# Chong Wei faces Wang Zhengming in opener
# Has not lost to the Chinese youngster in 15 previous meetings
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Malaysian Olympic hopefuls led by World No 2 Datuk Lee Chong Wei have embarked on the last lap of the Olympic qualifying round tournament – the Dong Feng Citroen Badminton Asia Championships which begin in Wuhan on Tuesday.
This is the second year running that the Asian meet (April 26-May 1) is held in Wuhan, the capital of China’s Hubei Province.
Malaysia’s No 1 shuttler Chong Wei, fresh from winning his 11th Malaysian Open title in Shah Alam on April 10, is seeded No 3 in the Asian meet. Defending champion Lin Dan is the secondĀ seed while current World No 1 Chen Long is the top seed.
Lin Dan goes into the fray days after defeating Chen Long in last week’s China Masters in Jiangsu.
The focus is on the “Big Three” from Asia – Chen Long, Lin Dan and Chong Wei – all hailed as gold medallist in this year’s Olympics in Rio in August.
Chong Wei opens his campaign in Wuhan against Chinese youngster Wang Zhengming. The Malaysian ace hold a 15-0 advantage in the head-to-head count with his last win achieved in last year’s Yonex French Open.
Lin Dan is the defending Asian champion. He beat compatriot Tian Houwei 21-19, 21-18 in the final.
Japan’s Kento Momota was the fourth seed but he is not in Wuhan after the Nippon Badminton Association dropped him from the team following alleged betting in illegal casinos which are linked to organised crime in Japan. He has also been dropped from the Japanese Olympic team.
Houwei, ranked No 7 in the world, is seeded fifth in Wuhan, followed by Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen (No 6) while Tommy Sugiarto and India’s K. Srikanth are seedded seven and eight respectively.
Two time Olympic champion Lin Dan is not only touted to win his fifth Asian title but is also touted to win his third Olympic men’s singles gold in Rio to add to the ones he won at the Beijing Olympics (2008) and London Olympics (2012).
Lin Dan won his sixth All-England title last month. He failed to get onto the podium in the Malaysian Open and the Singapore Open but last week he showed that he is still the player to beat when he defeated Chen Long for his sixth title in the China Masters in Jiangsu.
Chen Long opens his Asian campaign against Korean Jeon Hyeok-jin while Lin Dan will face Indonesian youngster Ihsan Maulana Mustifa. Chong Wei who outplayed Chen Long in straight sets for his 11th Malaysian Open title takes on Chinese youngster Wang Zhengming. Chong Wei has not lost to Zhengming is the last 15 meetings.
National champion Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin first round opponent is Taiwan’s Wang Tzu-wei, who was promoted to the main draw to replace Momota. Zulfadli Zulkifli takes on Hong Kong’s Wei Nan in the first round.
Thailand’s badminton sensation Ratchanok Intanon, who is the new World No 1 in the women’s singles, created badminton history by winning three successive Superseries titles.
After winning the India Open Superseries the Thai badminton queen won the Malaysia Open Superseries Premier followed the Singapore Open Superseries, defeating defending champion Sun Yu in the final – for her third title in as many weeks.
The former world champion (2013) claims that meditation has made her a much better player now. Ratchanok, is seeded only No 4 in the Asian Championships but she is strongly tipped to retain her Asian title she won last year by defeating Li Xuerui 20-22, 23-21, 21-12 in the final.
Incidentally Xuerui is the top seed this year with All England champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan seeded No 2. Third seed is another Chinese great Wang Shixian while India’s hope Saina Nehwal is seeded No 5, China’s Wnag Yihan (No 6), Korea’s Sung Ji-hyun (No 7) and Taiwan’s Tai Tzu Ying at No 8. complete the seedings.
Both the top two seeds will face Thai opponents in their opening matches. Xuerui, the World No 3 will take on World No 18 Porntip Buranaprasertsuk while Nozomi face Busnanan Ongbumrungphan who is world No 21.
Korea’s world No 1 Lee Yong-dae-Yoo Yeon-seong are the top seeds and hot favourites retain their title in the men’s doubles. They face Taiwan’s Lee Sheng-mu-Tsai Chia-hsin (World No 18) in the first round. Second seeds and last year’s runners-up Muhammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan will play a pair from the qualifying rounds.
Japan’s Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi are the top seeds in the women’s doubles. Newly crowned China Masters winners Luo twins – Luo Ying and Luo Yu – are seeded No 2 with Indonesians Nitya Krishinda Maheswari-Greysia Polii at No 3 while China’s Tian Qing-Zhao Yunlei are seeded No 4.
In the mixed doubles top seeds Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei and second seeds Tontowi Ahmad-Liliyana Natsir have drawn first byes. Liu Cheng-Bao Yixin (China) and Ko Sung-hyun-Kim Ha-na (Korea) are seeded No 3 and 4 respectively.Ā Ā
Malaysia also hope to do well in the men’s doubles but the national No pair Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong will have to be consistent. Inconsistency has been the main drawback for the Malaysians.
The world No 13 face Singapore’s Terry Hee Yong Kai-Loh Kean Hean in the first round. Professionals Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, Malaysia’s Thomas Cup hopefuls will take on Taiwan’s Liao Min-chun-Tseng Min-hao in the opening match.
In the women’s doubles Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei have a daunting task in the first round against China’s Tang Yuanting-Yu Yang.
Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying will have to take their game to a higher level against Koreans, world No 10 Shin Baek-cheol-Chae Yoo-jung in their opening match. Tan Kian Men-Lai Pei Jing are up against World No 18 Kento Kuzuno-Ayane Kurihara.Ā Ā
