GUANGZHOU, Aug 7 — Ace shuttler Datuk Lee Chong Wei had to dig deep to overcome Indonesia’s rising star Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka 14-21, 21-18, 21-11 in a second-round match at the 2013 World Badminton Championships here today.
In an eagerly awaited clash at the Tianhe Gymnasium, featuring the world number one and the Indonesian upstart, Chong Wei lost the first set 14-21, largely owing to unforced errors.
Chong Wei pulled up his socks in the second, getting into his rhythm, thus reducing his mistakes, to win 21-18. Chong Wei moved into top gear in the third and easily disposed of the youngster 21-11 for his seventh straight victory over the Indonesian, who had pledged to upset the world number one.
The experienced Chong Wei, now 31, and still looking for his World Championships title, will face Wang Zhengming from China or Vladimir Ivanor of Russia in the third round tomorrow.
“I did not expect him (Hayom) to play so well today,” Chong Wei told reporters “Maybe I did not play to my ability because I made numerous mistakes in the first set.
:In the second set I was still finding it difficult to get the winning feeling. But once I managed to hold on for the win in the second game, I was more confident.
“Such a situation is also good to remind me that I should be prepared for the next match.”
Chong Wei said when playing against a higher-ranked player or a much older player, young players tend to raise their game to try and beat them, let alone facing the world number one.
“I know such initiatives because I was also in a similar situation when I was young. I had always wanted to beat a player who is ranked higher. That is why when we get older, we need to be mentally strong and good in strategy,” he said.
Chong Wei said he was still “hungry” to win the elusive World Championships title, since no one in Malaysia has managed to win a world title. — Bernama
