FOCUSED ON KUCHING
Chong Wei in right place after opting out of India Open
PULLING Lee Chong Wei out of the India Open that starts on Tuesday was the right decision, believes men’s singles coach Tey Seu Bock.
Chong Wei, who clinched his fourth All England crown earlier this month, is now fully focused on winning his 12th Malaysia Open title in Kuching on Apr 4-9.
“We made the right decision to pull him (Chong Wei) out of the India Open, because given his current condition, it would have been too hectic for him to play in back-to-back tournaments.
“Everyone knows how important the Malaysia Open is to Chong Wei and we want him to be at his best.
“Since returning from Birmingham, I can say that everything is going really smooth for him.
“Now that he is back here, he gets to train and undergo rehabilitation on his knee,” said Seu Bock when contacted.
Despite a reasonably comfortable draw, Seu Bock is not taking things lightly as he believes every top shuttler will be aiming for Chong Wei’s scalp — especially in front of his home fans.
“It may look easy on paper, but we cannot take things lightly.
“Firstly, it’s a Super Series Premier and all the top players are going to be here.
“Everyone will also be looking to defeat Chong Wei, especially since it’s his home tournament.
“Chong Wei cannot let his guard down. Every match is equally important.”
Other notable players in the top half of the draw are China’s reigning Olympic champion Chen Long, All England and Swiss Open runner-up Shi Yuqi and World No 6 Tian Houwei.
Five-time world champion Lin Dan, who has yet to win a Malaysia Open title, is in the bottom half alongside Denmark’s Jan Jorgensen and Viktor Axelsen.