The BWF World Super Series season is underway next week and the draw for the second in the Series, the Proton Malaysian Open 2010, was held in KL this week.
The draw commenced with the click of a button by the Group Managing Director of Proton, Dato HJ. Syed Zainal Abidin accompanied by Datuk HJ Al-Amin Majid, Vice President of Badminton Association of Malaysia and Thomas Lund, Chief Operating Officer of Badminton World Federation.
This on-line way of conducting the draw was fittingly appropriate in the high tech home of Proton, the Centre of Excellence, Shah Alam in this 25th anniversary year of the Company and the 15th year since their involvement in Badminton.
At the outset of proceedings Dato Syed Zainal said “Proton is glad to support Badminton activities, nurturing talent and enjoying seeing that talent mature to success with great players such as World Number One Lee Chong Wei”.
“I hope for surprising and exciting clashes in the draw and maybe there will be a repeat in the Final of Lee Chong Wei v Lin Dan that we had in 2006” he added.
The main draw first round immediately threw up a mouth watering Men’s Singles clash between former Olympic Champion Taufik Hidayat and exciting young Danish prospect and recent Copenhagen Masters Champion, Jan Jorgensen.
Malaysia’s great hope for the Men’s Singles title, Lee Chong Wei, is the top seed and he drew England’s Rajiv Ouseph in the first round, with the possibility of facing China’s former Yonex All England Champion Chen Jin in the Quarter final. Olympic Champion Lin Dan drew a qualifier in the first round and is seeded to meet Indonesia’s Sony Dwi Kunncoro in the Quarter Final.
In the Women’s Singles China’s top seed Yihan Wang was drawn against a qualifier while second seed Wang Lin faces home grown talent in the shape of Malaysia’s Lydia Li Ya Cheah. Denmark’s awesome Tine Rasmussen takes on Hong Kong’s Wang Chen and is likely to face India’s rising young star Saina Nehwal in the Quarter finals.
Malaysian top seeds Kean Keat Koo and Boon Heong Tan start their campaign with a main draw first round match against Indonesia’s Yonathan Suryatama Dasuki and Rian Sukmawan. They may have to overcome another more established Indonesian pair in the Semi-finals where they are seeded to meet Olympic Champions Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan. At the other end of the draw the formidable pairing of Sung Jung Jae and Lee Yong Dae from Korea will also face Indonesian opposition, Mohamed Ahsan and Bona Septano.
The Women’s Doubles draw throws up the possibility of an exciting semi-final clash between Malaysian stars and 3rd seeds Eei Hui Chin and Pei Tty Wong and the top seeds from China, Ma Jin and Wang Xiaoli but first they will have to get past Chinese Taipei hopefuls Chiang Hsin Kai and Hsieh Chen Pei.
Olympic Champions Lee Yong Dae and Lee Jung Hyo will be eager to launch their bid for the title with a first round clash against young Malaysian pair Jian Guo Ong and Sook Chin Chong, a possible encounter with the ever strong Indonesian duo of Hendra Aprida Gunawan and Vita Marissa representing a major obstacle to their title challenge in the Quarter finals. Double World Champions Nova Widianto and Lilliyana Natsir will be looking to make their way to the final starting against Korea pair Ko Hyun Sung and Ha Eun Jung.