ORLEANS, France: Just like their teammates playing in the All England, national men's pair Choong Hon Jian-Haikal Nazri also had to overcome fellow Malaysians to reach the second round of the Orleans Masters on Tuesday.
While Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik outplayed Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani to enter the second round of the All England, Hon Jian-Haikal made a winning comeback to competition by downing Lwi Sheng Hao-Jimmy Wong 21-16, 20-22, 21-11 in Orleans.
Hon Jian-Haikal, who captured back-to-back titles in India last year (Syed Modi International and Guwahati Masters), will play Denmark's William Kryger Boe-Christian Faust Kjaer for a place in the quarter-finals.
World No. 40 Hon Jian-Haikal had big plans coming into the new season, but an ankle injury to the latter put paid to their progress.