WORLD No 1 Lee Chong Wei’s expected showdown against Olympic champion Lin Dan of China in the men’s singles final will be the highlight of the China Open but the inconsistent Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Zakry Latif-Fairuzizuan Tazari will come under the microscope when the championships kick off in Shanghai today.
Chong Wei, who has yet to win an international crown since becoming World No 1 in August, must reach at least the final this week in order to end the year at the top, but the 26-year-old shuttler must surely be aiming to end his title drought.
However, the competition will be tough as Chong Wei must overcome a number of hurdles, including a tricky first round against youngster Qiu Yanbo of China today.
Yanbo took Chong Wei to three games in the Japan Open.
Still, Chong Wei is in better shape now and he is likely to meet French Open winner Peter Gade Christensen of Denmark in the last eight before facing third seed Chen Jin of China in the semis.
Lin Dan will be playing in his first competition since the Beijing Olympics but knowing his pedigree, it will be foolish to write him off.
Veteran Wong Choong Hann opens his campaign against Chan Yan Kit of Hong Kong today and faces a difficult task against Christensen in the second round.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong’s defeat against Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah in the Johor Open final on Friday is a concern and they must raise their performance in order to qualify for the Super Series Masters Finals in Kota Kinabalu on Dec 18-21.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong, ranked 14th in the Super Series standings, must aim for at least the semi-finals in Shanghai and in the Hong Kong Open next week to qualify.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong play scratch pair Songphon Anugritayawon-Tesana Panvisvas in the first round today.
The quarter-final stage will pose a tough test as they will likely play Denmark’s Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen and this will lead to a meeting against South Koreans Jung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae in the semi-finals. The Koreans have proven to be a bane in the past for the Malaysians.
Zakry-Fairuz have been struggling since winning the Singapore and Indonesia Opens and losing to back-up pair Ong Jian Guo-Goh Wei Shem in the Johor Open is not the kind of motivation they needed before the China Open.
They have an easier beginning as they play compatriots Chan Peng Soon-Lim Khim Wah in the first round and are expected to meet Li Tian-Shen of China in the second.
Zakry-Fairuz should then meet Carsten Morgensen-Mathias Boe of Denmark in the quarter-finals and are likely to take on top seeds Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng of China in the last four.
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