Teik Chai eager to join 'beat-the-world-champions' club

PETALING JAYA: All the doubles players in the national men’s elite squad except for Gan Teik Chai had experienced the euphoric feeling of beating China’s top pair Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng. 

And Teik Chai is bent on getting the thrill too when he plays in the All-England, which begins in Birmingham on Wednesday. 

Eyeing a first: Gan Teik Chai (left) is hoping that pairing up with Lin Woon Fui(right) will help him achieved what other Malaysian doubles pair have done – beatChina’s top doubles combination of Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng at the All-England this week.

Teik Chai forms the world number 30 partnership with Lin Woon Fui and they are expected to take on the top seeded Chinese in the second round. Their first-round opponents are Hong Kong's Albertus Susanto Nyoto-Yohan Hadikusumo Wiratama. 

Teik Chai said that if the match materialised, he would draw inspiration and tips from Woon Fui in their bid to topple the Chinese. 

“All my team-mates have beaten the former world champions at least once. I hope to be in the same league with them,” said Teik Chai. 

“Woon Fui has the knack of coming out as the winner against this Chinese pair. He has beaten them three times with his former partner (Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari) in the last three years. 

“If we make it to the second round, it will be the first time that I will be playing together with Woon Fui against the world number one. Hopefully, I can pick up some tricks from Woon Fui to outplay them.” 

Woon Fui and Fairuzizuan beat Cai Yun-Haifeng at the 2005 Singapore Open, 2006 All-England and World Cup. 

The current top four Malaysian pairs – Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah, Fairuzizuan-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif and Tan Bin Shen-Ong Soon Hock – also hold the distinction of having beaten the fast-attacking Chinese pair. 

Teik Chai is hoping for a change of fortune in his badminton career, starting with the All-England. He has not achieved anything outstanding since a semi-final appearance in the 2006 All-England, partnering Zakry. 

“My best achievement with Woon Fui (since they teamed up last April) was making the semi-finals at the Thailand Open. Woon Fui and I will be happy if we can create one big upset in the All-England,” he said. 

Teik Chai-Woon Fui are in the same half of the draw as Kien Keat-Boon Heong, the American-Indonesian combination of Tony Gunawan-Candra Wijaya and Denmark’s top two two pairs – Jens Eriksen-Martin Lundgaard Hansen and Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmusssen. Cai Yun-Haifeng are the defending champions. 

Tan Fook-Wan Wah, Bin Shen-Soon Hock, Fairuzizuan-Zakry are in the other half of the draw with world champions Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia and South Koreans Lee Yong-dae-Jung Jae-sung.