KOO-TAN VOW TO BOUNCE BACK IN KK

ALOR STAR: The setback in the National Grand Prix Finals will only spur top men doubles players Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong to make a quick rebound at the Super Series Masters Finals, which will begin in Kota Kinabalu from Dec 18-21.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong went down 19-21,18-21 to Goh Wei Shem-Ong Jian Guo in the semi-finals after both came down with flu and fever.

Although disappointed that they failed in their bid to complete a hat-trick of national men’s doubles title together, Kien Keat vowed that they would bounce back.

“It is unfortunate that we were not in our best condition. But having said that, we are happy for the juniors. They played their cards well,” said Kien Keat yesterday.

Kien Keat however, made up for the disappointment in the men’s doubles by winning the mixed doubles title with youngster Ng Hui Lin. The duo defeated Tan Wee Kiong-Woon Khe Wei 22-20, 21-19 yesterday.

Kien Keat said that they should get back on their feet to challenge for honours at the Masters Finals.

Although China have withdrew all their players, Kien Keat said that the men’s doubles event would remain competitive.

“Only China’s top pair (Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng) and Denmark’s Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen will be missing from the cast. The other pairs are equally good. The race is still wide open in the men’s doubles,” he said.

Besides Kien Keat-Boon Heong, the other seven qualifiers for the US$500,000 tournament are Olympic Games champions Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia, Malaysia’s Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari, South Koreans Lee Yong-dae-Jung Jae-sung and Cho Gun-woo-Yoo Yeon-seong; Danes Mathias Boe-Carsten Morgensen, Simon Mollyhus-Anders Kristiansen’ and the American-Indonesian pair of Candra Wijaya-Tony Gunawan.

The draw on Tuesday will see the eight qualifiers divided into two groups. The two top pairs in each group will play in the cross over semi-finals.

Malaysia’s other representatives in the Masters Finals are men’s singles Lee Chong Wei, Wong Choong Hann; women’s singles player Wong Mew Choo; and women’s doubles pair of Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty.

(Source: Thestar.com.my)