Lee Chong Wei grants walkover to Mohd Arif Abdul Latif after a minor injury in Kedah Open
Malaysia’s best shuttler and currently World Number One, Lee Chong Wei, granted a walkover to Mohd Arif Abdul Latif in the Men’s Singles semi-final at the Kedah Open 2011, because of a minor back injury.
Doctors suggested Chong Wei to abstain from playing the match as it would aggravate the minor back injury, which can become severe if not taken care of properly.
Kedah Open is the second leg of the national circuit and Chong Wei has already qualified for the National Circuit Grand Finals by reaching the quarter-final stage of the proceeding event. The Malaysian decided to quit from playing in the tournament in order
to avoid a severe injury.
Chong Wei’s main target is to win the Men’s Singles title at the World Championships 2011, starting from August 8, in England. He wants to be injury free in the world meet, as he is expected to become the first Malaysian shuttler to win the title at the
World Championships.
While talking about the injury of Chong Wei, singles coach, Tey Seu Bock said, “It’s not a serious injury but we do not want Chong Wei to aggravate it.”
Chong Wei’s injury helped Arif Latif to play in the final of the Kedah Open, as he got a walkover from the top seed. Arif delivered a stunning performance by playing his best game in the Men’s Singles quarter-finals against Mohammad Hafiz Hashim, when he
defeated the senior player with a 9-21, 21-16 and 21-16 margin.
Arif said, “Chong Wei’s withdrawal is certainly a stroke of good fortune for me. Now, I am looking forward to winning the title.”
He further added, “I changed my style of play from defensive to offensive earlier this year. It is starting to bear fruit. My aim is to break into the world’s top 50 by the end of the year.”
In the Kedah Open final, Arif will take on Chan Kwong Beng, who crushed Tan Chun Seang in a straight-game semi-final match with the score of 21-18 and 21-19.
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