LEE Chong Wei would have returned a relieved man despite yet another defeat to Lin Dan of China in the Korea Open on Sunday.

Never mind that the Malaysian missed out on the bumper winner's cheque for US$90,000 (RM275,000), as he knows only too well that his confidence, or rather the lack of it, separates the two.

It was crystal clear that Lin Dan has lost the physical advantage he held over Chong Wei and the supreme confidence, which helped him destroy the World No 1 with ease in previous meetings, is the only weapon remaining.

The lack of confidence was what prevented Chong Wei from going on the offensive on Sunday for a straight games win.

It is hard to blame him as the Olympic champion's reputation and 15 previous defeats which Chong Wei had suffered in 22 matches must have shaken his confidence.

However, Chong Wei must take the bold step as cracks have appeared in Lin Dan's game, not to mention that his body has also suffered due to injuries.

Lin Dan's body language in Sunday's final showed he was quite fortunate to walk away with the title and will know that Chong Wei will come hard at him the next time they meet.

The absence of his coach Misbun Sidek may have left Chong Wei without some important advice but the latter must start learning to play without Misbun on the sidelines and with the same confidence he displayed in the earlier rounds of the Korea Open, the World Super Series Masters Finals in Taipei and the recent Malaysia Open.

If Chong Wei believes more in himself and remains injury-free, the World Championships at the Wembley Arena in London in August and the 2012 Olympics, which will be staged at the same venue, will be his for the taking.

Even BA of Malaysia (BAM) president Dauk Seri Nadzmi Salleh believes this.

"Chong Wei is a special talent and he is our best chance for gold in the 2012 Olympics. If he misses, we don't know how long it will take to produce another player like him," said Nadzmi.

"The coach (Misbun) and BAM can only help Chong Wei to a certain extent but it is his own mental toughness and the character of a champion that will help him go the extra mile.

"Lin Dan has proved time and again he has that and in the final, he overcame Chong Wei because he had that little extra and the second wind that champions normally have.

Chong Wei must cultivate that and he can beat Lin Dan."

Meanwhile, men's doubles Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong are back to square one and not only do they need to improve on their tactics, but also repair their fragile defence and be more aggressive if they hope to regain their confidence.

Their physical condition may also need to be looked at and one wonders if it would be better if Kien Keat just focused on the men's doubles and stopped playing mixed doubles.

National doubles coach Rexy Mainaky must find a way to help the pair regain their confidence and it would not hurt if the coach sought the assistance of back-up coach Tan Kim Her, who may just have some new ideas.

THE Super League resumes today and apart from the East Coast derby between Kelantan and Terengganu, the focus will be on Kangar where Perlis receive defending champions Selangor.

The East Coast match-up is one of the classics of the league and today's encounter should be a cracker as Kelantan will want to establish themselves as title contenders after winning their first ever Charity Shield last weekend.

Kelantan have a good record at home over Terengganu and last year's Malaysia Cup champions are likely to notch their second successive league victory in Kota Baru.

Kelantan coach Datuk M. Karathu said his players are psyched up for the match against their neighbours.

"Matches against Terengganu have always been tough due to the fierce rivalry between the two East Coast sides," said Karathu in Kota Baru yesterday.

"It is important that my boys don't get carried away with their win over Selangor in the Charity Shield. I want them to focus on this match."

Kelantan, who lost five key players and coach B. Sathianathan before the start of the league, surprised the football fraternity by beating Selangor 2-0 to lift the Charity Shield last Saturday.

"It will be our first match in Kota Baru this season and we want to collect all three points in front of our fans. But I don't want them to be overconfident as Terengganu are a talented team," added Karathu.

Selangor will also be hoping to erase their bitter defeat to Kelantan by getting the better of Perlis. Coach K. Devan said his players are aware of the implications if they fail a second time.

"My players did not perform especially those who represented the country in the AFF Cup. It's time for them to forget paradise and get back to reality. They need to re-focus on Selangor's campaign this season," Devan said.

Asraruddin Putra Omar, Razman Roslan (defenders), Safiq Rahim, Amri Yahyah, Amirulhadi Zainal (midfielders) and striker Safee Sali, who are all national players, have pledged to reproduce their AFF Cup form to help Selangor win today.

Meanwhile, Young Tigers 'A', who are using the Super League to prepare for the Olympic Qualifiers and Sea Games, need to focus if they hope to secure a favourable result against Pahang at Shah Alam Stadium today.

Last weekend, the Under-21 team produced a fine performance against Negri Sembilan but were denied points by a late goal.

Coach Ong Kim Swee said his team need a victory to put them back in the right frame for international assignments.

"I want them to focus on their game. It is useless if they play well and then lose the game because of a few mistakes. I want them to concentrate on playing football until the final whistle," said Kim Swee.

Newly promoted sides Felda United and Sabah, who each earned a point last weekend, face Kedah and Kuala Lumpur respectively.

Felda, coached by E. Elavarasan, are the team to watch this season as they have many of experienced players in their squad.

Sabah are also on a high after a morale boosting 0-0 draw with Terengganu last weekend but they hope to do better in Cheras today.