Badminton: Early psychological war

2010/01/10 K.M. Boopathy NATIONAL singles coach Misbun Sidek believes the potential final showdown between Lee Chong Wei and fierce rival Lin Dan of China in the Malaysia Open will be crucial for both players in their buildup to the year's major events. Lin Dan, who has avoided playing in the Malaysia Open since 2006, had the Thomas Cup Finals in mind when he decided to compete in the Malaysia Open at Putra Stadium on Jan 19-24. Misbun said that Lin Dan will obviously want to do better after losing to Chong Wei in the 2005 and 2006 Malaysia Opens. Putra Stadium will be the stage where the May 9-16 Thomas and Uber Cup Finals will be held and victory for either player, should they meet in the final, will give the winner a psychological edge in the team event. "A Chong Wei-Lin Dan final is the match everyone is waiting for and it will be equally crucial for both players. It would be fantastic if Chong Wei can win, especially as the Thomas Cup will be held at the same venue," said Misbun. "A victory for Chong Wei will put some doubt in Lin Dan's mind and having already lost in the 2008 Thomas Cup semi-finals (in Jakarta), the pressure will be on him. "It is not going to be easy as Chong Wei would be playing in his second consecutive tournament and it will also depend on

Chinas Lin Dan lost to Chong Wei in the 2005 and 2006 Malaysia Opens.

how fast he can recover from the Korea Open (next week). "However, this is a good test as the international schedule will be hectic and such back-to-back tournaments will be a regular feature. "If things go Chong Wei's way, he can look forward to the other major events with confidence. It is rare to have such a quality event so early and both players will be aiming to take the advantage." Chong Wei has captured five Malaysia Open crowns while this is one of the rare titles to have eluded Lin Dan. The World Championships in Paris on Aug 23-29 and Asian Games in Guangzhou on Nov 13-21 will be Lin Dan's major targets and Chong Wei will be searching for glory in the same events. The Commonwealth Games in New Delhi on Oct 3-14 is another priority for Chong Wei but he will not have to worry about Lin Dan as China are not part of the Games. However, Chong Wei must start beating Lin Dan on a regular basis to ensure he has a fighting chance in the World Championships and Asian Games. He last beat Lin Dan in the Swiss Open last March. http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/leonmf_f/Article/index_html