Tuesday October 17, 2006

By RAJES PAUL
PETALING JAYA: National doubles shuttler Chan Chong Ming will be out to make his presence felt when he resumes his partnership with Koo Kien Keat in the US$250,000 China Open, which begins today in Guangzhou.
In a redraw made by the World Badminton Federation (WBF) yesterday, the third-fourth seeded Chong Ming-Kien Keat are in the same quarter as Indonesians Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan. They also have second seeds Jens Eriksen-Martin Lundgaard Hansen of Denmark in the same half.
A good showing in Guangzhou will put them in good stead for the Doha Asian Games in December.
Chong Ming said that he was looking forward to playing in the China Open after having to withdraw from the recent World Championships in Madrid on the eve of the competition last month following the death of his father.
In his absence, Kien Keat featured in only the mixed doubles with Wong Pei Tty and they emerged as the best Malaysian performers – reaching the semi-finals.
In the just concluded Japan Open, Kien Keat partnered youngster Tan Boon Heong and they did well to finish as the runners-up.
Chong Ming said before leaving for Guangzhou yesterday: “It is time for Kien Keat and me to produce more good results for the doubles department. I will give my best shot to make up for my recent absence.”
Besides Chong Ming-Kien Keat, who won the Swiss Open and Melbourne Commonwealth Games titles this year, chief coach Yap Kim Hock is also looking at the other Asiad-bound pair of Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah to give a strong showing in the China Open.
“We had high hopes on the Asiad-bound singles players at the Japan Open. In the China Open, our focus will be on the doubles players for the Asiad. We hope to see better results from them,” said Kim Hock.
At the Japan Open, the top two Malaysian men's singles players – Lee Chong Wei and Mohd Hafiz Hashim – were beaten by Indonesian Taufik Hidayat and eventual champion Lin Dan of China in the semi-finals and quarter-finals respectively.
Chong Wei and Hafiz are skipping the China Open.
Tan Fook-Wan Wah have been drawn in the same quarter as archrivals Alven Yulianto-Luluk Hadiyanto of Indonesia. They have top seeds and world champions Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng of China in their half.
The other men's doubles pairs in the fray are Boon Heong-Hoon Thien How, Gan Teik Chai-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif and Chew Choon Eng-Hong Chieng Hun.
In the men's singles, Malaysia have Asiad-bound Kuan Beng Hong in the fray. He is likely to play against second seed Chen Jin of China in the third round. The other Malaysians in the men's singles competition are Yeoh Kay Bin, James Chua, K. Yogendran, Tan Chun Senag, Beryno Wong and Pei Wee Chung.
In the women's competition, Malaysia have Wong Mew Choo and Julia Wong in the singles and Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui in the doubles.