Datuk Lee Chong Wei marched into the men’s singles quarter-finals with a smooth 21-11, 21-12 win over Ireland’s Scott Evans in a third round match in the World Championships at the Ballerup Super Arena in Copenhagen in the wee hours of Friday.
In the process Chong Wei took his head to head count to 5-0 against Irishman who is the first player from Ireland to have competed in the Olympics when he played in London in 2012. The Malaysian took the first set in 16 minutes and the match in 36 minutes.
The two-time silver medallist is gunning for his first world title but Chong Wei has to be wary of China’s Wang Zhengming – his quarter-final opponent. Zhengming made shortwork of Hong Kong’s Nan Wei in his third round match with a 21-15, 21-18 win.
Meanwhile in the women’s singles Japan’s Minatsu Mitani pulled off the biggest upset in Copenhagen when she bundled out defending champion and fourth seed Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand in a remarkable turnaround after losing the first set tamely.The 16th seeded Japanese staged a magnificent fightback for a 8-21, 21-12, 21-18 win to earn a quarter-final match against fifth seed Sung Ji Hyun of South Korea who won 21-10, 21-16 against Indonesia’s Lindaweni Fanetri.
Top seed Li Xuerui of China was hardly stretched by compatriot Li Han in her 21-9, 21-17 win in her third round match..
India will have two representatives in the quarter-finals when eighth seed Saina Nehwal came back from a set down to beat a gritty Sayaka Takahashi of Japan 14-21, 21-18, 21-12 in a 65 minute thriller.
Compatriot P.V. Shindu had to stay even longer on the court – 75 minutes – before getting past Korea’s Bae Yeon Ju 19-21, 22-20, 25-23.
Selected Results Third Round
Men
Singles
Datuk Lee Chong Wei (Mas) beat Scott Evans (Ire) 21-11, 21-12
Wang Zhengming (Chn) beat Nan Wei (Hkg) 21-15, 21-18
Women
Singles
Saina Nehwal (Ind) beat Sayaka Takahashi (Jpn) 14-21, 21-18, 21-12
Minatsu Mitani (Jpn) beat Ratchanok Intanon (Tha) 8-21, 21-12, 21-18
Li Xuerui (Chn) beat Han Li (Chn) 21-19, 21-17
Sung Ji Hyun (Kor) beat Lindaweni Fanetri (Ina) 21-10, 21-16
P.V. Sindhu (Ind) beat Bae Yeon Ju (Kor) 19-21, 22-20, 25-23
