KOO Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong stayed in the hunt for a place in the Super Series Masters Finals when they advanced to the second round of the Hong Kong Open yesterday when several other national pairs also impressed.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong did well to beat Indonesia’s dangerous combination of Muhamad Ahsan- Bona Septano 21-11, 21-16 in just 27 minutes.

They next play England’s Chris Adcock-Robert Blair, who beat Taiwan’s Chen Hung Ling-Lin Yu Lang 21-19, 24-22, in the second round today.

The Malaysian pair must at least reach the semi-finals in Hong Kong to qualify for the Super Series Finals which will be held in Kota Kinabalu on Dec 18-21.

Zakry Latif-Fairuzizuan Tazari had to work hard for a 24-22, 21-19 win over South Koreans Kim Ki Jung-Ko Sung Hyun, and will next play compatriots Chan Peng Soon-Lim Khim Wah, who outlasted Japan’s Noriyasu Hirata- Takatoshi Kurose 21-17, 21-17, today.
Veterans Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah secured an impressive 21-17, 21-16 win over China’s He Hanbin-Sun Junjie to set up a second round meeting against Olympic champions Markis Kido- Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia.

Markis-Hendra had their customary struggle in the first round before coming back to edge Malaysia’s Hong Chien Hun-Ng Kean Kok 18-21, 21-17, 21-18 but will definitely get more steady as the tournament progresses.

Young pair Razif Latif-Tan Wee Kiong also impressed with a 21-13, 19-21, 21-18 win over Fang Chieh Min-Lee Sheng Mu of Taiwan and will meet Korea’s Cho Gun Woo-Yoo Yeon Seong next.

In the women’s doubles, second seeds Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui open their campaign with a second round match against England’s Jenny Wallwork-Gabrielle White today.

Haw ChiouHwee-Lim Pek Siah, attached to KLRC Bhd, are through to the quarter-finals when their second round opponents Miyuki Maeda-Satoko Suetsuna of Japan withdrew from competition. Chiou Hwee-Pek Siah beat the Indian-Canadian
pairing of Saina Nehwal-Anna Rice 21-16, 21-11 in a first round tie yesterday.