PETALING JAYA: When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. And shuttler Lee Chong Wei has vowed not to let the Malaysian team down when they play against Denmark in their final Group A tie of the Sudirman Cup world mixed team championships in Guangzhou tomorrow.
The world No. 1 is expecting to face top Dane Peter-Gade Christensen. The last time Chong Wei played against Christensen was in the final of the Korean Open in January and the Dane prevented the Malaysian from securing a third consecutive title.
Chong Wei had won the Super Series Master Finals crown in Kota Kinabalu last December and went on to lift the Malaysian Open title the following month.
In the Sudirman Cup, Malaysia have to beat Denmark to meet their target to reach the semi-finals. In their opening tie on Sunday, Malaysia were beaten 2-3 by South Korea but they bounced back to beat Hong Kong 4-1 on Monday.
Denmark opened their campaign on Sunday by beating Hong Kong 3-2 and last night lost 1-4 to the Koreans.
And Chong Wei is determined to rally the team by getting the better of Christensen this time.
“We expected it to be tougher after our defeat by South Korea. We have to beat Denmark, no matter what,” he said from Guangzhou yesterday.
“I am aware of the expectations on me to deliver a point. I should be playing against Christensen. It will be tough but I am optimistic of beating him. Against Denmark, it could go down to the last match and if I get the point, it could be crucial later.”
As the skipper of the Malaysian team for the first time, Chong Wei is also out to make up for the defeat by Christensen in a Thomas Cup semi-final tie in Japan in 2006.
“I remember I only lost twice to him. I hope to cut down on my mistakes this time. I was a bit slow the last time I played against him in the Korean Open and he also read my game well,” said Chong Wei, who has never lost a match in the Sudirman Cup.
Chong Wei has yet to drop a game after two matches thus far. He defeated Korean Jang Young-soo 21-9, 21-13 and scored a 21-16, 21-8 win over Hong Kong’s Hu Yun.