AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2014 QF – Job turns to joy

Tan Boon Heong looked comfortable and content reaching the semis at the Star Australian Open Superseries, in his now increasingly frequent partnership with Hoon Thien How.

By Aaron Wong, Badzine Correspondent live in Sydney.  Photos: Yves Lacroix for Badmintonphoto (live)

What’s your name?

Men’s doubles produced a straight games scorcher between Malaysia’s Hoon Thien How / Tan Boon Heong (pictured) and Cai Yun / Lu Kai of China. There appeared to be no particular front or back court default player in the Malaysian combination with both interchanging places. This adaptable teamwork was a significant differentiating factor along with the very different sort of smash production either man possesses.  Raining these down from side by side helped the Malaysians take the match 23-21, 21-16.

The Malaysians were far more complementary and instinctive together than their Chinese opponents. Tan was, surprisingly, a greater presence at the net area than Cai of China, thus showing off his versatility.

Tan commented about his rotating roster of partners this year, “Really the quality I seek in my doubles partner is teamwork.  Everything rests or falls on that aspect.”

Don’t be surprised if Malaysia’s Tan Boon Heong regains the world number 1 ranking or takes out a big title in men’s doubles soon. Where his play in the last couple of years had become mechanical, laboured, and fixed in a pattern like a 9-5 salary-man marching off to the office, now we witness the rejuvenated natural playfulness of his debut complete with wry smile at the end of his shots.

Mirror images

In men’s singles, the current Olympic and World Champion Lin Dan (pictured) of China had a slow start against Korea’s Son Wan Ho. Son was his characteristically steady and ready self that he has been all week, reaching the first interval letting Lin only earn half a dozen points.

There on Lin Dan, after words of advice from his coach, reduced the deficit and secured the first game 21-17. With Lin into the third phase of his career and having modified his style accordingly, at times it appeared to be mirror images playing each other. Both traversed the court economically with the difference being Son employed the lethal half smashes while Lin amazed the crowd intermittently with his southpaw signature swift wristy smash. To the delight of the crowd, Lin won the second game by producing more of the trademark dives and athleticism of his youth, 21-10. It didn’t matter that Lee Chong Wei is absent this year, Lin was illustrating the same amazing retrieval skills.

Click here for complete quarter-final results