Malaysian world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei faces a tough first test at this week’s Japan Open as he bids to recapture the title he won in 2007.
The top seed, runner-up last year, must beat in-form Boonsak Ponsana in the first round. The 11th-ranked Thai reached the final at the China Masters at the weekend, losing to home favorite Lin Dan.
Lee admitted he has been struggling with an unspecified knee problem he suffered before the China Masters.
“I still felt pains when I practised today but I prepared for the China Masters and Japan Open pretty well. I’m ready to do my best,” Lee said.
The winner of that match will take on either Hsieh Yu-hsing of Taiwan or Indonesia’s Simon Santoso before a probable third-round clash against defending champion Soni Dwi Kuncoro of Indonesia.
GOLD MEDALIST
A strong-looking top half of the draw also includes Athens Olympic gold medalist Taufik Hidayat, also of Indonesia, and last year’s Asian champion Park Sung-hwan of South Korea.
“I took part in this tournament many times but I’ve never won, although I finished runner-up before. It’s the jinx I want to bury. So this is the tournament I really want to win,” Hidayat said.
The withdrawal of world No. 2 Chen Jin of China leaves the bottom half of the draw wide open and boosts the chances of third seed Peter Gade of Denmark, who won the title in 1998 and 1999.
His main rivals are Tien Minh Nguyen of Vietnam, fellow Dane Joachim Persson and local hope Sho Sasaki.
“The Japan Open has always been one of my favorite tournaments. I don’t know how many Japan Opens I have left because of my age so I’d like to give my utmost best,” the 32-year-old Gade said.
“I know it’s going to be difficult, there are a lot of good players like Chong Wei and Taufik. But I know if I play my best I still have a chance to win,” he said.
WINNER
In the women’s competition, last year’s Super Series Masters Finals winner and top seed Zhou Mi of Hong Kong faces Adriyanti Firdasari of Indonesia in the first round.
China’s Wang Yihan, the in-form fourth seed who captured her first major title at the Japan Open last year and has won a clutch of titles this season, will be a threat to Zhou.
World No. 2 Wang Lin is expected to face tough early tests against Asian champion Zhu Lin in the second round, and then possibly France’s Chinese-born Pi Hongyan.
The 2007 champion Tine Rasmussen of Denmark and India’s Saina Nehwal are also tipped to do well.
Matches in the main draw start today and the tournament runs until Sunday.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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