NST Online: Sports

Posted: 11 Aug 2011 10:32 AM PDT

WEDNESDAY'S sunny weather was replaced by a steady drizzle and a drastic drop in temperature yesterday but Lee Chong Wei and nemesis Lin Dan remained hot and vibrant as they stormed into the World Championships quarter-finals at London's Wembley Arena.

Both faced South Korean opposition -- Chong Wei up against Park Sung Hwan while three-time world champion Lin Dan played Lee Hyun Il -- but the results were predictable.

Top seed Chong Wei beat Sung Hwan 21-10, 21-5 in 29 minutes while Lin Dan took a little longer to send Hyun Il packing 21-16, 21-13, both advancing to the stage in which they were sensationally knocked out in the Paris edition last year.

It was, for Chong Wei, his best performance in three matches.

"I played really well today (yesterday) and I am pleased I didn't allow Sung Hwan to take a grip on the match even once.

"I wanted to be in control from the start and I managed to do that. I employed a slightly more aggressive approach and that made it difficult for Sung Hwan," said the World No 1.

The match had been approached with caution as Sung Hwan had beaten Lin Dan in last year's World Championships.

The shuttles, described as slow, were another reason for the caution as Sung Hwan is a stroke player and Chong Wei didn't want to get dragged into a battle of rallies.

"Sung Hwan can be a difficult opponent and it is always best to prevent him from playing his game. My aggression took him by surprise and he couldn't recover. I could sense that he was losing confidence as the match progressed."

While that might have been the case with the Korean, it certainly wasn't with Chong Wei as he oozed confidence.

"I have to agree that this is perhaps the best I have prepared for the World Championships. It is my sixth World Championships and another reason why I feel good is because I feel this is my best chance to win the title."

Coach Tey Seu Bock said Chong Wei's mobility and game indicated he was approaching peak form.

"This was his best match so far and when he is in this mood, he can be a very difficult opponent. He was confident on court, despite Sung Hwan being a potentially difficult opponent and this was good to see," said Seu Bock.

With Lin Dan being reclusive, attention has been on Chong Wei but Seu Bock cautioned against underestimating the Olympic champion.

"Lin Dan may not look like he is at his best but that will change if he were to face Chong Wei. He always produces something extra against Chong Wei and discounting him can prove very costly."

Lin Dan, who took 37 minutes to beat Hyun Il, described the tie as a "boring affair".

"Hyun Il didn't seem to be in good condition and that made it easy for me. I wasn't really tested but it was still a good workout and I am looking forward to the quarter-finals," said Lin Dan, speaking to China media.

Up next for him in the quarter-finals is either compatriot Du Pengyu or Japan's Sho Sasaki while Chong Wei will play the winner of the tie between giant-killers Kevin Cordon of Guatemala or Pablo Aiban of Spain. Both third round matches were being played late yesterday.

RESULT

SELECTED, Men's singles, 3rd rd: Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Park Sung Hwan (Kor) 21-10, 21-5; Lin Dan (Chi) bt Lee Hyun Il (Kor) 21-16, 21-13; Sho Sasaki (Jpn) - [China] Pengyu DU [8]
10-21 24-22 21-10

Doubles: Mads Conrad-Petersen-Jonas Rasmussen (Den) bt Alvent Yulianto Chandra-Hendra Aprida Gunawan (Ina) 22-20, 13-21, 21-18; Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng (Chn) bt Naoki Kawamae-Shoji Sato 21-17, 15-21, 21-14.

Women's singles, 3rd rd: Cheng Shao Chieh (Tai) bt Carolina Marin (Spa) 21-18 21-17; Pi Hongyan (Fra) bt Sato Sayaka (Jpn) 21-18, 21-14;
Doubles: Vita Marissa-Nadya Melati (Ina) bt Selena Piek-Iris Tabeling 21-11, 21-10; Shizuka Matsuo-Mami Naito (Jpn) bt Chan Tsz Ka-Chau Hoi Wah (Hkg) 21-6, 21-16.

Mixed doubles, 3rd rd: Chris Adcock (Eng)-Imogen Bankier (Sco) bt Shintaro Ikeda-Reiko Shiota (Jpn) 17-21, 21-15, 21-16; Chen Hung Ling-Cheng Wen Hsing (Tai) bt Thomas Laybourn-Kamilla Rytter Juhl (Den) 15-21, 22-20, 21-19; Chayut Triyachart-Yao Lei (Sin) bt Chan Peng Soon- Goh Liu Ying (Mas) 21-19, 21-14.

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Captain Obvious to face stiff test in Kranji

Posted: 11 Aug 2011 10:15 AM PDT

ANOTHER highly rated Malaysian galloper is set to tackle Singapore racing on Sunday.

After the success of Speed Baby in the Group 1 Patron's Bowl in June, the highly credentialled Captain Obvious is chasing some Singapore "black type" of his own.

His preparation kicks off on Sunday in the Group 3 S$200,000 (RM520,000) Woodlands Handicap over 1200m.

Now in the care of Steven Burridge — who also prepares Speed Baby — Captain Obvious has come down from Malaysia after winning 10 of his 15 starts.

With a 117 rating, Captain Obvious is the third highest rated galloper on the Malayan Racing Association ratings list behind Rocket Man on 125 and Better Than Ever at 118.

Burridge said Captain Obvious had done enough on the track to indicate a forward showing on the Polytrack yesterday but said the weight he was giving his rivals would be a distinct disadvantage.

Previously prepared in Malaysia by Chong Keng Leong, Captain Obvious will be aimed at some of Singapore's richer upcoming weight-for-age races that include the Group 3 S$200,000 Jumbo Jet Trophy over 1400m on Sept 4, the Group 1 S$500,000 Kranji Mile over 1600m on Oct 2 and the Group 1 S$500,000 Raffles Cup over 1800m on Oct 23.

"This race is a good starting point for him," said Burridge. "While the handicap conditions make it tough for him, the only other option was to be taking on the Kranji Stakes A against Rocket Man a week before the Jumbo Jet.

"The weight-for-age races like the Jumbo Jet, the Kranji Mile and the Raffles Cup are his aim so we can kick him off here and get a guide on him." Saimee Jumaat will have his first ride on Captain Obvious on Sunday but he is only warming the saddle for regular jockey Benny Woodworth who has ridden the gelding in all-bar-one of his 15 starts for nine wins.

"Woodworth was coming down to ride him but he's gone off to Korea to ride in a Jockey's Series and will be away this weekend," said Saimee.

"As a favour to K L Chong — and we go alongway back to the days with Free Spirit —I was asked to ride this horse in some of his work and in his trials.

"He feels like a nice horse. I've ridden him in his three trials.

"His last trial was very good, running 59.6 seconds when I clicked him up in the last bit and his gallop during the week was good.

"Steven has got him as fit as he can on the training track and with his trials but racing is different again." Saimee said he faces a stiff task giving 6.5kg in weight to established sprinter Ca - pablanca and up to 9kg to Merchant and Dictator as-well-as the up-and-coming sprinters like Ato and Rapido Star.

"He is a superstar in Malaysia but we just have to see how he measures up down here against the Singapore horses," s aid Saimee.— STC

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Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Khamis, 11 Ogos 2011

NST Online: Sports

NST Online: Sports

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