Doubles badminton player Koo Kien Keat's partnership with senior
Chan Chong Ming will be put to the test in next week's six-star
China Open (US$250,000). And he hopes to pass the test with flying
colors.?
Kien Keat-Chong Ming, who were paired up by national doubles
chief coach Yap Kim Hock after the Athens Olympic Games, got off to
a splendid start when they scored back-to-back wins in the Malacca
and Selangor Open tournaments in the last two months.
Now, the 19-year-old Kien Keat, is determined to open his
campaign in his first international tournament on a high note with
Chong Ming.
Kien Keat-Chong Ming are one of the four Malaysian men's doubles
taking part in the China Open.?
The others are sixth seed Choong Tan Fook-Chew Choon Eng, Mohd
Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Lin Woon Fui and Tan Bin Shen-Ong Soon
Hock.
Although the China Open draw is not favorable, Kien Keat said he
was ready for the big challenge.
“We (Chong Ming and I) have won the last two local tournaments.
But the real test will be in the China Open. We will be brushing
shoulders with the big guns for the first time. The results in
China will certainly give an indication on our future as a pair,”
said Kien Keat.
“My form fluctuates during competition. I am working on this and
I hope I will be able to give consistent performances in all
international tournaments starting with the China Open.”
The lanky shuttler, who impressed during the Thomas Cup Finals
with Chew Choon Eng in the final against Indonesia in Jakarta in
May, said that he was not under any pressure to fill up the gap in
the doubles department following the absence of Lee Wan Wah.
Wan Wah, who was ranked as the world number one pair with Tan
Fook, is out of action for six months after undergoing surgery for
a knee injury last week.
“I look at Wan Wah's absence on a positive note. I think, Chong
Ming and I have an opportunity to fill up the gap and we will give
our best to become the best pair in the country,” he added.
On his chances in the China Open, Kien Keat said he hopes to
reach at least the quarter-finals.
The duo have been drawn to play sixth seed Liu Kwok Wa-Albertus
Susanto Njoto of Hong Kong. A win will pit them against teammates
Soon Hock-Bin Shen.
If they advance, they will most probably meet top seed and
All-England champions Jens Eriksen-Martin Lundgaard Hansen of
Denmark.
“I think the draw is not too bad for us. It will be good if we
can hit it off well. There are seeded players in our path and we
will give our best,” added Kien Keat, who did not even make the
main draw of the last year's China Open with former partner Gan
Teik Chai.
Two other dangerous pair in the Malaysians' half of the draw are
third seed Fu Haifeng-Cai Yun of China and Indonesian Candra
Wijaya-Sigit Budiarto.
The China Open sees the reunion of Candra-Sigit, who were the
1997 World Championships winners. In the last couple of years, the
duo had been switching partners.
The fight in the second half of the draw will be between second
seeds and reigning world champions Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen of
Denmark and fourth seeds Sang Yang-Zheng Bo of China.
(thestar.com November 10, 2004)