MY: BADMINTON: Thomas & Uber Cup Results and Reports
Sooraj Nair
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* Copyright Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd *
* The Star Online, http://www.jaring.my/star/ *
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Related Stories:
* Into the semis
* Beng Kiang's fitness level not up to the mark
* Our women thrashed by Chinese
* Malaysia-Thailand Thomas Cup match-up
* Results
INTO THE SEMIS
Rashid leads the way as Malaysia whitewash Taiwan
By S.T. Arasu
_________________________________________________________________
AUCKLAND: Rashid Sidek led the Malaysian express past Taiwan and to a
place in the semi-finals of Thomas Cup qualifying rounds at the
Auckland Badminton Hall last night.
There was no stopping the Malaysians last night as Rashid opened the
campaign with a 15-9, 15-9 win over Fung Permadi in the first singles.
Malaysia went on to win the tie 5-0 and their final Group Y match
against Thailand today will have no bearing on their qualification to
the semi-finals.
However, both Thailand and Taiwan are still in the running for the
second semi-final berth from the group.
Last night, Taiwan were hoping for their Indonesian import -- Fung --
to give them a winning start. Fung had beaten Rashid the last time
they met at the Birmingham World Championships.
It was a long three-year wait, but it was well worth it for Rashid who
avenged the defeat with a 15-9, 15-9 win.
The 27-year-old Rashid played an intelligent game. He pushed Fung, the
world number 10, around the court before killing the shuttler with his
trade mark chops to the left and right.
He led 8-1 but started playing to Fung's tune. That allowed Fung to
draw closer at 6-8 but Rashid was back in form to take the first game
15-9 in 21 minutes.
It was Fung who dictated the pace of the second game. He led 3-2 and
8-5 at one stage before Rashid got a grip of the game. The national
champion drew level and attacked relentlessly to take the game 15-9 in
another 18-minutes.
Commonwealth Games silver medallist Ong Ewe Hock, once again made
heavy weather of a match he should have easily. He struggled in the
first game against newcomer Chang Jeng-shyuang before winning 15-12,
15-8.
However, Pang Chen was once again clinical in clinching Malaysia's
winning point. He took less than 15-minutes to romp past a bewildered
Wu Chun-sheng 15-2, 15-1.
The Malaysians were also much too strong for the Taiwanese in the two
doubles matches. Cheah Soon Kit-Yap Kim Hock beat Horng Shin-jeng-Liu
En-horng 15-10, 15-4 while Soo Beng Kiang-Tan Kim Her beat Lee
Sung-yuan-Chun-sheng 15-6, 15-1.
BENG KIANG'S FITNESS LEVEL NOT UP TO THE MARK
AUCKLAND: Malaysia's doubles woes continue to pile up as Wira Tangkis
professional Soo Beng Kiang's suspect fitness is beginning to take a
toll on his game.
National chief coach Razif Sidek said yesterday that he was worried
about Beng Kiang's form now.
Razif has already one unfit key doubles player on his team.
Yap Kim Hock, who was hospitalised with high fever last week, has yet
to reach peak form.
He said that the team cannot afford to plod on with two key players
not fit to take up the challenge.
"Even during the first match he played, Beng Kiang's fitness was
beginning to affect his game," said Razif.
Beng Kiang and Kim Her were forced to fight all the way in their 15-9,
15-10 win over Australians Murray Hocking-Mark Nichols on Wednesday.
Yesterday, they fared much better against Lee Sung-yuan-Wu Chun-sheng
of Taiwan, whom they beat 15-6, 15-1.
But the Taiwanese pair were hardly tough opponents.
"He was not steady at all and that put a lot of pressure on Kim Her.
"What we saw of Beng Kiang over the last two days is not the usual
Beng Kiang we have seen," said Razif.
He added that Beng Kiang's service also let him down.
"The service is an important aspect of the game. Without a good
service a player cannot pick up any points," said Razif.
He added that Beng Kiang was equally ineffective at the net.
"The killer in Beng Kiang was absent. Usually, he is devastating at
the net," said Razif.
"He made the opposition look good in defence. And quite often his own
defensive game was bad. "He was giving away just too many half-court
returns," he added.
OUR WOMEN THRASHED BY CHINESE
AUCKLAND: Malaysia were given a lesson in badminton as China led the
seeded teams into the semi-finals of the Uber Cup qualifying rounds at
the Auckland Badminton Hall yesterday.
The Chinese led by world champion, Ye Zhaoying, easily brushed aside
Malaysia 5-0 to join Japan, who are also through to the semi-finals,
from Group Y.
Japan defeated New Zealand 5-0 in another Group Y match yesterday.
Favourites South Korea and Thailand qualified from Group X in
contrasting styles.
Korea as expected beat Taiwan 5-0 while Thailand were forced to go the
distance for the second time before making the cut.
Thailand, who beat Taiwan 3-2 on Wednesday, overcame Australia by the
same margin in an another epic battle yesterday.
The cross-over semi-final line-ups will be decided today after all
four teams play their final group matches.
China meet Japan in Group Y while Korea take on Thailand in Group X.
The Chinese players were hardly called upon to play up to their full
strength against Malaysia yesterday.
The Chinese fielded their best players and they only needed to play at
half pace to get past the young Malaysian side.
Malaysia rested national champion Chan Chia Fong and Iswari Boobathy
was given the task to play first singles against Zhaoying.
Zhaoying had an easy match, beating Ishwari 11-3, 11-2.
Geevien Saha fared no better in the second singles as she bowed out
3-11, 2-11 to Han Jingna.
Zhang Ning picked up China's winning point when she beat Law Pei Pei
11-7, 11-2.
The tie of the day last night was definitely the Thailand-Australia
clash.
Australia had thrown their first round match against Malaysia earlier
this week to book themselves a place in the easier Group X.
They felt they had a better chance against the Thais in the group. The
plan almost worked.
Thailand must thank the duo of Sujitra Ekmongkolpaisarn and
Somharuethai Jaroensiri for their victory.
Both players won their respective singles matches earlier and with the
tie at 2-2 they teamed up to beat Nicole Harwood-Kelly Lucas 15-6,
15-9 in the crucial deciding second doubles match.
MALAYSIA-THAILAND THOMAS CUP MATCH-UP
AUCKLAND: Malaysia are already in the semi-finals after beating Taiwan
yesterday. But much is at stake in this tie for both teams.
Topping the group will be a morale booster for the Malaysian side
although neither China nor South Korea are easy opponents in the
semi-finals.
For Thailand, who lost to Taiwan earlier, they must win this tie to
put themselves back in contention for a semi-final berth.
First singles
Rashid Sidek vs Kitipon Kitikul: After his morale-boosting win over
Fung Permadi, Rashid is on song.
Kitipon is not in the same class as Fung.
Easy outing for Rashid.
Point for Malaysia.
Second singles
Ong Ewe Hock vs Apichai Theeraratskul: Ewe Hock is not only more
experienced but he is also a stronger attacking player.
No reason at all for Ewe Hock to lose.
But Ewe Hock must begin to show more urgency in his game.
Point for Malaysia.
Third singles
Pang Chen vs Sompol Kukasemkij: Sompol did not play in the previous
two matches.
But the Thais look likely to bring the veteran shuttler in place of
Nattapol Saravan.
Sompol beat Pang Chen the last time they met three years ago, but
things could be a little different in Auckland.
With Sompol's condition still a question mark, Pang Chen must hold a
slight advantage here.
Point for Malaysia.
First doubles
Cheah Soon Kit-Yap Kim Hock vs Pramote Teerawiwatana-Sakrapee
Thongsari: Soon Kit-Kim Hock have lost only once to the Thai pair in
all their previous meetings.
That defeat came at the Malaysian Open, when the Malaysian pair were
not fit.
It is the same case now!
The Thais are sound in defence and would aim to let the Malaysians
tire themselves out by attacking.
Point could go either way.
Second doubles
Soo Beng Kiang-Tan Kim Her vs Siripong Siripool-Khunakorn Sudhisodhi:
On paper, Beng Kiang-Kim Her should get past the Thai pair.
But the Thais are not going to bow out easily if the tie is deadlocked
at 2-2.
Siripong-Khunakorn are not as good as the Thais' first doubles but can
still give the Malaysians a difficult time.
Point for Malaysia.
RESULTS
(AUCKLAND QUALIFIER)
THOMAS CUP
Group X South Korea bt New Zealand 5-0 (Park Sung-woo bt Nick Hall
15-3, 15-7; Lee Kwang-jin bt Dean Galt 15-3, 15-8; Kim Hak-kyun bt
Jarrod King 15-2, 15-3; Kim Dong-moon-Yoo Yong-sung bt Deant
Galt-Grant Walker 15-7, 15-5; Ha Tae-kwan-Lee Dong-soo bt Nick
Hall-Glenn Stewart 15-7, 15-2).
China bt Japan 5-0 (Dong Jiong bt Fumihiko Machida 15-9, 15-10; Sun
Jun bt Seichi Watanabe 15-4, 15-6; Yu Lizhi bt Takahiro Suka 15-1,
15-7; Huang Zhanzhong-Jiang Xin bt Fumihiko Machida-Seichi Watanabe
15-8, 15-12; Ge Cheng-Tao Xiaoqiang bt Takahiro Suka-Norio Imai 15-4,
15-6).
Group Y
Thailand bt Australia 5-0 (Kitipon Kitikul bt Craig Booley 15-12,
15-8; Apichai Teeraratskul bt Murray Hocking 15-8, 15-12; Nattapol
Saravan bt Stuart Metcalfe 15-9, 17-14; Pramote Teerawiwatana-Sakrapee
Thongsari bt Peter Blackburn-Paul Staight 15-6, 15-7; Siripong
Siripol-Khunakorn Sudhisodhi bt David Bamford, Mark Nichols 15-1,
15-9).
Malaysia bt Taiwan 5-0 (Rashid Sidek bt Fung Permadi 15-9, 15-9; Ong
Ewe Hock bt Chang jeng-shyung 15-12, 15-8; Pang Chen bt Wu Chun Seng
15-2, 15-1; Cheah Soon Kit-Yap Kim Hock bt Horng Shin-jeng-Liu
En-horng 15-10, 15-4; Soo Beng Kiang-Tan Kim Her bt Lee Sung-yuan-Wu
Chun-sheng 15-6, 15-1).
UBER CUP
Group X
Thailand bt Australia 3-2 (Somharuethai Jaroensiri bt Song Yang 11-3,
11-7; Pornsawan Plungwech lost to Lisa Bryant Campbell 5-11, 7-11;
Sujitra Ekmongkolpaisarn bt Rayoni Head 1-2, 11-0; Pornsawan
Plungwech-Plernta Boonyarit lost to Rhonda Cator-Amanda Hardy 7-15,
10-15; Sujitra Ekmongkolpaisarn-Somharuethai Jareonsiri bt Nicole
Harwood-Kelly Lucas 15-6, 15-9).
South Korea bt Taiwan 5-0 (Bang Soo-hyun bt Chan Ya Ling 11-6, 11-0;
Kim Ji-hyun bt Huang Chia-chi 11-5, 11-6; Lee Joo-hyun bt Jeng
Shwu-zen 11-3, 11-7; Kim Mee-hyang-Kim Shin-young bt Lee Ming-hwa-Kao
Hsin-lin 15-7, 15-10; Ra Kyung-min-Park Soo-hyun bt Tsai Huz-min-Shyu
Yu-ling 15-2, 15-5).
Group Y
Japan bt New Zealand 5-0 (Hisako Mizui bt Rhona Robertson 6-11, 11-9,
11-3; Yasuko Mizui bt Megan Heaney 11-2, 11-7; Takako Ida bt Kati
Tibor 11-1, 11-0; Tomomi Matsuo-Masako Sakamoto bt Rhona
Robertson-Tammy Jenkins 15-4, 15-7; Aiko Miyamura-Akiko Miyamura bt
Julie Still-Amanda Carter 15-2, 15-9).
China bt Malaysia 5-0 (Ye Zhaoying bt Ishwari Boobathy 11-3, 11-2; Han
Jingna bt Geevien Saha 11-3, 1-2; Zhang Ning bt Law Pei Pei 11-7,
11-2; Qin Yiyuan-Tang Yongshu bt Kuak Sieok Choon-Norashikin Amin
15-1, 15-7; Chen Ying-Peng Xinyong bt Lim Pek Siah-Law Pei Pei 15-9,
15-1).
(PRAGUE QUALIFIER)
THOMAS CUP
Group W: Denmark 5 Bulgaria 0, Scotland 3 Austria 2. Group X: England
5 Poland 0, Finland 4 India 1.
Group Y: Holland 3 Germany 2, Russia 5 Belarus 0. Group Z: Sweden 5
Norway 0, Canada 5 Switzerland 0.
UBER CUP
Group W: Denmark 4 India 1, Scotland 4 Wales 1.
Group X: England 4 Bulgaria 1, Canada 5 France 0.
Group Y: Holland 4 Belarus 1, Russia 3 Germany 2.
Group Z: Sweden 5 Switzerland 0, Ukraine 4 Hungary 1.
TODAY'S SCHEDULE
<AUCKLAND>
THOMAS CUP
Group X: Japan vs New Zealand, China vs Korea
Group Y: Taiwan vs Australia, Malaysia vs Thailand
UBER CUP
Group X: Korea vs Thailand, Australia vs Taiwan
Group Y: Malaysia vs New Zealand, China vs Japan