Chong Wei, Taufik to spice things up at Indian Open
Posted by valsus on March 13, 2009
PETALING JAYA: The presence of world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei and former Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat will spice things up in the Indian Open, which will be held in Hyderabad from March 24-29.
The Open will be a rehearsal of sorts for the organisers before they stage the World Championships in August.
Barring any upsets, top seed Chong Wei should renew his rivalry with the Indonesian star in the final.
Chong Wei has a first-round match against Asian junior champion Chen Long of China.
And either Mohd Hafiz Hashim and Chong Wei Feng could set up an all-Malaysian semi-final against Chong Wei. But the duo have tough hurdles to clear in the third round. Wei Feng and Hafiz are projected to play against third seeded Indian Chetan Anand and fifth seeded Indonesian Andre Kurniawan Tedjono respectively.
Back-up player Liew Daren will probably have to overcome former national players Lee Tsuen Seng and Roslin Hashim to reach the quarter-finals.
It is a lofty task for Mohd Arif Abdul Latif to advance far as he has Taufik in his path in the second round.
Top Malaysian women’s singles player Wong Mew Choo is making a return to competition after a three-month break to recover from knee and ankle injuries. She is the third seed and has sixth seed Yu Hirayama of Japan in her quarter.
If Mew Choo reaches the semi-final, she should be facing top seed Pi Hongyan of France.
Also expected to face their toughest challenge from the quarter-finals are elite back-up players Julia Wong and Lydia Cheah.
National No. 2 Julia is slated to meet world junior champion and second seed Saina Nehwal of India while Lydia could be up against Indonesia’s Olympic bronze medallist Maria Kristin Yulianti.
The senior men’s pairs of Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Latif are not competing in the India Open. But Malaysia have the top two seeds in the former national pairs of Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah and Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng.
Doubles coach Rexy Mainaky has opted to field five national back-up pairs – Mohd Lufti Zaim Abdul Khalid-Teo Kok Siang, Hoon Thien How-Lin Woon Fui, Tan Wee Kiong-Mak Hee Chun, Goh Wei Shem-Ong Jian Guo and Khoo Chung Chiat-Ong Soon Hock.
The challenge will be for them to hold their turf against the likes of their senior Malaysian counterparts and the scratch Indonesian pair of Candra Wijaya-Joko Riyadi.
