KUALA LUMPUR: Top seed Lee Chong Wei is expected to battle Lin Dan in an epic men’s singles semi-final clash at the Rio Olympic Games next month.
In the last two Olympic Games in Beijing (2008) and London (2012), Lin Dan dashed Chong Wei’s gold medal dream by winning both finals.
The winner of the likely semi-final match is expected to battle reigning world champion and second seed Chen Long of China in the final for the gold medal.
Chong Wei has been drawn in Group A, where he will face World No 63 Derek Wong of Singapore and 284th-ranked Soren Opti of Surinam.
The two-time Olympic silver medallist, if he tops the group, will be given a bye in the last 16 and is expected to face either Taiwan’s sixth seed Chou Tien Chen or Hong Kong’s 10th seed Hu Yun in the quarter-finals.
Lin Dan, who is expected to top Group E, may face some resistance when he plays Dane Jan O Jorgensen in the quarter-finals.
As for Chen Long, who should have no problems topping Group P, has been drawn to face fourth seed Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the semi-finals.
Groupings of Malaysian shuttlers at the Rio Games:
Men’s singles
Group A: Lee Chong Wei (Mas), Derek Wong (Sin), Soren Opti (Sur)
Doubles:
Group B: Fu Haifeng-Zheng Nan (Chn), Michael Fuchs-Johannes Schoettler (Ger), Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong (Mas), Sattawat Pongnairat-Phillip Chew (USA).
Women’s singles
Group K: Tee Jing Yi (Mas), Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn), Kristina Gavnholt (Cze).
Doubles
Group C: Nitya Krishinda Maheswari-Greysia Polii (Ina), Poon Lok Yan-Tse Ying Suet (Hkg), Woon Khe Wei-Vivian Hoo (Mas), Heather Olver-Lauren Smith (Bri).
Mixed doubles
Group C: Ahmad Tontowi-Liliyana Natsir (Ina), Bodin Isara-Savitree Amitrapai (Tai), Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying (Mas), Robin Middleton-Leanne Choo (Aus).