Koo Kien Keat – Tan Boon Heong should reach into semi-final at India Open, says coach Tan Kim Her
Malaysia’s Doubles coach Tan Kim Her wants Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong to perform well and at least reach into semi-final of the upcoming event of India Open Super Series 2012, which is set to take place from April 24-29 in India.
Since January 2010, the World Number 8 Tan Boon and Kien Keat could not win any major title and have been struggling hard to find a good flow.
Now, Kim Her wants them to deliver good results as it is Olympic year and there is not much time left in this mega event.
The coach wants them to find their winning form back before the London Olympics and has set a semi-final target for them in the upcoming India Open.
Kim Her said, "We didn't want to put Kien Keat-Boon Heong under pressure earlier but they have to start improving on their results. This is why I set them a semi-final target for the India Open. It is crucial they show progress if they want to peak in the
Olympics."
Now Kim Her wants them to prove their worth by playing flawless badminton and find their rhythm back as Olympics is not far away.
He said, "The Olympics is just three months away and this is the time for them to get quality results. It will be tough for them in London if they struggle in the preliminary rounds of their remaining tournaments."
In the first round of India Open, Tan Boon and Kien Keat will play against England’s top shuttler Andrew Ellis and Chris Adcock.
If they pass their opening round hurdle, their next opponents are expected to be Qiu Zihan and Liu Xiaolong of China.
Tan Boon and Kien Keat are expected to face Guo Zhendong and Chai Biao of China at the quarter-final stage if they cross the hurdles in opening round of India Open.
Victory in the quarter-final will push them into semi-final where they will face Korea’s top shuttlers Jung Jae Sung and Lee Yong Dae.
However, the coach appreciated their performance in the qualifying round of Thomas Cup Finals and also said that they have been working well in training sessions for the last few weeks and are expected to deliver well in India Open.
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