Wednesday September 2, 2009
China Masters: Chong Wei not in same half as Lin dan, Chen Jin
By LIM TEIK HUAT
PETALING JAYA: World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei’s bid to win his first Open title in China has brightened after receiving a relatively favourable draw yesterday for the China Masters.
Chong Wei is not in the same half of the draw as the two top Chinese shuttlers, world champion Lin Dan and Chen Jin, in the seventh leg of the Super Series, which will be held in Changzhou from Sept 15-20.
Chong Wei, who was he runner-up in the China Open twice, in 2007 and last year, opens against Dane Christian Lind Thomsen.
A win for the Penangite will give him a match against a Chinese youngster — either Gong Weijie or Qiu Yanbo.
In the same quarter are Malaysian veteran Wong Choong Hann and third ranked Chinese Bao Chunlai. Choong Hann has a first-round match against Thai Saensomboonsuk Tanongsak. Dane Peter-Gade Christensen and Thai Boonsak Ponsana are in the other quarter of the draw.
Defending champion Sony Dwi Kuncoro of Indonesia, who eliminated Chong Wei in the quarter-finals of the world championships in Hyderabad last month, has withdrawn from the tournament.
In the women’s singles, Malaysia’s sole representative Wong Mew Choo will be hard pressed to get past the early rounds.
Mew Choo has China’s Jiang Yanjiao as her first-round opponent and victory will give her a match against either Chinese world champion and fifth seed Lu Lan or Zhu Lin.
With the withdrawal of the Malaysian top two doubles pairs, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif, it will be an uphill task for the independent combinations of Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah and Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng in carrying the country’s challenge for honours.
Tan Fook-Wan Wah are in the same quarter as world championship runners-up Lee Yong-dae-Jung Jae-sung of South Korea while Chong Ming-Choon Eng have a succession of Chinese pairs in their path to the semi-finals.
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