A FREAKY match was how one fan described the London Olympics quarter-final between Lee Chong Wei and P. Kashyap but what matters is that the Malaysian won and today at the Wembley Arena, he takes on China's Chen Long.
It will be, Chong Wei said, a tough semi-final but one that will see him giving his best to ensure a second successive Olympics final appearance.Neither was the Malaysian too worried about his performance against Kashyap, which he attributed to a case of wanting to win too badly.
Chong Wei won 21-19, 21-11 while Chen Long was a 21-16, 21-13 victor over Denmark's Peter Gade on the adjacent court.
"There is no point dwelling on the first game as I realised my mistakes and made the necessary changes in the second game," said Chong Wei after his 44-minute win.
"After three matches, I believe I am at 80 per cent in terms of readiness but I have to make do with that and face Chen Long. Chen Long will be a different challenge but one that I have to face and I will do my best to make the final."
Coach Tey Seu Bock said Chong Wei's mistake in the first game was following Kashyap's rhythm.
"Once he realised that, he changed his game in the second and was an easy winner in the end," said Seu Bock.
Kashyap -- aided to a large extent by Chong Wei's errors -- fought hard in the first game.
Chong Wei took the first point but the Indian then raced to a 5-1 lead and it was a lead Kashyap only relinquished when Chong Wei held matchpoint at 20-19.
Chong Wei's game was littered by unforced errors at the net and the baseline and the Indian -- who had a 0-2 record going into the match, must have entertained thoughts of an upset.
But Chong Wei's class came through when it mattered and once he held matchpoint, victory was sealed at the first time of asking.
Kashyap faced a different Chong Wei in the second as the Malaysian, who celebrated his come-from-behind win in the first game with a fist pump, was in full control in the second as he went into the break leading 11-6.
Chong Wei didn't look back after the break and at 20-10, held 10 match points of which Kashyap could only save one as the Malaysian sealed his last four berth.
Now, he has to ensure that he will be in the final, and not the bronze playoff, on Sunday.
0 comments:
Post a Comment