Sports

Friday December 29, 2006

Choong Hann, Tan-Lee set to enter final

By LIM TEIK HUAT

PETALING JAYA: Veteran Malaysian singles player Wong Choong Hann and the doubles pair of Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah remained on course to make the final of the season-ending Copenhagen Masters invitational tournament in Copenhagen.

Choong Hann pulled off a hard fought win over Indonesia's Simon Santoso in his first match while Tan Fook-Wan Wah dashed Danish hopes when they beat former world champions Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen of Denmark 21-23, 21-18, 23-21 in their opening men's doubles Group A match yesterday.

Tan Fook-Wan Wah were playing China's world number one Fu Haifeng-Cai Yun late yesterday for a place in the final.

Choong Hann, who is on the comeback trail after a long lay-off due to injury, beat Simon 21-18, 10-21, 21-19 in Group B on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old Choong Hann, a former winner in 2003, was playing Peter-Gade Christensen of Denmark later last night, with the winner booking a place in the final.

Christensen had downed Simon 21-11, 16-21, 21-15 in an earlier match also played on Wednesday.

Choong Hann ruptured his Achilles heel during the Thomas Cup Finals in Japan in May this year but made good recovery to feature for Malaysia in the team competition in the Doha Asian Games recently.

Mohd Hafiz Hashim, the second Malaysian singles representative, is virtually out of contention after falling in straight games to Denmark's second ranked player Kenneth Jonassen.

Hafiz opened his campaign in Group A with a 19-21, 21-10, 23-21 win over China's Chen Yu on Wednesday but fell 14-21, 15-21 to Jonassen later in the evening.

Men's singles

Group A: Mohd Hafiz Hashim (Mas) bt Chen Yu (Chn) 19-21, 21-10, 23-21; Kenneth Jonassen (Den) bt Mohd Hafiz Hashim 21-14, 21-15.

Group B: Wong Choong Hann (Mas) bt Simon Santoso (Ina) 21-18, 10-21, 21-19; Peter-Gade Christensen (Den) bt Simon Santoso (Ina) 21-11, 16-21, 21-15.

Men's doubles

Group A: Fu Haifeng-Cai Yun (Chn) bt Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen (Den) 23-21, 21-18; Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah (Mas) bt Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen (Den) 21-23, 21-18, 23-21.

Group B: Joko Riyadi-Hendra Gunawan (Ina) bt Jens Eriksen-Martin Lundgaard (Den) 22-20, 21-19.

Mixed doubles:

Xia Xuanze-Zhao Tingting (Chn) bt Nathan Robertson-Gail Emms (Eng) 21-16, 21-16; Flandy Limpele-Vita Marissa (Ina) bt Thomas Laybourn-Kamilla Rytter Juhl (Den) 21-16, 21-14.

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