China confident, Denmark worries in Uber Cup chances

By Primastuti Handayani

KUALA LUMPUR (JP): Defending champion China is confident of taking home the Uber Cup for the seventh time regardless of its final match against Denmark at the Putra Indoor Stadium Saturday.

As stated by head coach Li Yongbo at the beginning of the championships, "We are very confident of winning the Uber Cup. There's no other team in the world can contest China."

Li has already claimed that the victory belongs to his team.

"Tomorrow will be a very tough and open match. I have prepared the team since the round-robin matches and the semifinals. The whole team is very confident of defending the trophy."

While on the opposite side, Denmark seemed pessimistic of winning its upcoming match.

Danish head coach Kenneth Larsen said: "Even playing with their second best team, China will win over us. We'll see what will happen tomorrow. We could win if we are extremely good on the day. But I think China has 95 percent of victory in their hands."

China has proved its domination in the Uber Cup by reaching the final every year since 1984. The country's shuttlers only failed to bring home the trophy in 1994 and 1996 bowing out to Indonesia.

In this championship, China lost only one game when Dai Yun was forced to a rubber set by Judith Meulendijks of the Netherlands in the round-robin match.

The one-game drop shocked Chinese press but Li said: "It happens in all matches. It's not a big deal."

Denmark had to fight very hard to beat Indonesia 4-1, Japan 3- 2 and Malaysia 4-1 in the round-robin.

Saturday's match will see world number one Camilla Martin have a tough opening match against Gong but she has a slight opportunity to avenge her defeat in the World Grand Prix Finals in December when she bowed out to Gong.

Martin said it would be difficult to overcome Gong, who has improved a lot in the last few months, since winning the All England title in March.

"Gong has played very good games in the last few months but I will take my chance. I will be realistic for tomorrow's match. To lead 1-0 against China will be very difficult, but it is very important for the team," said the girlfriend of world number one Peter Gade Christensen, who just received the Eddy Choong 1999 Player of the Year award.

The first doubles match will likely belong to Chinese Ge Fei and Gu Jun, world number one and world champions, as they have never lost to Danish world number five Rikke Olsen and Helene Kirkegaard in their 12 previous meetings.

"We have only a slight chance in the first doubles as Ge Fei and Gu Jun are very solid and it will be extremely difficult to beat them," Larsen said.

World number three Dai Yun will likely have no trouble to eliminate world number eight Mette Sorensen as the Chinese has never lost in their two meetings.

"I hope Mette Sorensen will be able to shake Dai," Larsen said. "But the score will likely be 3-1 to China."

However, Larsen is proud that his shuttlers managed to reach the final of the Uber Cup, after trying for 40 years since their last championship appearance in 1960.

"Their way to the final brings pride to European players as the last European country to reach the final was England in 1984. We will try our best to win the cup for the first time."