Mew Choo back at happy hunting ground

2009/11/20

K.M. Boopathy

WONG Mew Choo's only success in the Super Series was in the 2007 China Open and she saved her best for the same event again when she toppled World No 1 Wang Yihan of China to reach the quarter-finals in Shanghai yesterday. The unseeded Mew Choo secured a 21-18, 21-17 win in 36 minutes to set up a last eight showdown with China's back-up player Wang Shixian today.

Mew Choo was also unseeded in 2007 where she defeated three top players from China -- former world champion Zhu Lin, two-time Olympic champion Zhang Ning and the then World No 1 Xie Xingfang -- en route to the title in Guangzhou.

Mew Choo is the only player who is not from China who made the quarter-finals yesterday as China dominated and have seven quarterfinalists. In the men's singles, Wong Choong Hann's run was ended by South Korean Park Sung-hwan who registered a 21-23, 21-18, 21-13 win in 73 minutes.

Men's doubles Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong marched into the quarter-finals beating Denmark's Kasper Hendriksen-Anders Kristiansen 21-15, 21-18 in a 30-minute second round encounter.

The top-seeded Kien Keat-Boon Heong, who lost in the quarter-finals of the Hong Kong Open to compatriots Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah last week, will play Cho Gun Woo-Shin Baek Cheol of South Korea today.

Wong Mew Choo beat World No 1 Wang Yihan of China 21-18, 21-17 to reach the quarter-finals in Shanghai yesterday.

Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui were forced to work hard for their 21-13, 19-21, 21-14 win over Taiwan's Cheng Wen Hsing-Tsai Pei Ling in the second round of the women's doubles.

Their chances of advancing to the last four look good as they will meet another Taiwan pair Chien Yu Chin-Wang Pei Rong, who beat China Li Xuerui-Xia Jingyun 21-17 21-4, today.

Results, 2nd rd -- (Malaysia unless stated) Men's Singles Chen Jin (Chn) bt Hsieh Yu Hsing (Tai) 21-14, 21-5; Park Sung-hwan (Kor) bt Wong Choong Hann 21-23, 21-18, 21-13.

Doubles: Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong bt Kasper Hendriksen-Anders Kristiansen (Den) 21-15, 21-18.

Women's Singles: Wong Mew Choo bt Wang Yihan (Chn) 21-18, 21-17.

Doubles: Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui bt Cheng Wen Hsing-Tsai Pei Ling (Tai) 21-13, 19-21, 21-14; Chien Yu Chin-Wang Pei Rong (Tai) bt Li Xuerui-Xia Jingyun (Chn) 21-17 21-4.

Mixed Doubles: Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) bt Koo Kien Keat-Wong Pei Tty 21-16, 21-15.