doing that? Is it so that the brothers are easier to distinguish? Some kind of athlete's superstition? Or?
'Verma/varma' is common family name in india where 'certain' group of people use it. Either way it is correct. But there is not much a difference though. His father's name is Sudhir Verma . He uses 'e' as if his younger son Sameer uses. The reason may be more of personal reasons than social. No idea.
