The Mixed doubles will be one of the few events where anyone from ten seeds could win the title. The Olympic Champions come into the event as top seeds, with the 2007 World Champions second seeds. The on-form couple coming into the tournament are also the third seeds.
2007 World Championship Winners: Nova Widianto and Liliyana Natsir
2008 Olympic Champions: Lee Jong Dae and Lee Hyo Jung
Lee Jong Dae and Lee Hyo Jung
Last Tournament: Indonesia Super Series (Finalists)
2nd Round Opponents: NO MATCH
The draw has opened out well for the top seeds, a first round bye as well as their second round opponents pulling out allows both partners to focus on their other discipline before taking to the court already in the round of 16.
However, this means their first match together is likely to be against 14th seeded Chinese couple Xu Chen and Zhao Yunlei. It could work in their favour or the two byes to the last 16 could be the worst thing to happen to the top seeds.
Other Seeds to Watch:
Nova Widianto and Liliyana Natsir
Last Tournament: Indonesian Super Series (Quarter Finals)
2nd Round Opponents: Aleksei Konakh and Alesia Zaitsava (BLR)
The 2007 World Champions have had an indifferent 2009 since their win early in the year in the Malaysia Super Series. They have reached the latter stages in the last few months without winning a competition since January.
Their big test will come in the last eight against Indian couple Jwala Gutta and Diju Valiyaveetil, a couple which beat them in the Korean Super Series this year.
Ma Jin and Zheng Bo
Last Tournament: Malaysian Open (Won)
2nd Round Opponents: Goh Liu Ying and Chan Peng Soon (MAL)
If you’re looking for the form couple, look no further. Winners of the last three Super Series events, beating the top seeded Lee and Lee in two of the Super Series finals. Ma Jin is arguably the most on-form doubles player in the world right now, winning both the level and mixed in Malaysia just 6 weeks ago.
A potential semi-final against Lee and Lee would be worthy of the final, if both make it to the last 4.
These are the “big three” who will be the favourites for the title, 4th seeded Yu Yang and He Hanbin of China are another couple with a real chance, but to make it through to the last four they have to beat 6th seeded Pedersen and Fischer Nielsen in the quarter finals.
Anthony Clark and Donna Kellogg are seeded 11 and have made a run in this tournament in 2007 previously. The final four couples from the Beijing Olympics are all seeded in the top 5, with second seeded pair Zheng Bo and Gao Ling no longer playing together, Zheng Bo’s new partnership with Ma Jin has them seeded 3rd.
The two Danish couples ranked 6th and 7th are also strong contenders, it’s perhaps the most open draw at this years World Championships.
The draws have been released for this weeks Gold Event in Malaysia with four of last weekends Super Series winners in their relevant draws.
One week after Lee Chong Wei and Taufik Hidayat met in the Indonesian Super Series Mens Final, they have the chance to play one another in the final in Malaysia. The finalists of last weekends Super Series Final have been seeded 1 and 2 for this weeks Malaysian Open.
Lee Chong Wei starts against Zi Liang Derek Wong of Singapore; Taufik Hidiyat starts against Chen Long of China. Saina Nehwal looks to continue her excellent recent form and has been seeded second in the Ladies Singles. The Malaysian pair of Eei Hui Chin and Pei Tty Wong have been seeded 1 in the Ladies Doubles and have a bye into the second round on Thursday evening.
Kido and Setiawan would have look to put their recent poor defeats in the Super Series to rest as they are top seeds for this event but have pulled out before the event. Ma Jin and Zheng Bo are competing and the second seeds have received a bye to the Round of 16 without going onto the court.
Qualifying Begins on Tuesday, with the main draw beginning on Wednesday.
Taufik’s magical run this week brought him into the final against top seeded Lee Chong Wei, however the Malaysian was in no mood to let the fairytale have a dream ending. At 12-9 in the opening set, Lee Chong Wei took the next 9 points to win the opening set.
Taufik’s excellent start in the second set took him to a 7-1 led, which the top seed clawed back to make it 7-7. The second set was a much tighter affair, but at 16-14 Lee Chong Wei strung the next five points to take the second game at the title.
Ma Jin and Zheng Bo’s excellent form of the last few weeks continued with a superb win over Olympic Champions Lee and Lee of Korea. The three set encounter took just under the hour mark with the Singapore Super Series winners securing their second title in two weeks.
India’s Saina Nehwal outstanding run to the final gave her a chance at her first Super Series title with only 3rd seeded Wang Lin standing in her way. The signs looked didn’t look good for the 6th seed after Wang Lin won the first game 21-12. The 6th seed responded by winning the next game by 21 points to 18.
The Indian was not to be denied and was in devastating form from 7-7 in the third game, Nehwal took 14 of the next 16 points to take her first Super Series title.
Lee Chong Wei bt. Taufik Hidayat
Saina Nehwal bt. Wang Lin
12-21, 21-18, 21-9
Jung/Lee bt. Cai/Fu
Chin/Wong bt. Cheng/Shao
Bo/Jin bt. Lee/Lee
21-17, 8-21, 21-16
Lin Dan’s first tournament since the Sudirman is over at the Quarter Final stage after losing to Chen Jin at the Quarter Final stage today. The duo shared the opening two games before a Lin Dan collapse allowed Chen Jin to take the third set easily 21-4.
On the TV Court, Blair and Bankier’s excellent tournament ended at the hands of Olympic Champions Lee and Lee of Korea. The 2nd seeds won in two games against the British duo in exactly 30 minutes, conceding just 30 points. (21-12, 21-18)
Zheng Bo and Ma Jin continued their excellent run in the last two tournaments with an excellent win over top seeded Indonesian pair of Widianto and Natsir to set up a Semi-Final clash with the Danish 4th seeds Laybourn and Rytter Juhl.
Japan’s Sayaka Soto had played four matches to reach the last eight stage, but the eighth seed proved too big a hurdle as Xie Xingfang disposed of the qualifier in two games. Wang Yihan suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Lu Lan at the quarterfinal stage, with the 7th seed Lu Lan winning the 3rd game 22-20 to set up a Semi-Final match against India’s Saina Nehwal.
Meanwhile, the match of the day pitted local hero Taufik Hidayat against 2nd seeded Peter Gade. A tight opening set was won by Taufik 21-19, but the Dane fought back to take the second game 21-8, winning 7 straight points to take the game. The third set was tight was but the Indonesian always had the lead but didn’t take his opportunity at the first or second attempt as Gade fought back to 20-20 in the final game. Taufik took the next two points and won the match at the third time of asking to setup an all Indonesian Semi Final against Sony Kwi Kuncoro.
Semi Final Matches (Seeding in Brackets):
Lee Chong Wei (1) v Chen Jin (6)
Taufik Hidayat (5) v Sony Kwi Kuncoro (4)
Xie Xingfang (8) v Wang Lin (3)
Lu Lan (7) v Saina Nehwal (6)
Kido/Setiawan (1) v Jung/Lee (6)
Koo/Tan (3) v Cai/Fu (5)
Chin/Wong (1) v Chien/Cheng (3)
Ha/Kim (4) v Cheng/Shao (2)
Lee/Lee (2) v Fischer Neilsen/Pederson (7)
Bo/Jin (5) v Laybourn/Rytter Juhl (4)
Semi-Final day in Singapore and the last of the seeded players in the Mens Singles falls, Chen Jin lost out to fellow Chinese player Bao Chunlai in two close sets (21-19, 12-18). In the other Semi-Final, Boonsak Ponsana beat Park Sung Hwan in the longest match of the day in three close sets (19-21, 21-18, 21-13).
Top seed Zhou Mi looks in ominous form as she disposed of 3rd seed Wang Lin in their semi-final encounter, She will play Xie Xingfang after their eighth seeded came back to win the last two games after dropping the first game against her unseeded Chinese compatriot Jiang Yanjiao.
In the Mens Doubles, Anthony Clark and Nathan Robertson excellent week in Singapore continued after they defeated Chen Hung Ling and Lin Yu Yang and their semi-final encounter to book their player in the final in two sets (21-19, 21-19). They will face top seeded pair Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan in the final after the duo defeated fourth seeded Danish pairing Lars Paaske and Jonas Rasmussen in less than 30 minutes (21-12, 21-16).
The Mixed Doubles has turned into an all-Chinese affair with sixth seeds Xie Zhongbo and Zhang Yawen beating top seeded player Nova Widianto and Lillyana Natsir in two tight sets to book their place in the final. (22-20, 22-20). They will play Zheng Bo and Ma Jin in the final after their over Olympic Champions Lee Yong Dae and Lee Hyo Jung in two sets. The fifth seeded Chinese pair have failed to drop a set all week.
MS Chunlai Bo (CHN) v Boonsak Ponsana (THA)
LS Zhou Mi (1) (TPE) v Xie Xingfang (8) (CHN)
MD Kido / Setiawan (1) (IND) v Clark / Robertson (ENG)
LD Tingting / Yawen (5) (CHN) v Polii / Maheswari (IND)
XD Ma / Bo (5) (CHN) v Yawen / Zhongbo (6) (CHN)