KUALA LUMPUR: The second round of the All England yesterday turned out to be a good day at the office for the big guns of Malaysian badminton.
Except for mixed doubles duo Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, the Olympic-bound Malaysian shuttlers advanced to the quarter-finals of the prestigious All England.
In the men's singles, former All England champion Lee Zii Jia outclassed Singapore's former world champion Loh Kean Yew 21-15, 21-12 in the last 16,
Despite his inconsistency of late, Zii Jia proved once again that he could still step up a gear in Birmingham.
The 26-year-old is to meet 2022 Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen of India later tonight.
Meanwhile in the men's doubles, world No. 5 Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik avoided an embarrassing slip-up when they eked out a narrow 21-18, 24-22 win over Taiwan's Chang Ko Chi-Po Li Wei.
Admitting they were still far from their best, the former world champions were glad to be back in the later stages of the tournament, following their quarter-final appearance in 2020.
The highlight of the day came in the women's doubles when Pearly Tan-M.Thinaah finally broke the duck against world No. 1 Chen Qing Chen-Jia Yi Fan of China.
World No. 15 Pearly-Thinaah upset the four-time world champions in straight games, 22-20, 21-16.
While the Malaysian duo played down the significance of their victory as Yi Fan was suffering from an injury, a win is still a win.
The sensational win was also the perfect birthday gift for Pearly who turned 24 yesterday.
Asked about their preparations for the Paris Olympics, Pearly told the Badminton World Federation: "I'm still training hard to build on my physical strength to avoid injuries.
"Preparations for the Olympics have been going well, and a win like this definitely serves as a huge confidence booster."
In the quarter-finals, Pearly-Thinaah wiill face Japan's Rena Miyaura-Ayako Sakuramoto.
However, there was nothing to cheer about in the mixed doubles as all three Malaysian pairs, including Tang Jie-Ee Wei, fell by the wayside.
Olympic-bound Tang Jie-Ee Wei, after a sensational first-round win over Thailand's Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai, lost 17-21, 21-19, 21-16 to Dutch pair Robin Tabeling-Selena Piek.
The other two Malaysian pairs who faltered were independents Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai and Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing.
Soon Huat-Shevon were outclassed 21-12, 21-5 by China's Feng Yan Zhe-Huang Dong Ping, while Kian Meng-Pei Jing lost 21-17, 21-11 to Hong Kong's Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet.