Pwned

Just watched Aviva Open on Chn 5. No, not at the indoor stadium but at home. I should have went but I didn't go. Kinda lazy and the trip isn't really worth it. (with training this afternoon plus like tommorow I got piano lesson). And I kinda like forget to buy the ticket. So kinda gonna give it a skip this year. Hopefully I will go next year. ANd im kinda broke so I don't want to go there and drool over all the new series shirts that they're gonna sell there.

*omgosh this post is gonna BORE* Read if only you THINK (keyword:think) you can understand what im saying here.

Yea. So first match I watched was Peter Gade against Chen Yu. Peter gade, (most likely the favourite in this remanding top 4 and last yr's winner of SG open as well.). Peter gade lost the first set but made a very amazing and thrilling comback of 25-23 in the 2nd set despite very unfavourable linecalls being made against him. Overall, he still lost to the China Chen yu. Nothing much to comment actually because both played very orthodox styles and Peter gade was the faster player. But chen yu was winning in terms of luck and consistency. (which sums up to form accuracy)

Then followed by women singles. Which was Zhang Ning (the chinese imbal "giraffe"). kinda a ubber, against Eriko Hirose.(jap). Aww man yesterday I was like checking the net for the SG open matchups and when I saw Eriko Hirose my heart was like melting. I was like OMGOSH, finally! the first time I saw her play was a match against Wong Mew Choo of Malaysia on the internet. Sadly, she isn't like a consistent nor high level player so don't really get much videos of her matches on the intenret and on the tv. and i really got sick of ALL CHINA HOGGING AFFAIRS in the semi-final/final. Eriko Hirose is just soooooo cute.

Yea I mean it. China players. Zhang ning looks like a witch, and xie xing fang looks overly LONG to me. (yea she's taller than Lin dan for heaven's sake..). and she isn't very pretty. though many will argue with me. Seriously there's nothing nice to watch in Women singles. the strokes are all ALOT slower compared to men's singles to the extent that the game itself is already DIFFERENT almost completely. so, being guys, most of the time, women singles is just to look at the girls only. I am being very honest. And Im sick of switching on the TV to find myself watching a women single's all china affair of zhang ning against xie xing fang which is soooo clique and.....

boring.

Yes. the correct word is boring. When it's a all "____" (random country) affair. it's boring because you know that no matter who wins, it's still that country's victory. nothing to hoohaa about. BUt back to the point. Eriko hirose....for some unknown reason, I just kinda like her. but it's like a small infatuation. Just too cute alrdy..

Last but not least. *actually the main point here*. is Ronald Susilo. total let down, big disappointment. He literally got PWNED by thailand's poonsak.

Susilo ah...susilo ah, last year lost at quarter this year at semi next year i go watch u in final okie?

the SINGAPOREAN crowd was the total letdown. I bet many nonbadminton players or watchers actually went down to support Ronald Susilo, and as the camera zoomed to see the audience's expressions, most SG showed the nonchalent and non-enthu look when susilo was losing by like 5 poiints.

Susilo was very very nervous. Everyone knows that. And to that extent that I think crowd support isn't helping him at all. Even though I strongly feel that the crowd support level when down by LOADS when Susilo was losing by a considerable margin. SG audience don't make good support. Where did all the Cheering training in Sec sch and JC go to.

Oh wait, those oldies, uncles and aunties and laymans were not trained in such things. People could sit there giving the "i cant be bothered look". Even at home, i was creating my very own aviva open atmopshere in my living room.

Badminton is a very complex sport. Once you don't play well, you can't play well. There's such thing as on form and off form. Susilo was probably off form. and his opponent just BEAT lindan (the world #1) in his last match. His probably burning in the fire of confidence or something.

True,Susilo made gross errors.(like framing the shuttle) YES. (i blame the court conditions for that). [earlier Chen yu totally swung his racket and MISS a net kill so even China national players make such blunders]. Susilo made 2-3 of such mistakes. and then he glared at the lights. (yes natural to do so, it's like 'hey look it's not my fault, it's the light that blinded me"). true. it's very true. such things do happen. don't stop cheering just because our national hero made such a blunder.

It wasn't only the fact that susilo didn't play well.

Poonsak was good. Too good maybe? Susilo's tactic was rather clear. He is mainly playing a lobbing game. and then suddenly attack. I don't really see susilo using much drops (though). unlike peter gade, taufik etc...

Susilo's smash isn't as sharp as Poonsak's one.

And poonsak's game was simply...overwhelming. His attack clears forced susilo into helpless situations whereby he had to give 3/4 lobs. (which was nailed down by smashes).

Overwhelming. Probably wrong matchups. Susilo was probably playing great the past few days ( i think..). but the first time it was shown on national tv, he screwed up.

No one's gonna think great about Singapore's badminton anymore (though I feel that badminton certainly has loads of hope more than other sports...). [think soccer, basketball etc..the list goes on for miles and miles]. at least we here have a semi-finalist and a Super Series 5 star competition right here on this tiny island. isn't that something to be proud of?