SINGAPORE: National number one men’s doubles pair, Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong will spearhead Malaysia’s challenge in the second round of the Singapore Open badminton tournament after almost blowing their chances here last night.
They will join independent player, Zulfadli Zulkifli and another men’s doubles, Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi, who had qualified much earlier today.
V Shem-Wee Kiong lost the first set 20-22 to Taiwanese pair Lee Sheng Mu-Tsai Chia Hsin although they led 19-15 but managed to drag the match to the rubbber set by winning 21-15 in the second set.
The national pair were leading 17-10 and 19-14 in the rubber game when a lapse of concentration allowed their opponents to close the gap 20-18. They finally won in 21-18 in 52 minutes.
They will next meet scratch pair, Tan Boon Heong-Hendra Setiawan (MAS/INA), who defeated Kittinupong Kedren-Dechapol Puavaranukroh of Thailand 21-14, 21-19 in 29 minutes in their first round match.
Zulfadli, the 2011 world junior champion, marched to the men’s singles second round by taming Taiwanese, Hsu Jen Hao 21-13, 21-14 in 47 minutes.
In his second round match, Zulfadli will meet Vincent Wong of Hong Kong who created an upset by defeating third seeded and world number two, Viktor Axelsen of Denmark 21-15, 21-15.
Yew Sin-Ee Yi took only 30 minutes to book their place in the men’s doubles second round after defeating Indian pair, Arjun M.R.-Ramchandran Shlok 21-17, 21-17.
However, Yew Sin-Ee Yi will face an uphill battle as they are scheduled to meet the current world number one from China, Li Junhui-Liu Yuchen tommorrow.
The Chinese pair booked their spot after defeating Mohammad Ahsan-Rian Agung Saputra of Indonesia 21-13, 21-15 in their first round match.
Malaysia’s women’s doubles challenge ended today after national number one pair, Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei were shown the exit by Hsu Ya Ching-Wu Ti Jun of Taiwan after losing 22-20, 18-21, 12-21.
They join compatriots Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean and Lim Yin Loo-Yap Cheng Wen who lost respectively to Anggia Shitta Awanda-Ni Ketut Mahadewi Istarani of Indonesia 19-21, 21-14, 20-22 and India’s Ashwini Ponnappa/Reddy N. Sikki 19-21, 19-21.
Goh Jin Wei, Malaysia’s lone representative in the women singles, also faced the same fate although she gave a good fight before losing to second seeded, Sung Ji Hyun from South Korea.
Jin Wei lost 16-21, 21-19, 13-21. --BERNAMA