Swiss Open : Chong Wei edged Taufik to reach semi-finals

WORLD No 1 Lee Chong Wei survived a narrow escape when he edged Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia to reach the semi-finals of the Swiss Open in Basel last night.

Chong Wei, the top seed, was tested to the limit by Taufik before securing 21-23, 21-12, 21-19 in 66 minutes to earn a place in the last four.

However, his rival Lin Dan of China advanced to the semi-finals with an easy 21-16, 21-14 win over Hsieh Yu Hsin of Taiwan.

Chong Wei will meet Jan Jorgensen of Denmark, who beat another Malaysian shuttler Sairul Amar Ayub 21-18, 21-16, in the last four today.

Lin Dan will set-up an all-China semi-final clash when Chen Jin thrashed England's Andrew Smith 21-10, 21-5 to secure his berth in the last four.
In the men's doubles, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong advanced to the semi-finals after a comprehensive 21-14, 21-17 win over Michal Logosz-Robert Mateusiak of Poland.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong will take on All England champions Fu Haifeng-Cai Yun of China, who defeated Chris Adcock-Robert Blair of England 21-10, 21-11, today.

The other semi-final will pit Denmark's Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen against South Korea's Lee Yong Dae-Shin Baek Cheol.

World No 1 Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei were forced to withdraw from the women's doubles quarter-finals duie to an injury last night.

Eei Hui had suffered a recurrence of a back injury during the All England last week, had to concede the quarter-finals against Ha Jung Eun-Kim Min Jung of South Korea yesterday.

Malaysia's campaign in the mixed doubles also came to an end after Fairuzizuan Tazari-Wong Pei Tty lost 21-18, 21-8 to Olympic champions Lee Yong Dae-Lee Hyo Jung of South Korea in the last eight.

Q-Final Results - Men's Singles: Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Taufik Hidayat (Ina) 21-23, 21-12, 21-19; Jan Jorgensen (Den) bt Sairul Amar Ayob (Mas) 21-18, 21-16; Chen Jin (Chn) bt Andrew Smith (Eng) 21-10, 21-5; Lin Dan (Chn) Hsieh Yu Hsin (Tai) 21-16, 21-14.

Doubles: Lee Yong Dae-Shin Baek Cheol (Kor) bt Kenichi Hayakawa-Kenta Kazuno (Jpn) 23-21, 21-15; Fu Haifeng-Cai Yun (Chn) bt Chris Adcock-Robert Blair (Eng) 21-10, 21-11; Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (Mas) bt Michal Logosz-Robert Mateusiak (Pol) 21-14, 21-17; Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen (Den) bt Anthony Clark-Nathan Robertson (Eng) 18-21, 21-19, 21-14.

Women's Singles: Jiang Yanjiao (Chn) bt Salakjit Ponsana (Tha) 21-16, 21-13; Pi Hongyan (Fra) bt Juliane Schenk (Ger) 21-18, 21-13; Wang Yihan (Chn) bt Zhou Mi (HK) 21-11 23-21; Lu Lan (Chn) bt Saina Nehwal (Ind) 18-21 21-8 21-17.

Doubles: Ha Jung Eun-Kim Min Jung (Kor) w.o. Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui (Mas).

Mixed Doubles: Lee Yong Dae-Lee Hyo Jung (Kor) bt Fairuzizuan Tazari-Wong Pei Tty (Mas) 21-18, 21-8.

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Chong Wei ranked 1st in the world

Lee Chong Wei (left) received some consolation for his defeat to Lin Dan at the Olympics when he dethroned the gold medallist as the World No 1 in the latest ranking released on Aug 21.

HE may have fallen at the final hurdle in the Beijing Olympics but there was yet another consolation for silver medallist Lee Chong Wei yesterday.

As ironic as this may sound, Chong Wei has dethroned Lin Dan, who denied him Olympic gold, as the World No 1.

It was a position the China star had held since Sept 28, 2006 but he drops to second in the latest ranking, released on Aug 21, due to his limited appearances on the international circuit this year.

For Chong Wei, now a Datuk, his rise is due to his consistency over the last 12 months.

Chong Wei won four titles and was runner-up in another four over the last 12 months while Lin Dan won five titles and finished runner-up twice over the same period.

Chong Wei became the World No 1 for the first time on June 29, 2006 and maintained his position until July 20 before Lin Dan snatched it again.

However, that lasted for only a month as Chong Wei regained the top ranking on Aug 24, 2006 and held it until Sept 24 before Lin Dan made the top position his own until last week.

The progress of Chong Wei will also be rewarded handsomely by the BA of Malaysia (BAM) as players ranked in the top two receive a quarterly incentive of RM45,000.

Chong Wei, going by his current form, is likely to maintain his position in the top two bracket until the end of the year and earn RM180,000 on ranking bonuses alone this year.

Rashid Sidek was the first Malaysian to hold the top position, albeit for less than a month, in 1996 while Roslin Hashim held it for a similar period in 2001.

It was Wong Choong Hann's turn to become World No 1 a year later and his reign also didn't last for more than a month.

For Chong Wei to avoid a similar fate, he will have to retain the Japan Open next month.

Should Lin Dan win the Japan Open, which will be held on Sept 16-22, he will be the World No 1 again as Chong Wei has 85,579 points to the Olympic champion's 84,080.

A win is normally worth 9,200 points.

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Lee Chong Wei advances to Olympic semifinal

BEIJING, Aug 14 — Lee Chong Wei kept Malaysia's best hope for an Olympic gold medal alive today with a straight-sets win over Sony Dwi Kuncoro of Indonesia in the quarterfinals of men's singles at the Olympic badminton tournament.

Lee, who is second-seeded, cruised to a 21-9, 21-11 win over Kuncoro to set up a semifinal showdown on Friday with either third-seeded Bao Chunlai of China or Lee Hyun-il of South Korea.

"Sony didn't play very well today,'' Lee said. "Maybe he was nervous. I've played him before and I know he can play better than that.''

Lee's powerful smashes and accurate drop shots were too much for the sixth-seeded Kuncoro.

Lee is bidding to win Malaysia's first gold medal in the Olympics. His girlfriend, Wong Mew Choo, lost in the quarterfinals of the women's singles on Wednesday, but was in the stands Thursday to watch Lee's match.

To win Malaysia's first gold of the Olympics, Lee will likely have to defeat Lin Dan of China. The top-seeded player in men's singles faces Peter Gade of Denmark later today and has looked strong so far.

"Lin is in very good form,'' Lee said. "But I'm not thinking ahead. Right now, I'm just focusing on the semifinals.''

Lee has beaten Lin twice recently — at the Thomas Cup team competition in Jakarta in May and at the 2007 Japan Open.

Lee was knocked out in the last 16 at Athens four years ago.

In an earlier match, fourth-seeded Chen Jin of China downed Taiwan's Hsieh Yu-hsing 21-8, 21-14 to advance to the semis where he will face the winner of the match between Lin and Gade.

In mixed doubles, the top-seeded pair of Liliyana Natsir and Nova Widianto of Indonesia defeated Thailand's Sudket Prapakamol and Saralee Thoungthongkam 21-13, 21-19 to advance to the semifinals.

China's He Hanbin and Yu Yang defeated Poland's Nadiezda Kostiuczyk and Robert Mateusiak 22-20, 23-21 to also advance. — AP
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Chong Wei and doubles progress, Choong Hann bid farewell

By Tham Choy Lin

BEIJING, Aug 13 (Bernama) -- Lee Chong Wei and Malaysia's young pair of Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong swept into the quarterfinals Tuesday, as veteran Wong Choong Hann bid farewell to the Olympics in defeat.

On a night of mixed fortunes for the country's doubles pairs, Olympic debutantes Kien Keat and Boon Heong claimed their ticket with a delightful return to their aggressive style, but fourth seeded Choong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah were upset by South Korea's unranked Lee Haejin and Hwang Jiman in three games.

This leaves Malaysia with three quarter-final spots. Wong Mew Choo was the first in claiming a stake in the women's singles Monday.

Chong Wei shapes up for his next clash against Indonesia's Sony Dwi Kuncoro, the Athens games bronze medallist, on Thursday, and watching on the sidelines will be Choong Hann who was bundled out of his third Olympics by Taiwan's Hsieh Yu Hsing.

To advance into the semis, Kien Keat and Boon Heong must upstage Indonesian world champions Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan Wednesday night.

Chong Wei, the second seed here behind China's reigning world champion Lin Dan, as expected booked himself into the last eight with an effortless win over Lithuania's Kestutis Navickas 21-5, 21-7 in the third round this morning.

Sony, the only Indonesian left in the tussle after defending champion Taufik Hidayat's ouster yesterday, made his way with a 21-13, 21-18 win over Vladyslav Druzchenko of Ukraine.

Sony made last year's world championship a nightmare for Chong Wei by beating the Malaysian in the second round in Kuala Lumpur.

But in the ensuing Denmark Open and China Open, Chong Wei avenged himself.

"Past records won't count now. Sony is a very tough attacking player.

I know his game well but this may change for the Olympics here, so I have to make sure I am in the best condition to face him," said Chong Wei.

The 26-year-old Chong Wei is getting used to playing in the centre court and the draft inside the Beijing University of Technology gymnasium.

"I have played all my two matches on the same court and I am playing more consistently and making less mistakes," he said.

Sony said Taufik's loss will pressure him to salvage Indonesia's pride.

Allan Budi Kusuma first won the gold medal in Barcelona in 1992, followed by Taufik in Athens, four years ago.

"I don't think of anything else except my own game. Chong Wei is looking in good form here but I am confident. I have my own strength," he said.

The winner of the tie will head for the semi-final in the bottom half of the draw either against China's third seed Bao Chunlai or South Korean darkhorse, Lee Hyunil.

Taiwan's Hsieh Yu Hsing ended Choong Hann's third and final Olympic outing 14-21, 21-17, 21-18, a day after the Malaysian closed the door on Athens games gold medallist Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia who also played his last Olympics.

Kien Keat and Boon Heong were superb in trouncing Shintaro Ikeda and Shuichi Sakamota 21-12, 21-16 in the pre-quarterfinals round.

Tan Fook and Wan Wah fended off their rivals in the first game just barely and the Koreans came back to force a decider with their fast attacking speed to wrap up 20-22, 21-13, 21-16.

-- BERNAMA
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