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.”