PETRA KVITOVA IN ISTANBUL

ANA IVANOVIC IN BALI

BADMINTON WORLD JUNIOR 2011

Nelson Heg and Teo Ee Yi beat Hong Kong’s Chang Tak Ching-Man Tang Chun 21-16, 21-6 in the second round yesterday.

ZULFADLI Zulkifli and boys' doubles Nelson Heg-Teo Ee Yi advanced to the quarter-finals of the World Junior Championships in contrasting styles in Taipei yesterday.

Zulfadli, the Asian Junior champion, secured an easy 21-15, 21-15 win over Vietnam's Pham Cao Cuong in the third round and then defeated Gerald Ong of Singapore 21-9, 21-19 to book his berth in the last eight.

He will face a tougher hurdle when he meets Indonesia's Wisnu Yuli Prasetyo, who beat Thammasin Sitthikom of Thailand 21-16, 21-16, today.

Nelson-Ee Yi cruised to a 21-16, 21-6 win over Hong Kong's Chang Tak Ching-Man Tang Chun in the second round but were stretched to the limit by Japan's Kento Momota-Taichi Saito before securing a 15-21, 22-20, 21-19 in the third round. 

Nelson-Ee Yi, runners-up to compatriots Ow Yao Han-Yew Hong Kheng last year, will play Indonesians Lukhi Apri Nugroho-Kevin Sanjaya Sakamuljo in the last eight today.

The fact that Nelson had also been doing well in the mixed doubles, where he made the quarter-finals with Chow Mei Kuan, could have affected his performance in the boys' doubles.

Nelson had to play four matches yesterday.

In the mixed doubles, Nelson-Mei Kuan defeated Hafiz Faizal-Shella Devi Aulia of Indonesia 18-21, 21-19, 23-21 and play Denmark's Kasper Antonsen-Line Kjaersfeldt today.

In the girls' singles, Sonia Cheah saved eight match points against Cheung Ngan Yi of Hong Kong to earn a 21-6, 15-21, 24-22 win to sail into the quarter-finals.

Sonia, who trailed 14-20 in the deciding game before staging a spirited fightback against Ngan Yi, will take on third seed Nozomi Okuhara of Japan today.

Sonia and Yang Li Lian also made it to the girls' doubles quarter-finals when they beat Chloe Birch-Emily Westwood of England 21-18, 21-12 and meet South Korea's Lee So Hee-Shin Cheung Chan next.

RESULTS -- (Malaysia unless stated) Boys' Singles 3rd Rd: Viktor Axelsen (Den) bt Lee Hong Je (Kor) 21-11, 21-16; Zulfadli Zulkifli bt Pham Cao Cuong (Vie) 21-15, 21-15; Sameer verma (Ind) bt Goh Giap Chin 21-13, 21-17; Khosit Phetpradab (Tha) bt Soon Joo Ven 21-18, 22-20.

4th Rd: Viktor Axelsen (Den) bt Kai Schaffer (Ger) 21-10, 21-14; Zulfadli Zulkifli bt Gerald Ong (Sin) 21-9, 21-19.

Doubles 2nd rd: Nelson Heg-Teo Ee Yi bt Chang Tak Ching-Man Tang Chun (HK) 21-16, 21-6; Sant Enos Jani-Low Juan Shen bt Le Tan Than-Pham Cao Cuong (Vie) 21-18, 21-12.

3rd rd: Nelson Heg-Teo Ee Yi bt Kento Momota-Taichi Saito (Jpn) 15-21, 22-20, 21-19; Lee Chun Hei-Ng Ka Long (HK) bt Sant Enos Jani-Low Juan Shen 21-15, 21-16.

Women's Singles 2nd rd: Sonia Cheah bt Gayle Mahulette (Fra) 21-13, 21-9; Romina Gabdulina (Rus) bt Yang Li Lian 16-21, 21-19, 21-19.

3rd rd: Cheung Ngan Yi (HK) v Sonia Cheah

Doubles 2nd rd: Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean bt Chisato Hoshi-Ayako Sakuramoto (Jpn) 23-21, 21-16; Sonia Cheah-Yang Li Lian bt Ramona Hacks-Jennifer Karnott (Ger) 21-13, 21-16.

3rd rd: Sonia Cheah-Yang Li Lian bt Chloe Birch-Emily Westwood (Eng) 21-18, 21-12; Chae Yoo Jung-Kim Chan Mi (Kor) bt Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean 23-25, 21-16, 21-15.

Mixed Doubles 4th rd: Nelson Heg-Chow Mei Kuan bt Hafiz Faizal-Shella Devi Aulia (Ina); Lin Chia Yu-Shuai Pei Ling (Tai) 21-19, 21-16.

Sonia and Nelson enter two quarter- finals each in world juniors

PETALING JAYA: Sonia Cheah served up a double joy for Malaysia in the World Junior Badminton Champ-ionships when she checked into two quarter-finals in Taipei yesterday.

The 17-year-old Sonia exacted sweet revenge over Hong Kong’s Cheung Ngan Yi 21-6, 15-21, 24-22 to set up a clash against Nozomi Okuhara for a place in the girls’ singles semi-finals.

She and Yang Li Lian then scored a convincing 21-18, 21-12 win over Chloe Birch-Emily Westwood of England to advance to the doubles quarter-finals. Awaiting them are the formidable South Koreans Lee So-he-Shin Seung-chan.

Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) junior programme coordinator Hau Kim Tho was happy that Sonia had made a quick rebound.

Living dangerously: Malaysia’s Teo Ee Yi (front) and Nelson Heg Wei Keat slogged for a 15-21, 22-20, 21-19 win over Japan’s Kento Momota-Taichi Saito in their World Junior Badminton Championships’ boys’ doubles third round match Thursday.

“She lost to Ngan Yi in the team tie after taking a 20-18 lead. She didn’t make the same mistake again. It was very close but Sonia showed true grit to win the decider (24-22),” said Kim Tho.

“She is looking confident and we hope that she will continue to keep the national flag flying high.”

It was also a great day for Malaysia in the boys’ singles, boys’ doubles and mixed doubles.

Asian junior champion Zulfadli Zulkifli, the second seed, did not allow painful blisters to stop him from marching on. He defeated Gerald Ong Soon Lee of Singapore 21-9, 21-19 to emerge as the only Malaysian survivor in the boys’ singles following the defeats of Soong Joo Ven and Goh Giap Chin.

Zulfadli faces his first big test of the competition when he takes on Wisnu Yuli Prasetyo of Indonesia in the quarter-finals.

“I picked up the blister during the team final against South Korea. It affected my play today. I hope to get a good rest and come back stronger for my clash against Wisnu,” said Zulfadli.

It was also a good day for Nelson Heg Wei Keat who checked into two quarter-finals.

He and Teo Ee Yi lived dangerously for a 15-21, 22-20, 21-19 win over the gritty Japanese pair of Kento Momota-Taichi Saito in the boys’ doubles. The duo will have to be more cautious when they take on Indonesia’s Lukhi April Nugroho-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo next.

In the mixed doubles, Nelson made it to the quarter-finals with Chow Mei Kuan. The duo take on Denmark’s Kasper Antonsen-Line Kjaersfeldt next and should make it to the semi-finals.

Said Kim Tho: “It is good to see Malaysia being well represented in every event.

“It will get tougher from this stage on. I hope our players will keep their feet on the ground.”

Source: Thestar

Nicol in Hall of Fame

ROTTERDAM: Nicol David will receive the ultimate recognition when she is inducted into the World Squash Federation (WSF) Hall of Fame here tomorrow.

The 28-year-old from Penang, who is going for a record sixth crown at the World Open this week, will be inducted by Tunku Imran Tuanku Jaafar (pic), the WSF Patron and IOC member who is himself a former national squash champion.

Nicol rules supreme in the women’s game and has already achieved legendary status. After becoming the first ever double winner of the biennial world junior title in 2001, she went on to begin an unbroken reign at the top of the world rankings from August, 2006. She is now the second longest-standing world number one of all-time behind Australia’s Susan Devoy, who reigned for 105 months.

Nicol already has 55 Women’s International Squash Players Association (Wispa) titles and equalled the five world titles won by her mentor Sarah Fitz-Gerald.

She has almost single-handedly put Malaysia on the world squash map through her achievements and, earlier this year, won a record eighth national sportswoman of the year award.

Legendary status: Nicol David is now the second longest-standing world No. 1 of all time behind Australia’s Susan Devoy.

Nicol captured the first of her three Asian Games gold medals in 1998, aged just 15, and, in April this year, claimed her eighth successive Asian Championship in Penang.

“It’s great to be recognised in this way while I am still a player and have my achievements compared with the best players the game has seen,” said Nicol. “It’s truly fantastic and I am really honoured.

“But this does not mean I am ready to ride off into the sunset. I am far from finished even though I have been playing the professional circuit for over 10 years.”

Nicol intends to prove just that by bagging her sixth world crown on Sunday.

Source: Thestar

MR BEAN IS THERE

Bean there, done that as Massa and Hamilton clash again

GREATER NOIDA (India): Lewis Hamilton’s season took a farcical twist on Sunday as he bizarrely collided with Felipe Massa for the third time in recent weeks – fittingly watched by “Mr Bean” actor Rowan Atkinson (pic).

Hamilton, trapped by Ferrari’s Massa going into a turn at the Indian Grand Prix, shunted the Brazilian across the track before protesting into his radio.

It was their third recent accident after collisions in Singapore and Japan put relations on a knife-edge.

And the latest coming-together was closely watched by comedy star Atkinson, who was a guest in the McLaren pit and went through a series of his trademark grimaces as the drama unfolded on his TV screen.

Massa was hit by a drive-through penalty but fate threw up another quirk as he crashed out when his left front wheel hit a high kerb, mirroring a virtually identical mistake in qualifying.

Hamilton blamed damage from the shunt for his seventh-place finish, which rounded off a tough week in which he announced his split from Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger and then suffered a five-place grid penalty.

“There is not much to say. It’s a disappointing day and my team deserve better,” Hamilton said.

“I’ll fly back (to Britain) and try to get my head back in the game.”

Hamilton, who placed second in Korea and was hoping to end his season on a high, remains fifth in the overall standings and is now 26 points back from McLaren team-mate Jenson Button in second.

The 2008 champion said he made an overture to Massa before the race as drivers observed a minute’s silence for IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon and MotoGP’s Marco Simoncelli, who both died this month.

“We had the one-minute silence before the race, I was standing next to Felipe. He’s not spoken to me for a long time but I made the effort, I put my arm round him and said good luck for the race,” Hamilton said.

But Massa, who was adamant that he should not have been penalised, quibbled with Hamilton’s version of events, although he denied there was any feud between them.

“He didn’t try to do anything. When I tried to speak to him he passed through. He did not look to my face, so no. Not here,” Massa said.

“After the one minute silence he was at my side and then he just said, ‘have a good race’. So this is trying to what?

“Have a good race? Is that not part of talking, or whatever?” — AFP

WORLD JUNIOR BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIPS 2011

Malaysia easily beat South Korea to win world junior title

PETALING JAYA: Sonia Cheah made her critics eat their words when she clinched a crucial point to help Malaysia create history by winning the mixed team gold medal for the first time in the World Junior Badminton Championships in Tai­wan yesterday.

Not many had given her a ghost of a chance after her jittery performances in earlier matches. But the 18-year-old came good, delivering the second point by convincingly disposing of Kim Hyo-min 25-23, 21-12.

Top seeds Malaysia went on to beat South Korea 3-0 for the elusive title.

Sonia Cheah posing with the trophy after helping Malaysia win the mixed team title in the World Junior Championships in Taiwan yesterday.

Zulfadli Zulkifli overcame a stuttering start to beat Lee Hong-je 17-21, 21-11, 21-14 for the first point before Nelson Heg Wei Keat-Teo Ee Yi clinched the winning point with a shaky 16-21, 21-18, 21-11 win over Choi Sol-kyu-Jun Bong-chan.

Sonia was estatic after the team’s breakthrough triumph. She was in the team that lost to China in the final two years ago.

“I am so happy I scored a point for Malaysia. The whole team was jumping for joy. Everyone did their best for the team,” said a delighted Sonia.

“I was not expected to deliver a point but I performed quite well and adopted the right strategy against the Korean. The opening game was quite tight but I kept my cool and kept psyching myself to be focused on the game.

“This gold medal effort is my best in my junior career. Now, I hope to go as far as possible in the individual event.”

The individual event begins today.

Malaysia’s junior programme coordinator Hau Kim Tho was extremely pleased with their success, although it was won in the absence of defending champions China.

China withdrew from the world junior meet without giving any reasons, although it may have to do with politics.

“Our junior team have landed their first-ever mixed team title. I am proud of their achievement,” said Kim Tho.

“This time, we had a balanced team. Even if China had taken part, our team would have given them a tough time. In the Asian juniors, the same team gave China a run for their money in the final before bowing out.

“I am happy for Sonia for finally coming good. South Korea fielded their second ranked singles player but Sonia did not take her opponent lightly and she did well to win.”

Now that Malaysia have achieved one of their targets, Kim Tho hoped they would continue with their good showing in the individual event.

“We won the boys’ doubles last year (in Mexico through Ow Yao Han-Yew Hong Kheng) and we hope that our boys will keep up the good tradition.

“We also have a fighting chance in the boys’ singles and, hopefully, we will return home from Taiwan with more than one gold medal,” said Kim Tho.

Source: Thestar