"Tidak ada perlawanan yang mudah bagi saya". Demikian luahan pemain perseorangan negara, Datuk Lee Chong Wei, menjelang pertemuannya dengan pemain Taiwan, Chou Tien Chen, dalam aksi separuh akhir Kejohanan Seluruh England 2017, awal pagi esok.
Chong Wei sebelum ini dijangka bertemu dengan pemain dari China, Chen Long, di peringkat separuh akhir.
Bagaimanapun, pemain China itu dikejutkan lawan dari Thailand, Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk, dalam pertemuan suku akhir lalu menyaksikan laluan Chong Wei kelihatan mudah untuk berdepan Tien Chen yang menyingkirkan Tanongsak untuk turut menempah slot ke separuh akhir.
Begitupun, pemain nombor satu dunia itu tetap mengambil serius pertemuannya dengan Tien Chen dan tidak memandang rendah kemampuan lawannya itu.
"Pertemuan nanti bukan mudah kerana dia (Tien Chen) berjaya menewaskan juara Sukan Olimpik (Chen Long).
"Saya tidak boleh pandang rendah pencabar saya.
"Saya akan cuba memberikan aksi terbaik nanti," katanya.
Satu lagi wakil negara yang turut bersaing di peringkat suku akhir adalah pasangan beregu campuran negara, Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying.
Menanti mereka di peringkat seterusnya adalah Yuta Watanabe-Arisa Higashino.
Berdasarkan persembahan mereka dalam suku akhir, Peng Soon-Liu Ying yakin mereka mampu mengulangi perkara sama apabila bertemu gandingan Jepun itu nanti.
"Peluang kami tetap ada.
"Yang penting, kami melaksanakan apa yang sepatutnya kami lakukan.
"Kami perlu membuat persiapan dari segi analisis perlawanan dan bersedia secara fizikal," ujar Liu Ying.
Shaiful Shamsudin
Sat Mar 11 2017
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