China favorites for another Sudirman Cup win

时间：2007-06-11 00:20:39

（单词翻译:单击）

Glasgow - China has won the Sudirman Cup five times and it is difficult to look beyond the reigning1 champions delivering again when the tenth staging of the world team championship takes places at Scotstoun in Glasgow from Monday.

World Champion Lin Dan and Olympic Champion Zhang Ning are both the current world No1s in singles, while all-round doubles expert Gao Ling emphasises the strength in depth of a country that already held the Thomas and Uber Cup before claiming the Sudirman in Beijing two years ago.

It was the first time that all three trophies2 were in the same hands.

China opens the campaign on Monday evening against Thailand, whose strongest hope of an upset will be from world No.3 mixed doubles pair of Sudket Prapakamol and Saralee Thoungkongkam, and also share Group 1A with England and Malaysia.

Group 1B throws up an interesting first day encounter between South Korea, the three-time former winners, and the beaten finalists from two years ago, Indonesia. The winners will have high hopes of going on to reach the final.

The South Koreans, three-time former winners, are struggling to find a top-class singles player. Park Sung Hwan is the highest man at No.17 in the latest world rankings, while Hwang Hye Youn is the leading woman at No.15.

Indonesia were the first winners 18 years ago and have Olympic Champion Taufik Hidayat in the men`s singles and can also call on doubles stars Nova Widianto, Natsir Lilyana and Flande Limpele.

The Indonesians have sent a huge squad3 to Glasgow, but strength in depth could still be a problem for the hopes of taking the title for a coveted4 second time. Denmark, former semi-finalists and Hong Kong are the other teams in Group 1B.

Malaysia are a fast improving badminton nation, although maybe not quickly enough to do damage this week. But, having earned promotion5 from Group 2 two years ago, consolidation6 of a place among the top flight will be the goal.

The Danes and the English, who will have a strong support, carry European hopes, and either side would be delighted to go home with a bronze medal.

The ever-reliable Peter Gade heads the Danish line-up, while leading lady Tine Rasmussen will be hoping for better fortune than at the Sudirman Cup in China two years ago when she suffered a ruptured7 Achilles tendon and is only now fighting back to full fitness8.

England`s world champions, Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms, will be strong in the mixed doubles, but lack of a top-class singles player will dent9 hopes of climbing higher than the fifth place in Beijing.

Li Yongbo, China`s head coach, steered10 the team to victory in a final against South Korea ten years ago, and he expects to be lifting the Cup again next Sunday. "The strength of the teams is similar to the last time we were here at Scotstoun in 1997," he said.

"Malaysia have improved the most, while Indonesia is strong in men`s singles and the mixed. But they are still not strong enough overall. South Korea are quite strong in doubles, but the Danish team is too old."

China meet England in the second group match on Tuesday and complete the round-robin stage against Malaysia on Thursday, AFP reported.


Group 1A schedule:

Monday (18.30 local time): China v Thailand; Malaysia v England

Tuesday (18.30): Malaysia v Thailand; England v China

Thursday (09.30): China v Malaysia (13.30) England v Thailand


Group 1B schedule:

Monday (18.30): Denmark v Hong Kong; Korea v Indonesia

Tuesday (13.30): Denmark v Indonesia; Korea v Hong Kong

Wednesday (13.30): Indonesia v Hong Kong; (18.30) Denmark v Korea


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 reigning nkLzRp     
adj.统治的，起支配作用的
参考例句：
  • The sky was dark, stars were twinkling high above, night was reigning, and everything was sunk in silken silence. 天很黑，星很繁，夜阑人静。
  • Led by Huang Chao, they brought down the reigning house after 300 years' rule. 在黄巢的带领下，他们推翻了统治了三百年的王朝。
2 trophies e5e690ffd5b76ced5606f229288652f6     
n.（为竞赛获胜者颁发的）奖品( trophy的名词复数 )；奖杯；（尤指狩猎或战争中获得的）纪念品；（用于比赛或赛跑名称）奖
参考例句：
  • His football trophies were prominently displayed in the kitchen. 他的足球奖杯陈列在厨房里显眼的位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The hunter kept the lion's skin and head as trophies. 这猎人保存狮子的皮和头作为纪念品。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
3 squad 4G1zq     
n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组
参考例句：
  • The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
  • A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。
4 coveted 3debb66491eb049112465dc3389cfdca     
adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图
参考例句：
  • He had long coveted the chance to work with a famous musician. 他一直渴望有机会与著名音乐家一起工作。
  • Ther other boys coveted his new bat. 其他的男孩都想得到他的新球棒。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 promotion eRLxn     
n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传
参考例句：
  • The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
  • The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。
6 consolidation 4YuyW     
n.合并,巩固
参考例句：
  • The denser population necessitates closer consolidation both for internal and external action. 住得日益稠密的居民，对内和对外都不得不更紧密地团结起来。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
  • The state ensures the consolidation and growth of the state economy. 国家保障国营经济的巩固和发展。 来自汉英非文学 - 中国宪法
7 ruptured 077b042156149d8d522b697413b3801c     
v.（使）破裂( rupture的过去式和过去分词 )；（使体内组织等）断裂；使（友好关系）破裂；使绝交
参考例句：
  • They reported that the pipeline had ruptured. 他们报告说管道已经破裂了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The wall through Berlin was finally ruptured, prefiguring the reunification of Germany. 柏林墙终于倒塌了，预示着德国的重新统一。 来自辞典例句
8 fitness Xjpxr     
n.适合，适当，健康，健身
参考例句：
  • They're doing exercises to improve their fitness.他们为增强体质而做体操。
  • No one questions her fitness for the job.没人怀疑她能胜任这项工作。
9 dent Bmcz9     
n.凹痕，凹坑；初步进展
参考例句：
  • I don't know how it came about but I've got a dent in the rear of my car.我不知道是怎么回事，但我的汽车后部有了一个凹痕。
  • That dent is not big enough to be worth hammering out.那个凹陷不大，用不着把它锤平。
10 steered dee52ce2903883456c9b7a7f258660e5     
v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导
参考例句：
  • He steered the boat into the harbour. 他把船开进港。
  • The freighter steered out of Santiago Bay that evening. 那天晚上货轮驶出了圣地亚哥湾。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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