THE national back-up shuttlers have a golden opportunity to make an impact on the Taiwan Open in the absence of the world’s top players from the tournament which starts tomorrow.

The Taiwan Open normally attracts a top class field but most of the big names have decided to give it a miss to recuperate after last month’s Beijing Olympics and this can only be good news for the Malaysians.

Tan Chun Seang and Arif Latif, who look good for promotion to the senior squad soon, have a good chance of reaching the quarter-finals of the men’s singles which was won by Olympic champion Lin Dan of China last ye a r.

Chun Seang opens his campaign against unherald - ed Takuma Ueda of Japan, and if he wins, is likely to come up against Singapore’s Derek Wong next. Assuming the Malaysian advances, In - dia’s Anup Sridhar awaits Chun Seang in the third round, and then there is a possibility of him meeting Arif in the quarter-finals.

This will be possible only if Arif, who received a first round bye, upsets veteran Ng Wei of Hong Kong in the second round and then dis - patches of Koichi Saeki of Japan in the third.

The other Malaysians like KLRC Bhd’s Lee Tsuen Seng and Sairul Amar Ayub, as well as Roslin Hashim, will also be battling for the title but top seed Simon Santoso of Indonesia looks the one to beat for the crown.

In the men’s doubles, back-up pairs like Razif Latif-Tan Wee Kiong, Khoo Chung Chiat-Tan Bin Shen and Hoon Thien How-Ong Soon Hock will be hoping for crucial breakthroughs.

However, Razif-Wee Kiong face a tough first round against Rian Sukmawan- Yonathan Dasuki of Indonesia, while Chung Chiat- Bin Shen are in an uphill battle against US-Indonesian combination Candra Wijaya-Tony Gunawan, the second seeds, in their opening match.

Thien How-Soon Hock play Singapore’s Danny Chrisnanta-Chayut Triyachart in the first round. — Tan Chun Seang (left) and Arif Latif. K.M. BOOPATHY