Duo need to raise bar

2009/11/24

K.M. Boopathy

THEY have started enjoying playing again and there is quality in their performance but is this enough to help Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong rule the men's doubles again? If the question was put to Lee Yong Dae, the hardworking South Korean would definitely say 'No' and he would gladly show the Malaysian World No 1 pair the way to do it.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong have brought consistency and urgency back into their game of late but the one area which lets them down is their inability to battle on and complete the task when the chips are down.

Kien Keat, the more experienced of the two, has started playing his role as the leader and managed to drag Sunday's China Open men's doubles final against Jung Jae Sung-Yong Dae to three games.

But his fitness was found wanting in the decider and the fitter Koreans clearly had the edge, with the super-fit Yong Dae, just 21 but with the heart of a lion, kept going despite being exhausted, until the title was won.

Kien Keat may have been able to sustain his fitness had he not played in the mixed doubles with Wong Pei Tty.

But then again, Yong Dae played in both events and reached both finals and yet he had that extra to finish the job.

Hard work and pride separates Yong Dae from any other doubles player currently and the Korean will almost always be a winner with Jae Sung (men's doubles) and Hyo Jung (mixed doubles) if their rivals do not raise the bar.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong should also be alarmed as Sunday's loss was their fourth consecutive defeat which by now must have given the Korean pair the psychological edge should they meet in the future.

The 2012 London Olympics gold will be a battle involving Kien Keat-Boon Heong, Indonesian pair Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan and Jae Sung-Yong Dae, but unfortunately, the Malaysians are trailing.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong must take the initiative to start challenging and beating their main rivals more regularly to boost their confidence going into the Olympic year.

If they keep under-performing it would just be more cases of so near yet so far.

As for Lee Chong Wei, he must stop the habit of losing in the first round as he has a reputation to safeguard as the World No 1.

Although his conqueror Jan Jorgensen of Denmark went all the way to the final, it is not an excuse.