Showdown in Macau again

Saturday, 22 August 2009

K.M. Boopathy

WORLD No 1 Lee Chong Wei, hoping to make up for the disappointment of last week's World Championships in Hyderabad, has set up a semi-final showdown with former Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia in the Macau Open.

Chong Wei, who fell in the quarter-finals in Hyderabad, faced no problems against India's Chetan Anand yesterday and secured a 21-10, 21-14 win in 26 minutes.

Taufik, whp had an easy 21-16, 21-14 win over Hsieh Yu Hsing of Taiwan in 31 minutes, will not lack confidence against Chong Wei, having beaten the Malaysian in the final last year.

Veteran Wong Choong Hann also put a forgettable World Championships campaign behind him by beating Arvind Bhat of India 21-19, 18-21, 21-6 in 52 minutes to enter the last four.
Lee Chong Wei (left) and Taufik Hidayat will meet in the semi-final of the Macau Open.
Lee Chong Wei (left) and Taufik Hidayat will meet in the semi-final of the Macau Open.


Choong Hann will set up a rematch today against second seed Chen Jin of China, whom the Malaysian lost to in the third round of the World Championships last week.

Chen Jin defeated Hu Yun of Hong Kong 21-10, 21-19 in a quarter-final match.

Men's doubles Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, the World No 2, closed in on their fourth title of the year when they reached the semi-finals with a 21-13, 21-14 win over Liu Xiaolong-Qiu Zihan of China in 23 minutes.

They will next meet another pair from China Chai Biao-Zhang Nan, who toppled Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng 19-21, 21-16, 21-17 in 53 minutes.

Veterans Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah also continued their fine run by beating Hwang Ji Man-Kim Ki Jung of South Korea 21-15, 21-13 and will play Indonesia's Wifqi Windarto-Afiat Yuris Wirawan, who beat Sun Junjie-Tao Jiaming of China 21-19, 21-16 for a place in the final.

Razif Latif-Woon Khe Wei crashed out in the quarter-finals of the mixed doubles when they were beaten 21-12, 20-22, 21-15 in 44 minutes by Indonesians Hendra Gunawan-Vita Marissa.

Q-FINAL RESULTS -- (Malaysia unless stated) Men's Singles: Lee Chong Wei bt Chetan Anand (Ind) 21-10, 21-14; Taufik Hidayat (Ina) bt Hsieh Yu Hsing (Tai) 21-16, 21-14; Wong Choong Hann bt Arvind Bhat (Ind) 21-19 18-21 21-6; Chen Jin (Chn) bt Hu Yun (HK) 21-10, 21-19.

Doubles: Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong bt Liu Xiaolong-Qiu Zihan (Chn) 21-13, 21-14; Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah bt Hwang Ji Man-Kim Ki Jung (Kor) 21-15, 21-13; Chai Biao-Zhang Nan (Chn) bt Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng 19-21, 21-16, 21-17.

Women's Singles: Wang Yihan (Chn) bt Yip Pui Yin (HK) 12-21, 21-8, 21-17; Juliane Schenk (Ger) bt Sung Ji Hyun (Kor) 21-18, 21-5.

Doubles: Du Jing-Yu Yang (Chn) bt Helle Nielsen-Marie Ropke (Den) 21-13, 21-7.

Mixed Doubles: Hendra Gunawan-Vita Marissa (Ina) bt Razif Latif-Woon Khe Wei 21-12, 20-22, 21-15.

Courtesy of New Straits Times