Super Series Masters Finals: Small army of Malaysian shuttlers

2009/11/06

K.M. Boopathy

THOUGH Malaysia swept three titles in the inaugural Super Series Masters Finals in Kota Kinabalu last year, it is not expected to be the same script in Kuala Terengganu on Dec 2-6.

Only a handful of Malaysians are expected to qualify with Lee Chong Wei, the top ranked player in the Super Series standings, leading the charge.

However, Chong Wei will not have the company of veteran Wong Choong Hann, who is as good as out as he is currently ranked 17th.

Only the top eight players from each category make the cut and although China are expected to shun the Masters again, Choong Hann and several others are way behind the rest to qualify.

Men's doubles Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, ranked No 1, and women's doubles Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui, ranked No 2, have confirmed their places.

Zakry Latif-Fairuzizuan Tazari, semi-finalists last year, are in danger of missing the cut for the tournament that offers US$500,000 (RM1.7 million) prize money as they are ranked 12th.

Semi-final appearances in the Hong Kong Open next week and China Open on Nov 17-22 will help their cause but it will be an uphill task.

Zakry-Fairuz must beat South Korea's Jung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae in the quarter-finals of the Hong Kong Open and that doesn't look possible as the Malaysians have never beaten their Korean rivals.

Wong Mew Choo, who qualified for the women's singles last year, is out as she is 41st while Lydia Cheah, ranked 34th, will also not feature.

There will be no representatives in the mixed doubles as well as Malaysia's highest ranked pair, Koo Kien Keat-Ng Hui Lin, are only 18th.

Chong Wei won last year's title easily in the absence of Lin Dan and his compatriots. The Malaysian may be in a similar situation with China expected to stay away again.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong, who defeated an off-colour Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia and Jae Sung-Yong Dae for the title, can expect to be fully tested by both pairs this time around.

Pei Tty-Eei Hui's drastic decline will not put them in good stead to retain their title despite the expected absence of the China pairs.

The tournament will also give a clear indication of the form of the national shuttlers going into the Laos Sea Games, which begin three days after the Super Series Masters.