KOO Kien Keat is not as fit as before and is slightly overweight but the skilful shuttler produced a class act as he and Tan Boon Heong reached the men’s doubles third round of the World Championships in Copenhagen yesterday.
The 29-year-old had quit the national team in March due to criticism from concerned parties over his poor form but his absence from competitions did not stop him from making a huge impression.
Formerly champions in the Asian Games and All England, Kien Keat-Boon Heong produced a breathtaking performance to ease past World No 7 Li Junhui-Liu Yuchen of China 21-14, 21-18 in 34 minutes.
The former World No 1 led 17-10 before closing the first game but the second was more complicated for the Malaysians.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong clawed back from 9-15 down to close out the match. The win also marked their first match together since the first round defeat in the Malaysian Open in January.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong, former World Championships finalists, are determined to go far in Copenhagen before parting ways permanently.
The 10th seeds face Taiwan’s sixth seeds Lee Sheng Mu-Tsai Chia Hsin in the third round today. It will be their third career meeting with the Taiwan pair for a spot in the quarter-finals.
If the Taiwanese beat Kien Keat-Boon Heong, they will be remembered for causing a sad ending to two Malaysian pairs. For they had yesterday beaten Goh V Shem-Lim Khim Wah, who were also making their final appearance as a pair.
V Shem and Khim Wah were forced to retire after the former complained of lower back pain when they were down 11-7 in the second game. Sheng Mu-Chia Hsin had won the first game 21-11.
V Shem will be reunited with his Glasgow Commonwealth Games partner Tan Wee Kiong, while Khim Wah starts a new journey with former world junior doubles champion Ow Yao Han.
However, V Shem’s Asian Games dream is now in jeopardy as the shuttler had noted that his injury is quite serious.
“I first felt some pain on the left side of my lower back during the Commonwealth Games but I played on.
“I thought I had recovered from it because I did not feel anything in the (Tuesday) first round match.
“But I felt some tightness in the second game (yesterday), so I felt it was better to retire as I did not want to aggravate the injury. I hope to recover in time for the Asian Games,” said V Shem yesterday.
Hoon Thien How Hoon and Tan Wee Kiong will be joining Kien Keat-Boon Heong in the third round after beating Lukasz Moren and Wojciech Szkudlarczyk from Poland 18-21, 21-14, 21-19.
In the women’s doubles, Indonesia’s Anggia Shitta Awanda-Della Destiara Haris upset top seeds Bao Yixin-Tang Jinhua of China 21-14, 21-18 to qualify for the third round but Malaysia’s Lim Yin Loo-Lee Meng Yean were ousted 21-7, 21-15 by Chinese duo Ying Luo and Yu Luo.
Third seed Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark eased past Finland’s Eetu Heino 21-9, 21-17 in the second round of the men’s singles while Commonwealth Games women’s singles champion Michelle Li of Canada edged 10th seed Porntip Buranaprasertsuk of Thailand 20-22, 21-18, 21-11 to qualify for the third round.