KOREA OPEN 2008 PREVIEW

The Korea Open has had a patchy record of reliably indicating Olympic Gold, having got it right for women’s singles and doubles in 2004, none in 2000, women’s singles and men’s doubles in 1996, and men’s and women’s doubles the first time around, in 1992, when both events were in their infancy.

All the defending champions have returned except Huang Sui, who has retired from competition, thus leaving Gao Ling to partner Zhao Tingting. The field includes the current world number ones in all but men’s doubles who surely must start off as favourites.

You Again?

Taufik Hidayat (pictured) has now booked a second rendevous with Park Sung Hwan in first rounds during January 2008. The Indonesian has not lost in their four meetings but back-to-back encounters across the space of a week does nothing to disadvantage the Korean. Park could go forth with the mindset that the first one was practice, and the second time is for real. Park will know better than to count on the crowd for support, however, as he will not have forgotten his loss to Bao Chunlai in the first round a year ago in front of near-empty, silent stands.

Will Taufik be hot in Malaysia and cold in Korea? He has yet to reach the podium at the Korea Open and his only ever win in Korea came at the 2002 Busan Asian Games. In the interest of Olympic qualification, Taufik found he had to participate in more tournaments than he normally would in 2007 and coincidentally his genius failed to fully surface. Considering his stated intention to retire this year, it will be interesting to see if he decides to cut the strategy and make regaining his rhythm a priority.

Lin Dan's Super Series debut in 2008 is against none other than Boonsak Ponsana. The Thai will no doubt be eager to start the year off with another upset of the World #1 like the one he pulled off in Singapore last year en route to clinching his own Super Series title, that being their last encounter.

Malaysia’s draw woes flow on. It's a shame popular Malaysian players Wong Choong Hann and Lee Tsuen Seng will meet each other in the first round. The two veterans still posess pure talent in spades and one wishes success to both but, alas, there can only be one on this occasion. Lee Tsuen Seng may well fancy his chances in Seoul should he meet Bao Chunlai in the second round. Lee came very close to winning their last encounter at the Worlds in a match strewn with left handed crosscourt shots that was a pleasure to behold.

Two more Lees should meet in the second round: Chong Wei and Hyun Il that is, in one of several battles of former world number ones.