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Wednesday April 30, 2008

Absence of Zhang Ning will not hurt bid for six straight Uber Cup crown

By LIM TEIK HUAT

PETALING JAYA: Olympic women's singles champion Zhang Ning will not be in action in the Uber Cup Finals but it is not going to hurt China's chances of winning the title for the sixth consecutive time in Jakarta on May 17.

China's chief coach Li Yongbo has opted to exclude the veteran campaigner from the Finals to allow her to concentrate on preparing for the Beijing Olympics in August.

China still have a formidable line-up for the task in Jakarta.

World number one Xie Xingfang leads the singles players ahead of All-England runner-up Lu Lan, reigning world champion Zhu Lin and Jiang Yanjiao. Their pairs are Yang Wei-Zhang Jiewen, Wei Yili-Zhang Yawen and Gao Ling-Zhao Tingting, currently ranked first, second and 12th in the world respectively.

Master at work: Rexy Mainaky speaking to the men doubles players after a training session at the Bukit Jalil Sports Complex.

Malaysia's chief coach Yap Kim Hock does not see the absence of Zhang Ning diluting the strength of the Chinese side.

“Their doubles line-up are strong and they can field any two of the three pairs to win points,” he said.

“Their singles players have been beaten before but key players like Xingfang and Zhu Lin have the experience of playing in China's winning Sudirman Cup (world mixed team) sides. China can afford to drop one of their best players because of their all-round strength in singles and doubles.

“To beat China, a team have to score upset victories in the singles and doubles matches and it will be very difficult for any side to wrest the Cup from them.”

South Korea may have such an intention. They are one of the few teams who have stolen points off China in previous ties. But the draw this time sees them in the same group as Hong Kong and South Africa and it has thrown up a dilemma for them.

Winning Group B will give South Korea a direct route to the quarter-finals but they will have to face China if they advanced to the semi-finals.

It raises the possibility of the Koreans taking it easy against Hong Kong to finish as runners-up. That will require them to play an extra tie to reach the quarter-finals but it will put them in a different half as China.

“It will be interesting to see how South Korea comes out of the situation. They have a better chance to make the final if they finish as runners-up in their group,” said Kim Hock.

“They will play against Japan in the quarter-finals and they will face Malaysia or Denmark if they advance to the semi-finals.”

For Malaysia, it will be the second time in four years that they will be playing in the Uber Cup Finals and Kim Hock felt there was a chance for the team to reach the semi-finals for the first time in the series.

Malaysia have been drawn in Group C with Denmark and New Zealand. If they finish as the runners-up, they could still reach the quarter-finals against South Korea or Hong Kong. But if Malaysia can beat Denmark to top Group C, they will probably face Germany in the quarter-finals.

Germany are in Group A with China and the United States.

“Denmark will be banking on their top singles (Tine Rasmussen) and doubles (Lena Frier Kristiansen-Kamilla Rytter Juhl) but the other players in the team are relatively weaker. We stand a chance to beat them but Wong Mew Choo and the doubles pair of Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty have to deliver the points,” said Kim Hock.

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