"Mr. Enigma" Tersingkir!

Upset!
Itulah perkataan yang mula bermain di fikiran saya selepas selesai "match" mlm tadi apabila wakil veteren negara, Wong Choon Han berjaya menunjukkan jalan keluar buat wakil indonesia yang juga juara bertahan, Taufik Hidayat. Choon Han menang bergaya "straight set" 21-19, 21-16.

Walaupun tidak diletakkan harapan yang tinggi untuk Choon Han menundukkan Taufik, mungkin permainan Taufik yang jelas menurun di kala ini memberikan kelebihan kpd Choon Han menguasai permainan.

Di set pertama, Taufik atau pun "Mr. Enigma" (my bro panggil), jelas lesu dengan Choon Han banyak mendapat mata dengan mudah. Di set kedua, juga serba tidak menjadi buat Taufik dengan dia mudah melakukan kesilapan memberikan Choon Han mata demi mata.


Taufik yang dilaporkan terkena demam denggi sebelum terbang ke Beijing, dan mungkin itu sedikit sebanyak menjejaskan persiapannya. Buat Choon Han, luka 4 tahun lalu di Athens sedikit sebanyak terubat.

Mungkin ini Olimpik yang terakhir buat Choon Han sebelum mengantung raketnya. Di peringkat "Round of 16" nanti , Choon Han akan bertemu wakil tuan rumah Chen-Jin.


[ ENGLISH SECTION ]

SEASONED campaigner Wong Choong Hann ended Indonesian Taufik Hidayat's reign as the Olympic champion with a superb 21-19, 21-16 win in a second round match at the Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium last night.

The 31-year-old appeared to be the fitter of the two last night and went on the offensive from the start. After winning a tight first game, a psyched up Choong Hann led all the way to seal victory in straight games.

Taufik, who had just recovered from dengue fever, was not too disappointed that he was dethroned as the Olympic champion.

But a win is still a win and what made it sweeter for Choong Hann was that he avenged his defeat by the Indonesian in the second round at the last Olympics in Athens in 2004.

Choong Hann, playing in his final Olympics, now has a clear run into the quarter-final where he will face China's Chen Jin.