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6th October, 2008
KUALA LUMPUR: Top Malaysian doubles pair Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong successfully defended their Macau Open title but world number one Datuk Lee Chong Wei stumbled against Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia in the men’s singles final yesterday.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong, the top seeds in the tournament, crushed Fang Chieh Min/Lee Sheng Mu of Taiwan 21-16, 21-18 in just 31 minutes to end an 11-month drought of silverware.
The 2007 All England champions had last won a major title in October last year by lifting the Denmark Open.
For Chong Wei though, his jinx of failing to win titles when ranked world number one, continued since taking over the top spot from China’s Lin Dan after the Beijing Olympics, where he finished with a silver medal.
Chong Wei, whose first outing as World number one started with the Japan Open two weeks ago, however had ended in a defeat to Soni Dwi Kuncoro of Indonesia and today incidentally lost to another Indonesian.
A vintage Taufik was in his element yesterday to emerge with a 21-19, 21-15 win, to clinch his first major trophy in almost two years.
Ever since the demoralising defeat at the hands of Lin Dan in the Beijing Olympics final, Chong Wei’s confidence level seems to have suffered a great deal, especially at crucial moments.
On the other hand, Kien Keat-Boon Heong who had come under heavy criticism for their inept performances of late, displayed glimpses of the form that saw them shoot up to world number one in 2007.
The women’s singles final saw Zhou Mi of Hong Kong end Malaysian Julia Wong Pei Xian’s ‘giant-killing’ feat in the competition, with a 21-13, 21-19 win. – Bernama
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