Easy defence for Chong Wei

By K.M. Boopathyboopathy@nst.com.my

LEE Chong Wei's title defence in the World Super Series Masters looks good but South Koreans Jung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae will be the stumbling blocks again for Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong in Johor Baru beginning Wednesday.

Chong Wei should have a field day as Peter Gade Christensen of Denmark and Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia are his strongest challengers in the Super Series Masters.

The other players who will be seeing action are Park Sung Hwan of South Korea, China's Bao Chunlai, Jan Jorgensen of Denmark, Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand and Hsieh Yu Hsin of Taiwan.

The absence of Olympic champion Lin Dan of China and his compatriot Chen Jin, as well as Indonesians Sony Dwi Kuncoro and Simon Santoso will surely make the Super Series Masters a dull affair but Chong Wei will not be complaining.

Lin Dan is probably the only player capable of upstaging Chong Wei at the moment and the latter can now be relieved that a second Super Series Masters title and US$40,000 (RM135,000) look assured.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong also have the good news that bogey pairs Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia and Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng of China are out but Jae Sung-Yong Dae will be all out to avenge their final defeat to the Malaysians last year.

Jae Sung-Yong Dae are on a high after having beaten Kien Keat-Boon Heong in all four meetings this year.

However, home ground advantage is something Kien Keat-Boon Heong will be depending on to secure the title again.

The other pairs who have secured their berths are Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen of Denmark, Anthony Clark-Nathan Robertson of England, Guo Zhendong-Xu Chen of China, Indonesian pairs Alvent Yulianto-Hendra Gunawan and Yonathan Dasuki-Rian Sukmawan while the eighth pair will be Malaysia's Zakry Latif-Fairuzizuan Tazari who made it following the withdrawal of Japan's Kenichi Hayakawa-Kenta Kazuno.

Women's doubles Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui are the only other Malaysian interest in the tournament. NST

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