Taipei, Jan. 4 (CNA) World men's singles No. 1 Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia is eyeing his third straight singles title in the third edition of the season-end Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super Series Finals, which will be held Jan. 5-9 in Taipei.
Lee and Taiwan's "golden pair" of Chien Yu-chin and Cheng Wen-hsing, who rank No. 1 in the world in women's doubles, are among 59 athletes from 15 countries in the tournament that gathers the world's best eight men's and women's singles and doubles players, as well as mixed doubles players.
With total prize money of US$500,000 this year, the tourney is the climax of the 12-leg BWF Super Series circuit, which uses a separate points system known as the Super Series standing points. The standing is maintained after each Super Series tournament as a player/pair accumulates points as the competition progresses.
"I haven't been in Taiwan for four years. Hopefully I'll be able to play my best in every match and win the title for the third time," Lee said in a pre-tournament press conference Tuesday.
Lee, who lost to Chinese world no. 6 Lin Dan in the Guangzhou Asian Games last year, lamented Lin's absence from the tourney and his lack of a revenge opportunity, but said he will start focusing on earning points to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics.
Chien and Cheng hope to use the home court advantage to improve upon their bronze medal finish last year in the 2009 Super Series Finals in Malaysia. The tournament will be played at Sinjhuang Arena in New Taipei City for the first time this year.
Taiwan's Fang Chieh-min and Lee Sheng-mu will also be challenging for a podium finish for the first time in the men's doubles category.
Thirty-four-year-old Danish veteran Peter Gade, who ranks 4th in the Super Series men's singles standings, said he intends to use the tourney to regain his top form after returning from a back injury.
Eight players/pairs in each of the five categories -- men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles -- are split into two groups in the round robin preliminary round, with the top two finishers in each group advancing to a cross-over semifinal round. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J