The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Koo-Tan bring cheer to Malaysian camp by staying in semis hunt
- Graceful Ratchanok wins over crowd with humble ways
- Nadzmi a prime candidate for post of BWF president
| Koo-Tan bring cheer to Malaysian camp by staying in semis hunt Posted: 13 Dec 2012 06:13 PM PST MEN'S doubles pair Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong remained in the hunt for a place in the semi-finals of the World Super Series Finals after pulling off a superb win over world No. 1 Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen of Denmark. Kien Keat-Boon Heong overcame the resilient Danish Olympic silver medallists 21-19, 15-21, 21-18 after fighting for 73 minutes in an absorbing Group A match. It was the second time this year that they had beaten the top Danish pair and avenging their defeat in the China Open final recently. The win handed the Malaysians a lifeline as they had lost their opening match against Olympic champions Fu Haifeng-Cai Yun on Wednesday. The Danes also have a victory in hand after receiving a walkover from South Koreans Kim Ki-sung-Kim Ja-rang on Wednesday. Kien Keat-Boon Heong will not be in action today but will have to wait for the outcome of the final Group A match between Haifeng-Cai Yun and Boe-Mogensen. If reigning world champions Haifeng-Cai Yun win, they will top Group A and make the semi-finals, with Kien Keat-Boon Heong joining them. "We were determined not to surrender although we were both very tired after staying here for more than a month (playing in the China League)," said Boon Heong. "Mentally, I was tired but I do not want to let it go. It has always been close against these top pairs and we just tried to finish things off well in the end. Our defending was good and that was the key to our win." Mixed doubles pair Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying earlier found Denmark's Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen too hot to handle as they fell to their second straight defeat. Peng Soon-Liu Ying needed to win the crucial Group B match but instead found opportunities hard to come by and eventually went down 16-21, 8-21 in 42 minutes last night. Their court coverage was also not up to the mark and it was the Danes who looked more polished as they virtually assured themselves of a place in the semis. Peng Soon-Liu Ying now need to pull off a miracle by beating Olympic champions Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei in straight games today to have any chance of advancing to the last four. Peng Soon-Liu Ying, winners of the Japan Open in September, have yet to beat the Chinese pair in four previous meetings. "We found our rhythm too late in the first game and the Danes had already pulled away. We've never played against them before," said the dejected Liu Ying. Peng Soon added that there was a slim chance of them making the semi-finals. "It has not been a good tournament for us so far ... we'll try our best to leave with something," he said. The Danes, meanwhile, can rest easy tonight after bagging two wins. Nielsen-Pedersen had earlier avenged their London Olympic semi-final loss to Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei on Wednesday, chalking up a 21-12, 23-21 win and were happy to keep the momentum going. "The confidence was there and we just built on it. The Malaysian pair did not play badly but we were ready for them tactically," said Nielsen, currently ranked fourth in the world with Pedersen. "It's two good wins for us and we just need to take one game off our next opponents (Indonesia's Muhammad Rijal-Debby Susanto) tomorrow. "We won the title in Kuala Lumpur two years ago and it'll be great to do it here this time." RESULTS Men's singles Group A: Du Pengyu (Chn) bt Hu Yun (Hkg) 21-18, 23-21. Group B: Hans Kristian Vittinghus (Den) bt Kenichi Tago (Jpn) 21-18, 21-13; Chen Long (Chn) bt Liew Daren (Mas) 23-25, 21-8, 21-12. Women's singles Group A: Li Xuerui (Chn) bt Eriko Hirose (Jpn) 25-23, 21-15; Wang Shixian (Chn) bt Sung Ji-hyun (Kor) 21-19, 21-19. Group B: Ratchanok Intanon (Tha) bt Saina Nehwal (Ind) 21-13, 21-16; Juliane Schenk (Ger) bt Tine Baun (Den) 14-21, 21-16, 21-8. Men's doubles Group A: Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong bt Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen (Den) 21-19, 15-21, 21-18. Group B: Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa (Jpn) bt Bodin Issara-Maneepong Jongjit (Tha) 21-11, 21-9; Hong Wei-Shen Ye (Chn) bt Hoon Thien How-Tan Wee Kiong (Mas) 21-17, 21-16. Women's doubles Group A: Qing Tian-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) bt Poon Lok Yan-Tse Ying Suet (Hkg) 21-6, 21-9; Shizuka Matsuo-Mami Naito (Jpn) bt Aroonkesorn Duanganong-Kunchala Voravichitchaikul (Tha) 21-11, 18-21, 21-19. Group B: Wang Xiaoli-Yu Yang (Chn) bt Matsutomo Misaki-Ayaka Takahashi (Jpn) 21-9, 21-9. Mixed doubles Group A: Xu Chen-Ma Jin (Chn) bt Sudket Prapakamol-Saralee Thoungthongkam (Tha) 21-14, 18-21, 21-12; Group B: Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) bt Muhammad Rijal-Debby Susanto (Ina) 21-13, 21-10; Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen (Den) bt Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying (Mas) 21-16, 21-8. |
| Graceful Ratchanok wins over crowd with humble ways Posted: 13 Dec 2012 04:07 PM PST TEENAGER Ratchanok Intanon has certainly come a long way from her humble background in north-east Thailand. The 17-year-old is assured of a big pay cheque after earning a place in the last four of the World Super Series Finals in Shenzhen this weekend. Ratchanok won over the Chinese crowd with her humble ways as she gracefully clasped her hands together in the traditional form of greeting, often referred to as wai, and bowed to all four corners after beating world No. 3 Saina Nehwal of India in straight games in a Group B match. Ratchanok chalked up a 21-13, 21-16 win over Saina for her second straight victory over a higher ranked player. Ratchanok, whose parents were migrant labourers from the Yasothorn province, had opened accounts on a fierce note by beating London Olympic bronze medallist Juliane Schenk of Germany 21-17, 22-20 on Wednesday. The Thai, who was a delight to watch with her accurate placings and good net play, was happy with her strong run in what is her first appearance in the Super Series Finals. "I just realised that I'm the first to have checked into the women's singles semi-finals. I've lost many times to Saina, so I am happy to beat her in straight games. "I do not have high expectations here as the top eight players in this field are equally strong. But now that I'm in the semi-finals, I'll try to take it a step further," said Ratchanok, a three-time world junior champion. Ratchanok will complete her Group B fixtures against Tine Baun of Denmark. Saina is out of contention as her defeat by Ratchanok was the second in as many days. Saina, a former world junior champion, was beaten 14-21, 21-11, 19-21 by Baun on Wednesday. Asked how she took a liking for the sport, Ratchanok said her parents used to work at a badminton centre in Bangkok when she was younger. "There was a badminton school and I was about five when I learnt to run. The owner was worried about my safety as there was hot water all around. "I took up badminton and became good at it. Later, I wanted to become a national player like my older friends and play for the country as I felt that it was the best way to help my parents," said the filial daughter, who has given away her prize money to help her father open a food stall. Ratchanok became the most successful player ever at the World Junior Championships, winning her third straight singles title in Taiwan last year. |
| Nadzmi a prime candidate for post of BWF president Posted: 13 Dec 2012 04:07 PM PST KUALA LUMPUR: South Korean Dr Kang Young-joong's decision not to seek re-election as the Badminton World Federation's (BWF) president has thrust Malaysia's Datuk Seri Nadzmi Mohd Salleh as the prime candidate for the post. And Nadzmi, who stands to be the first Malaysian to assume the post if he contests and wins it, said yesterday that he would make a decision soon "now that the post is open for contest". "There are a few things I need to deliberate on before making a decision. Dr Kang has done his part to improve the organisation of the world body and the next person should take it to a higher level. It'll be a different form of challenge," he said. "So far, I have good support. It is, however, only right to seek feedback from the affiliates. Holding the post is one thing but you should also be able to do the work. The ultimate objective is to promote the sport and ensure that more prize money is offered for badminton so that it will remain popular. "The BWF's election is next year (during the Sudirman Cup, which will be hosted by Kuala Lumpur) and I still have some time to decide." Nadzmi is not going for a third term as the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president next year and that has given him the option to look at something even more challenging at a higher level. With the headquarters of BWF being in Kuala Lumpur, it will be double joy for Malaysia to have a local man helm the world body as well. |
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