About Me ^~^: New worry for Chong Wei

YOUNG GUN: Chen Long will be a formidable force in World Championships

CHEN Long's message to Lee Chong Wei is clear -- he is a player capable of denying the Malaysian the world championships title in August.

China could even have two standing between Chong Wei and a first major title if Lin Dan, not seen competitively since winning his second Olympic gold in London last year, decides to make a comeback for a fifth world crown.

But Chong Wei's major concern now is Chen Long for the China player's emphatic win in Sunday's All England final was proof that he is ready to replace Lin Dan as his country's next big player.

The good news for Chong Wei, though, is that the defeat came early and he has five months to get himself prepared for another attempt at winning the world title.

Chen Long, at 24, is seven years younger than Chong Wei and he used his physical strength and endurance to devastating effect in Sunday's final.

But it was also apparent that Chong Wei was not his normal self and this could be more of a psychological problem as the Malaysian genuinely looked worried of Chen Long's threat.

The head-to-head going into the All England was 7-5 in favour of Chong Wei, an impressive record for Chen Long considering that the Malaysian, with the exception of Lin Dan, hardly loses to other players.

Chen Long's style of play is something which Chong Wei finds hard to counter and with the World Championships being held in Guangzhou, one can imagine the support China's rising star will have.

The good thing is that Chong Wei is a fighter and he will do his best to bounce back but the same can't be said about Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong.

Indications are that the BA of Malaysia will continue to persevere with the pair until the World Championships, where they are targeted to make the final, but it will be a major surprise if they even make the last eight.

The pair are past their prime and merely hoping, together with BAM, for a miracle to happen in the World Championships.

As it stands, Chong Wei is the only player with a genuine chance of winning Malaysia's first world title in Guangzhou but Chen Long's rise, added to the potential return of Lin Dan, means even that can't be taken for granted.

The situation will get worse once Chong Wei retires and can BAM claim it has an answer to Chen Long waiting to be unwrapped?