Chan-Goh Stun Second Seeds In Their Own Den

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s mixed doubles pair Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying made a breakthrough in their careers when they upset second seeds Xu Chen-Ma Jin of China to reach the quarter-finals of the China Open in Shanghai yesterday.

World No. 9 Peng Soon-Liu Ying battled for 49 minutes to beat the All-England champions 21-14, 11-21, 21-16 in the second round.

It was their first win over a Chinese pair in their four-year-old partnership.

Today, Peng Soon-Liu Ying will take on Thailand’s A. Songphon-V. Kunchala for a place in the semi-finals and national coach Jeremy Gan hoped that the duo continue their fantastic run.

Careless V Shem Left To Rue Costly Mistake

JAKARTA: If only Goh V Shem had not served the shuttle into the net when the score was tied at 19-19 in the deciding game, it would have been a different story.

But that was what the SEA Games debutant did and the fanatical home fans in the Istora Bung Karno roared in delight.

Ankle Injury Ends Jing Yi’s Hopes Of A Bronze Medal

JAKARTA: Shuttler Tee Jing Yi was on the verge of a big upset in the SEA Games but it all fell apart after injuring her ankle during the quarter-finals of the women’s singles at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno in Senayan yesterday.

The 20-year-old was progressing confidently in the rubber game against top seed Porntip Buranaprasertsuk of Thailand but a sudden burst of movement from the backline to retrieve a shuttle at the net, while leading 16-14, caused Jing Yi to fall and injure her ankle.

She bravely fought on but while her heart was willing, her injured leg couldn’t take the strain as she tried to ward off the relentless attack by the Thai girl.

SEA GAMES: Smooth Sailing For Malaysians

There were few surprises in the Sea Games badminton individual competition at Istora Senayan yesterday as most of the national players cleared the opening round without too much trouble.

Vivian Hoo (right) and Woon Khe Wei beat Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Sen and Vu Thi Trang 21-14, 21-11 yesterday.

SEA GAMES: Second Stringers Give Hosts A Big Scare

There was not much hope to begin with but Malaysia's badminton second liners can walk tall after giving Indonesia a fright in a 3-1 defeat in the men's team final at Istora Senayan yesterday.

Goh V Shem-Lim Kim Wah being briefed on the heritage room by beat Bona Septano-Muhammad Ahsan yesterday. - Picture by Imran Makhzan

   Men's doubles Goh V Shem-Lim Kim Wah certainly will be a pair to watch when the individual events start today after scoring an upset win over top seeds Bona Septano-Muhammad Ahsan in front of a hostile crowd.

Vivian Remains Cool In Hostile And Hot Cauldron

JAKARTA: Shuttler Vivian Hoo is one cool customer.

While the entire crowd was against her at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno, the 19-year-old pencil-thin Vivian stayed calm to combine superbly with Woon Khe Wei to win the solitary point in Malaysia’s 3-1 defeat by Indonesia in the team semi-final on Saturday.

Dynamic Duo May Earn A Spot In Thomas Cup Squad

JAKARTA: Youngsters Lim Khim Wah and Goh V Shem nailed more than just a silver medal in their SEA Games debut in the men’s badminton team competition at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno in Senayan.

Their strong performance has impressed the selectors and it could earn them a place in next year’s Thomas Cup Finals squad.

Yesterday, world No. 27 Khim Wah-V Shem put up a top-class display to provide the only glitter in Malaysia’s 3-1 defeat by defending champions Indonesia.

Gritty Girls Go Down Fighting As They Pick Up The Bronze

JAKARTA: Malaysia’s young women’s badminton team showed true grit as they battled for more than four hours before going down fighting 3-1 to Indonesia on a day when rain played havoc at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno here yesterday.

The defeat saw defending champions Malaysia settling for a bronze medal.

The Malaysian girls can still walk tall as they had to take on the hosts without the services of Wong Mew Choo and Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty.

Too much to bear: Malaysia’s Tee Jing Yi reacting during her match against Indonesia’s Linda Wenifanetri in Jakarta Sunday. — AFP

They showed great composure, refusing to be overawed by the fanatical fans at the stadium.

SEA GAMES: Men Roll On, Women Crash

GOLD: Only Indonesia stand in the way

Tee Jing Yi lost to Indonesia’s Linda Wenifanetri in three games.

Malaysia marched into the Sea Games men's team final at Istora Senayan in Jakarta yesterday but the women's brave resistance ended in a 3-1 defeat to Indonesia.

   The men's swept past Singapore 3-0 with little trouble and will meet the hosts, who struggled to subdue Thailand 3-2, in tomorrow's final.

   Arif Latif was the only player to get into some trouble, needing three games to get past Ashton Chen 21-14, 12-21, 21-15 in the second singles.

 

Malaysian Women Settle For Badminton Team Bronze

JAKARTA: Despite trying their best, Malaysian went down 1-3 to Indonesia in the SEA Games badminton women's team semi-finals at the Istora Senayan Stadium here on Sunday.

With the defeat, Malaysia shared the bronze medal with Singapore, who lost 0-3 to Thailand in the other semi-final.

Indonesia will slug it out with Thailand in the final on Tuesday.

SEA GAMES: Shuttlers Shine At Istora

DOUBLE JOY: Men’s and women’s teams blast past rivals to check into semi-finals

 The Malaysian men's badminton team overcame an early stutter to beat Vietnam 3-0 in the quarter-finals at the Istora Senayan yesterday while the women advanced leisurely into the semi-finals for a showdown with Indonesia.

Liew Daren's 22-20, 21-14 defeat to Vietnam's Nguyen Tien Minh put Malaysia 1-0 down after the first singles but the 2009 silver medallists came storming back to take the tie 3-1.

 

Timely Boost For Our Mixed Doubles Pairs

JAKARTA: Shuttlers Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying became the country’s first mixed doubles pair to break into the top 10 bracket in the world – proving that Malaysia do have talent in this department.

And their breakthrough should be an inspiration to others, especially the two lesser known Malaysian pairs – Ong Jian Guo-Sabrina Chong and Mohd Lufti Zaim Abdul Khalid-Lai Pei Jing, who are getting ready for action in the Games.

National doubles chief coach Tan Kim Her praised Peng Soon-Liu Ying for their self-belief and sacrifices over the last two years that has seen them move up six rungs to No. 9 in the world in the list released by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) yesterday.

Malaysian Men And Women Badminton Teams Into Semis

JAKARTA: Malaysia's men and women's SEA Games badminton teams advanced to the semifinals of the team event after defeating their respective opponents at the Istora Senayan Stadium here.

The women's team, the defending champion, will meet Indonesia in the semifinal while the men will be up against the Filipinos.

The Malaysian women made short work of the Filipinas today defeating them 3-0 to book the meeting with the hosts, who also sent the Vietnamese team packing by the same margin.

SEA GAMES: Arif: We Are Not Scared

FIGHTING TALK: Shuttler vows Malaysia will produce their best against Indonesia

Arif Latif

To expect anyone but Indonesia to win gold in the men's team event is a realistic assumption but young Malaysian shuttler Arif Latif is having none of it.

Sonia Wants To Build On Her World Junior Success In SEA Games

SEPANG: There was an extra spring in Sonia Cheah’s step when she walked out of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) yesterday.

The 17-year-old Sonia had good reason to be on cloud nine as she had played a starring role in Malaysia’s mixed team triumph at the World Junior Badminton Championships in Taipei.

Future In Zul’s Hands

SEPANG: There could be many interferences and obstructions but the future of newly-crowned junior world badminton champion Zulfadli Zulkifli is in his own hands.

Yesterday, the 18-year-old decided to stay faithful to his father cum fulltime coach Zulkifli Sidek as he begins his journey as a senior player - aspiring to become the Olympic and world champion and natural successor to world number one Lee Chong Wei.

Sonia Wants To Build On Her World Junior Success In SEA Games

EPANG: There was an extra spring in Sonia Cheah’s step when she walked out of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) yesterday.

The 17-year-old Sonia had good reason to be on cloud nine as she had played a starring role in Malaysia’s mixed team triumph at the World Junior Badminton Championships in Taipei.

Suitably motivated, she wants to build on that success. Her immediate task at senior level is to do well in her first SEA Games outing this month. Then it is back to chasing her ambition to become a more successful player than former international Wong Mew Choo.

The 17-year-old Sonia is expected to play as the third singles in the women’s team event at Jakarta from Nov 12-19.

The two other shuttlers ranked higher than Sonia are her elder sister Lydia and Tee Jing Yi.

The doubles players in the team are Indonesia Grand Prix Gold champions Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei and Goh Liu Ying-Sabrina Chong.

Their main rival for the team gold will be hosts Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, who will be banking on their three-time junior world champion Inthanon Ratchanok to mount a strong challenge.

“I performed quite well in the mixed team event. I dropped a match in the tie against Hong Kong but made up by winning a point against South Korea in the final. I can look back on my junior career and be proud of being in the winning team,” said Sonia.

“I am determined to be a good team player in my first senior tournament - the SEA Games next week. I am only competing in the team event but I may be called on to deliver if the tie is level at 2-2. I feel more confident after the world junior meet.”

Malaysia’s women’s team pulled off a surprise at the Laos Games two years ago when they defeated Indonesia for the team gold - a first in three decades.

Despite her euphoria, Sonia has one regret: “I did not live up to my own expectations in the individual event. I had hoped to reach my first semi-finals but crashed out in the last eight. It was a close fight against Nozomi Okuhara and I was unlucky to lose,” she said.

The Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) student said that her ultimate goal was to be the country’s top woman shuttler.

“It is not only about filling the void left by Mew Choo but my goal is to be even more successful than her. I know the journey ahead looks challenging but I am willing to go the extra mile to reach the top,” she said.

Malaysia’s weakest department in the national team is the women’s singles. No one has stepped up since the retirement of 2003 SEA Games singles champion Mew Choo in April this year.

Nelson-Teo Bury Chokers’ Tag With Perfect Show

PETALING JAYA: For Nelson Heg Wei Keat-Teo Ee Yi, the thought of being dubbed as chokers was unbearable.

And driven to make a point, the duo gave a spotless performance to upstage top seed and Asian junior champions Huang Po-jui-Lin Chia-yu of Taiwan 21-17, 21-17 in the boys’ doubles final of the World Junior Championships in Taiwan yesterday.

Besides the Asian junior meet in India this year, they had also crashed out in the final of last year’s world junior meet.

Driven duo: Malaysia’s Nelson Heg Wei Keat (right) and Teo Ee Yi posing with the World Junior Championships doubles trophy Sunday.

Wei Keat was happy that they were able to bid farewell to their junior careers in style.

Shuttlers Zulfadli and Wei Keat on course to being world junior champs

KUALA LUMPUR: Shuttlers Zulfadli Zulkifli and Nelson Heg Wei Keat are another step closer to realising their dreams of being history-makers when they checked into the semi-finals of the World Junior Championships in Taipei yesterday.

Zulfadli had to switch his style of play after a disastrous start to beat Indonesia’s Wisnu Yuli Prasetyo 10-21, 21-10, 21-16 in a 43-minute quarter-final match.

Sonia And Nelson Enter Two Quarter- Finals Each In World Juniors

PETALING JAYA: Sonia Cheah served up a double joy for Malaysia in the World Junior Badminton Championships when she checked into two quarter-finals in Taipei yesterday.

The 17-year-old Sonia exacted sweet revenge over Hong Kong’s Cheung Ngan Yi 21-6, 15-21, 24-22 to set up a clash against Nozomi Okuhara for a place in the girls’ singles semi-finals.

She and Yang Li Lian then scored a convincing 21-18, 21-12 win over Chloe Birch-Emily Westwood of England to advance to the doubles quarter-finals. Awaiting them are the formidable South Koreans Lee So-he-Shin Seung-chan.

Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) junior programme coordinator Hau Kim Tho was happy that Sonia had made a quick rebound.

Living dangerously: Malaysia’s Teo Ee Yi (front) and Nelson Heg Wei Keat slogged for a 15-21, 22-20, 21-19 win over Japan’s Kento Momota-Taichi Saito in their World Junior Badminton Championships’ boys’ doubles third round match Thursday.

Badminton: National Circuit GP Finals

Mei Kuan-Meng Yean strut their stuff

Star, Thursday October 13, 2011

WHILE all eyes are on the emergence of Woon Khe Wei-Vivian Hoo in the women’s doubles, Bukit Jalil Sports School duo Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean are also fast making a name for themselves.

The 17-year-olds first shot into prominence when they won the KL Open – their first senior title – in April. They followed it up by winning the National Junior Circuit GP Finals and also made a fine run in the Asian Junior Championships, finishing as runners-up.

Mei Kuan-Meng Yean, who are competing in their first National Circuit Grand Prix Finals, put up an in­­cre­dible performance to beat Lai Pei Jing-Marylen Ng 17-21, 21-14, 21-14 in their first Group A match yesterday. It was their first win over Pei Jing-Marylen, having lost to the pair in the Kedah Open in July.
Mei Kuan-Meng Yean are now virtually through to the semi-finals after crushing fellow junior pair Peak Yen Wei-Yap Rui Chen 21-10, 21-11 in just 21 minutes.

Commonwealth Youth Ga­­mes Video Clip - Finals Mix Double, Singles (Men & Women)

Commonwealth Youth Ga­­mes Clips - Mix Doubles & Singles

Commonwealth Youth Ga­­mes - Women Single

Badminton: Zulfadli Eyes World Meet

The Malaysian badminton team ended their campaign in the Commonwealth Youth Championships with a haul of four gold, two silver and one bronze.

ZULFADLI Zulkiffli received a boost ahead of next month's World Junior Championships by winning the boys' singles title at the Commonwealth Youth Championships in Isle of Man on Sunday.


Zulfadli defeated India's Sameer Verma 21-16, 17-21, 21-15 in a nail biting final for his second title of the year after his triumph at the Asian Junior Championships in July.

The 18-year-old, sponsored by KLRC, hopes to continue his momentum in upcoming 'Open' tournaments before he leads the boys' squad at the world junior meet, scheduled for Oct 28-Nov 6, in Taiwan.

Malaysia added three more gold medals in the boys' and women's doubles and mixed doubles at the Isle of Man.
Nelson Heg-Teo Ee Yi overcame a tough first game before beating England's Ryan McCarthy-Tom Wolfenden 24-22, 21-16 in the boys' doubles final while Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean beat compatriots Sonia Cheah-Yang Li Lian 21-17, 21-8 for the women's doubles title.

Ee Yi and Mei Kuan then teamed up to win the mixed doubles title by edging India's Srikanth Kidambi-Maneesha Kukkpalli 18-21, 21-16, 21-8.

Malaysia failed to earn a clean sweep when Sonia went down 22-20, 21-8 to India's top seed Pusarla Sindhu in the girls' singles final while teammate Li Lian lost 21-16, 22-20 to Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour in the bronze medal match.

National junior coach Yap Kim Hock was delighted with his shuttlers' performance in the competition.

"We were not expecting seven medals from badminton. I hope they will build from their performance here for next month's world junior meet," said Kim Hock.

The Malaysian contingent ended their campaign in the Commonwealth Youth Championships with a haul of four gold, two silver and one bronze.

England were the overall champions with 37-24-16 followed by Australia (29-38-17) and South Africa (8-7-15) from seven sports.


Read more: Badminton: Zulfadli eyes world meet http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/lkkl_kl_e/Article#ixzz1XncE3RlE

Malaysian Shuttlers Come Close To A Clean Sweep In The Youth Games

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia came close to a clean sweep on the badminton courts before settling for four out of the five gold medals at stake at the Commonwealth Youth Games at the Isle of Man on Sunday.

The mixed doubles pair of Teo Ee Yi-Chow Mei Kuan gave Malaysia the first gold medal when they came back from a game down to beat India’s K. Srikanth-K. Maneesha 18-21, 21-16, 21-8.

Mei Kuan then partnered Lee Meng Yean to deliver the second gold by beating Sonia Cheah-Yang Li Lian in an all-Malaysian girls’ doubles final.

The third gold came courtesy of reigning world junior champions Ee Yi-Nelson Heg, who beat England’s Ryan McCarthy-Tom Wolfenden 24-22, 21-16 in the boys’ doubles.

Victory pose: The national junior shuttlers showing off the medals won in the Commonwealth Youth Games badminton competition in the Isle of Man. Malaysia won a haul of four gold, two silver and one bronze medal.

Zulfadli Zulkifli, carrying an injury on his right leg, then lived up to expectations as the Asian junior champion by defeating India’s Sameer Verma 21-16, 17-21, 21-15 for Malaysia’s fourth gold medal.

It could have been a clean sweep but Sonia failed to get the better of India’s Pursala Sindhu in the girls’ singles final, losing 20-22, 8-21.

There was also a bronze medal through the mixed doubles pair of Nelson-Meng Yean, who beat England’s Ryan McCarthy-Emily Westwood 21-14, 21-10.

The four-gold haul also surpassed Malaysia’s three-gold effort in the previous edition in 2008, in which badminton contributed two gold medals.

National junior coach Yap Kim Hock was pleased with his charges’ efforts.

“The seven-medal haul is quite unexpected. Our job here is now complete but the next challenge for the junior shuttlers will be the World Junior Championships in Taiwan in November,” said Kim Hock.

Meanwhile, Malaysia finished empty-handed in both cycling and swimming.

In cycling, Ju Pha Som Net finished 11th in the women’s criterium race while Hamdan Hamidun was 24th in the men’s event.

In swimming, Tern Jian Han finished sixth in the men’s 200m butterfly while Erika Kong finished last in the women’s 200m breaststroke.

Malaysians Enter All Five Badminton Finals In The Youth Games

PETALING JAYA: A possible clean sweep of all five gold medals in badminton beckons for Malaysia for the first time in the Commonwealth Youth Games in the Isle of Man.

A gold medal is already assured in the women’s doubles after Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean and Sonia Cheah-Yang Li Lian made it an all-Malaysian final affair.

Top seeded Mei Kuan-Meng Yean, the Asian Junior Championships runners-up, overcame Australia’s Jacqueline Guan-Gronya Somerville 21-7, 21-19 while the unseeded pair of Sonia-Li Lian beat Sri Lankan pair A. Rathnasiri- U. Samanthika 21-16, 22-20 in the semi-finals on Saturday.

Double challenge: Sonia Cheah is through to both the women’s singles and doubles finals of the Commonwealth Youth Games’ badminton competition in the Isle of Man.

Reigning Asian junior champion Zulfadli Zulkifli did not allow a right leg injury to hinder him in his quest to deliver the men’s singles gold for Malaysia.

Zulfadli sustained the injury during the match against India’s P. Joshi 21-13, 19-21, 21-19 but slogged through reach the semi-finals in the morning.

The top seeded Malaysian seeked treatment later and was forced to concede a walkover in the doubles quarter-finals match partnering Joo Ven against England’s Ryan McCarthy-Tom Wolfenden.

He returned to the court in the afternoon to beat England’s Ryan Walker 21-12, 21-10 to reach the singles final.

Another representative, Soong Joo Ven was shown the exit with a 12-21, 15-21 defeat by India’s S. Verma, who later reached the final from the bottom half of the draw.

Sonia also advanced to the women’s singles final and will take on Pusaria Sindhu of India for the gold medal.

Third seeded Sonia overcame a fighting Kirsty Gilmour of Scotland 21-19, 10-21, 21-11 while Li Lian failed to get the better of the top seeded Indian shuttler in her semi-finals match. Li Lian lost 12-21, 10-21.

The top junior men’s doubles pairing of Nelson Heg-Teo Ee Yi will be gunning for gold when they take on the English pairing of McCarthy-Wolfenden in the final.

Nelson-Ee Yi marched to the final after beating Canadian pair Nathan Choi-Nyi Yakura 21-17, 21-11.

Ee Yi-Mei Kuan ensured Malaysia have a representative in the mixed doubles as well after reaching the final, where they will face Indian challengers Srikanth Kidambi-Maneesha Kukkapalli.

National junior coach Yap Kim Hock is confident Malaysia will better their achievement from the previous edition in Pune, India two years ago.

In the 2008 edition, the Malaysian contingent won three gold, five silver and four bronze medals with badminton accounting for two golds and shooting contributing one.

“One gold medal is already in the bag and we hope to get two more at least.

“Badminton should deliver the most medals this time as we are also hopeful of getting two more bronze medals in the mixed doubles (Nelson-Meng Yean) and women’s singles (Li Lian),” said Kim Hock.

In athletics, Ali Ashraf Razali did well to finish fourth in the men’s 100m hurdles final clocking 14.06.

In cycling, Ju Pha Som Net was placed eighth in the women’s 60km road race while Hamdan Hamidun ended 35th in the men’s 100km event.

Swimmers Tern Jian Hang and Chi Chia Khian were fifth and sixth in the men’s 100m butterfly while Erika Kong earned a fifth placing in the women’s 50m breaststroke.

Malaysia sent a 23-member strong contingent to compete in four of the seven sports contested.

PROTON National Circuit Grand Prix Finals 2011

18 - 21 February 2011       

Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu

Athletes:

1. Lee Meng Yean 

2. Chow Mei Kuan 

3. Joyce Choong 

4. Evelyn Chee 

5. Lim Yin Loo 

6. Soong Joo Ven  

Boon Heong: We Need To Work Harder For The World Meet

ALOR SETAR: Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong ended a 15-month barren run with the Malaysia Grand Prix Gold men’s doubles title.

But Boon Heong conceded that it was not all smooth sailing for them.

“We struggled throughout the week. We lived dangerously in every match against the lower ranked pairs before winning. Fortunately, we won but there is more work to be done,” he said.

Boon Heong-Kien Keat defeated Alven Yulianto-Hendra Gunawan of Indonesia in the final. And it was their easiest victory because Alven was injured and unable to play his best.

Boon Heong hoped that things would get better as they work together to restore their confidence, especially when the world championships in London is just three months away.

“We have to strengthen our hearts and minds to handle all kind of challenges,” he said.

“It is not only about having the skills but also the right mindset on court. If we can master this, we will be able to do well at the world championships.”

In the championships last year, Kien Keat-Boon Heong were beaten by China’s Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng in the final.

Currently, the other strong title contenders are South Korea’s Lee Yong-dae-Jung Jae-sung, Denmark’s Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen and Indonesia’s Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan.

And the Malaysians will also have to break away from the Japanese pairs, who have done well over the last one year to snap at their heels.

While hoping to restore their status on the international stage, Kien Keat-Boon Heong will also have to watch out for several younger compatriots.

It was heart-warming to see Nelson Heg Wei Keat-Teo Ee Yi and Vountus Indra Mawan-Mohd Lutfi Zaim Abdul Khalid doing well in the Malaysia GP Gold.

The Asian and world junior championship-bound Wei Keat-Ee Yi showed good qualities in the way they carried themselves before going down fighting to Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Ong Soon Hock while Vountus-Lutfi achieved a breakthrough in beating the ill-prepared Markis-Hendra.

There are several other pairs knocking on the door of the big stage, among them Ow Yao Han-Chooi Kah Ming, Lim Khim Wah-Goh Wei Shem, Mak Hee Chun, Tan Wee Kiong, Pang Zheng Lin and Yew Hong Kheng.

Peng Soon-Liu Ying May Be Answer To Mixed Doubles Woes

ALOR SETAR: For decades, Malay­sia have been searching for a mixed doubles pair to mount consistently strong challenges on the international stage.

And they may have found one in Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying.

The duo showed plenty of promise en route to a runners-up finish to Indonesia’s Tantowi Ahmad-Lilyana Natsir in the just concluded Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold.

They defeated world No. 2 Sudket Prapakamol-T. Saralee of Thailand and chalked up their first victory in five meetings against Indonesians Fran Kurniawan-Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth.

One of the more notable improvements in their game is Liu Ying’s front-court dominance. This is set to take her partnership with Peng Soon to a higher level and it is acknowledged by Lilyana, who has a world championship mixed doubles title to her name.

“The lady player (Liu Ying) has improved. Her technique at the front court is much better now. And I guess this has given the pair a lot of confidence. They will be a pair to watch out for,” she said.

Peng Soon-Liu Ying became the first Malaysian pair to win the Asian championship (ABC) title in India last year and since then, they have been quite consistent with their performances. Both are currently in the Road to London programme and hopes are high that they will be among the medal contenders at the Olympic Games next year.

They have three big tests ahead this year – the Sudirman Cup (Qingdao, May 22-29), world championships (London, Aug 8-14) and the SEA Games (Jakarta, November).

National coach Jeremy Gan said that Peng Soon-Liu Ying had bridged the gap as the chasing pack but were still a step behind the formidable China pairs.

“Their performances at the GP Gold showed that they are of the same standard as the top pairs from In­­do­ne­­sia, Thailand and even South Korea. But China are still a class above the rest. I want to gauge their performances against China. The Sudirman Cup will be the next big event for them and it will be a good platform to test them,” said Jeremy.

“Overall, they are on the right track but they do lack stability in their game. They will only get better with more exposure and quality matches against the other top pairs.”

Jeremy also hoped that the second pair and world championship-bound Ong Jian Guo-Sabrina Chong would also show better mental strength to enjoy breakthroughs on the international stage.

Flawed High-flick Serve Costs Chan-Goh Title

A HIGH flick serve that went wrong shattered Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying’s hopes of winning their first home mixed doubles title but the duo can still walk tall.

Yesterday, the world No. 18 ranked Malaysians went down fighting 21-18, 15-21, 19-21 to Indonesians Tantowi Ahmad-Lilyana Natsir in a 57-minute final.

The duo had looked good to smash their way to a second career title when they took a 13-9 lead in the second game. Liu Ying, who played excellently at the front, lost her touches while Peng Soon was jittery too.

The Malaysians did well to come out of the bad patch with a stronger showing towards the end of the rubber game and had a chance to force a deuce after catching up to 19-20. But it all ended when Peng Soon muffed up the serve to the delight of Lilyana-Tantowi.

It was the third career title for the world No. 10 ranked Indonesians after forging a partnership less than a year ago. They were also the champions at the Macau Open and last week’s India Open.

Said the experienced Lilyana: “We saw our opponents slowing down in the second and they looked tense.

“We took advantage and turned our game around. This will give us more confidence as we look forward to the world championships (in August).” Peng Soon was dejected that they let slip a good chance to win another Open title after their success in the Asian championships (ABC) in India last year.

“We did well to keep them at arm’s length at the start but we could not sustain it.

“We slowed down and that gave our opponents a lot of confidence to break away,” he said.

“It is really frustrating. We could have won it if we had not slacked in the second game. We need to be more steady.”

Liu Ying said that she lost her balance after making some costly mistakes.

“I did not fear them but I allowed them to take advantage of my weak defence today. I became quite edgy when I started to make all the mistakes,” she said.

“But overall, it has been a good outing for us. We were able to show to Malaysia that we can be counted on in mixed doubles too. We will continue to improve on our game.”

En route to the final, Peng Soon-Liu Ying beat world No. 2 Sudket Prapakamol-T. Saralee of Thailand and Indonesia’s Fran Kurniawan-Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth for the first time in five meetings.

The duo will get ready for the Sudirman Cup at Qingdao from May 22-29 and the world championships in London from Aug 8-14.

Said national coach Jeremy Gan: “Overall, they did okay. But there are some areas that they need to polish up. China’s top mixed doubles pairs were not here. We will see how Peng Soon-Liu Ying fare in the Sudirman Cup.”

Koo-Tan Bag Doubles Title Easily, Thanks to Alven’s Injury

AN injury to Alven Yulianto made it easier for Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong to win the men’s doubles title.

The top seeded Malaysians defeated Alven-Hendra Gunawan of Indonesia 21-16, 21-7 win in less than 30 minutes in the final last night.

Except for a brief fight in the opening game, the Indonesians threw the second game as Alven’s movements were hampered due to a groin injury.

To Kien Keat, it was still a big achievement because a long wait for their first title has finally ended. Kien Keat-Boon Heong had been left disappointed several times over the year since they last won the Malaysia Open Super Series in January last year.

“Although our opponents were not at their best, we are satisfied with our win. I think, Alven was suffering from an injury,” said Kien Keat.

“It feels good to finally win at home again.

“We still need to do a lot of work to improve our combination and we will work on it.”

Koo-Tan Expect Fierce Contest With Alven-Hendra

FOR one pair, it is a matter of pride. For the other, it is about winning their first elusive title together.

So expect a keen contest when Malaysia’s Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Indonesians Alven Yulianto-Hendra Gunawan cross swords in the men’s doubles final in the Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold.

Yesterday, Kien Keat-Boon Heong were unexpectedly tested to the limit by Holland’s Ruud Bosch-Koen Ridder before they prevailed with a 21-17, 18-21, 21-10 win in 50 minutes. The Dutch pair, ranked 32nd in the world, gave the Malaysians a rude shock as they traded blow for blow to level at 17-17 before Kien Keat-Boon Heong escaped with the opener.

The home crowd grew uneasy when the Malaysians failed to finish off the game after their poor control at the mid court saw the shuttle hitting the net just too many times.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong, however, restored order in the rubber game to reach their first final of the year.

Their win yesterday assured hosts Malaysia of three finalists on the closing day after world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei and Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying had earlier won their men’s singles and mixed doubles semi-final matches respectively.

Kien Keat admitted that he played poorly but said that he was affected by a back strain.

“Of course, we are not satisfied with our game today. The Dutch pair are not pushovers and they have had their good days,” lamented Kien Keat.

“My movement was hampered by a back sore, which I picked up early this morning. I should be better after a good massage today.

“Boon Heong and I hope to give a better performance tomorrow. The Indonesians have done well here but we will be better prepared. We too want to win this title.”

Alven-Hendra, who have not won any title together since they broke away from the All-Indonesia Badminton Association (PBSI) two years ago, are hoping to break the duck.

Yesterday, the duo put up a spirited display to fend off an equally determined Cho Gun-woo-Kwon Yi-goo of South Korea for a 21-16, 19-21, 21-18 win in 62 minutes.

Chan-Goh Finally End Losing Streak Against Indonesians

MALAYSIA’S Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying finally got the monkey off their back when they defeated Indonesians Fran Kurniawan-Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth for the first time in super style to march into the final of the Malaysian Grand Prix Gold.

Showing strong determination to end their miserable losing streak, the duo stepped up a gear and played with confidence to beat the third seeds 21-14, 21-10 in 26 minutes.

We did it: Malaysia’s Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying celebrate after beating Indonesia’s Fran Kurniawan-Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth 21-14, 21-10 in the Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold mixed doubles semi-finals yesterday. — CHIN CHENG YEANG / The Star

Even Liu Ying, who usually caves in under heavy pressure, came out of her solid partner Peng Soon’s shadow with a gutsy display yesterday.

The win certainly made up for their four previous losses to the Indonesians. Their recent defeats had been at last week’s India Open and Malaysia Open in January.

Today, they take on reigning India Open champions and Indonesia’s powerful combination of Tantowi Ahmad-Lilyana Natsir and the Malaysians will be out to avenge their first-round defeat at the All-England in March.

Peng Soon-Liu Ying are hoping to win their second international title after emerging as the first Malaysian pair to win a mixed doubles title on the international stage at the Asian Badminton Championships in India last year.

The 23-year-old Peng Soon could not contain his joy and attributed their success to the overwhelming support of the home fans, who had come in hordes to flood the 3,000 capacity stadium.

“I am very, very... very happy,” said a delighted Peng Soon.

“We are thrilled to have finally beaten them after losing in the last four matches.

“The crowd gave us extra motivation to defy the odds.

“We really appreciate their support.”

The 22-year-old Liu Ying said she kept her emotions in check despite taking good leads in both games.

“I used to get so tense but this time, I was calm throughout the match today. Instead of giving in to fear of losing again, I did the best I can. And it worked for us.”

On today’s final, Peng Soon said: “Our last meeting against Tantowi-Lilyana ended with a painful defeat. We were leading 17-13 in the decider before they caught up to beat us in the first round of the All-England in March.

“Lilyana is the more dangerous player as she has excellent coverage at the front of the court. Her partner is lethal in his attacks. We will give our best to take them down.”

Yesterday, Tantowi-Lilyana went through a roller-coaster ride en route to beating second seeds A. Songphon-V. Kunchala of Thailand 21-13, 14-21, 21-12 in 41 minutes.

Lilyana rates her new partner Tantowi highly even though their partnership has not hit the one-year mark.

“He is young and energetic but plays with all his heart. He hits hard and is very focused in his game.

“We did well to win the India Open last week and that has given us a lot of confidence.”

Lilyana, however, said she would not underestimate her Malaysian opponents.

“We played against them once and they dragged us into a rubber game.

“It will not be easy and they have home advantage.”