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Choong Hann stumbles in final

2009/08/31

FROM NST

WONG Choong Hann didn't get the fairytale ending he was hoping for in the Taiwan Open yesterday as his bid was thwarted by the on-form Nguyen Tien Minh of Vietnam.

Choong Hann, 32, looked a pale shadow of the player who beat former Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia in Saturday's semi-finals and could only put on token resistance against Tien Minh who won 21-11, 21-14.

It was Tien Minh's second title in as many months after having won the Thailand Open, his first career title, last month.

Tien Minh has been producing consistent results over the last three months during which time he also upstaged World No 1 Lee Chong Wei in the first round of the Singapore Open in June.

It was a second straight loss in a final for Choong Hann in yesterday’s Taiwan Open.

As for Choong Hann, now in the twilight of his playing career, it was a second straight loss in a final after having lost to Chong Wei in the Macau Open last week.

Choong Hann, playing in his third tournament in as many weeks, had little in reserve and his title chances were blown off course by the Vietnamese.

"I just couldn't recover in time from the semi-final against Taufik. I felt very tired and my initiative on court was just not enough to beat Tien Minh," said Choong Hann by telephone Taipei yesterday. "He (Tien Minh) played well and took advantage of my ineffectiveness."

Hosts Taiwan surprised by clinching the men's doubles title through Chen Hung Ling-Lin Yu Lang who beat Hong Kong's Johan Hadi Kusuma-Wong Wai Hong 14-21, 21-12, 21-19 while Cheng Shao Chieh secured the women's singles crown beating Bae Seung-hee of South Korea 17-21, 21-12, 21-15.

India also made a breakthrough by winning their first mixed doubles crown in a international grand prix tournament when V. Diju-Jwala Gutta defeated Indonesia's Hendra Gunawan-Vita Marissa 23-21, 21-18.