Chong Wei in action in yesterday’s final.
KUCHING: National coach Hendrawan said Datuk Lee Chong Wei’s training programme will be tailored to sustain his career with the World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland in August as the main target this year.
He said this after the 34-year-old Chong Wei lost 19-21, 14-21 to Lin Dan of China in the Malaysian Open final at Sarawak Indoor Stadium yesterday.
Hendrawan pointed that the first set is always important in a match as whoever wins it will place greater pressure on the opponent.
“In the second set I felt that it was difficult for Chong Wei to win as he had fallen into Lin Dan’s game plan. I foresee that the only way Chong Wei could win against Lin Dan is that he has to play more on offensive,” he added in a press conference after the match.
“We’ve to accept Chong Wei’s loss as Lin Dan was more effective today as he had better control of the court …. Whenever it comes to crucial point moments, Lin Dan would start playing at the net, similar to game play of the other China’s shuttler (Chen Long).
“We can always learn from this defeat. During training, Chong Wei and I will discuss on ways to improve, if I have an idea, he will try and get back to me whether it is possible for him to proceed with the programme or not. We’ll work it out.
Among the upcoming tournaments for Chong Wei are the Sudirman Cup and the Indonesia Open.