Pebulu tangkis tunggal putra Malaysia Daren Liew mengembalikan kok ke arah lawan pebulu tangkis Korea Selatan Heo Kwanghee, pada babak pertama nomor perorangan Asian Games 2018 di Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Jumat (24/8). ANTARA FOTO/INASGOC/Puspa Perwitasari/tom/18.

It was a bad, bad day for Malaysian shuttlers at the Istora Senayan Stadium in Jakarta as medal prospects in the mixed doubles crashed out on a day when World Championships bronze medallist Daren Liew also made an early exit.

Daren was expected to go far in the Asian Games after his performance in the World meet in Nanjing and was duly added into the Asiad team. However, Daren put up a lethargic show in his three-game second round match against South Korean Heo Kwang-hee who prevailed 21-8, 20-22, 21-14.
 
Malaysia’s fight in the men’s singles is now left in the hands of Lee Zii Jia who defeated Pakistan’s Azeem Sarwar 21-13, 21-10.
 
However, it was the defeats of mixed doubles pairs that left the Malaysian badminton camp stunned. Both, Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying and Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie were blown away.
 
Rio Olympics silver medallists Peng Soon-Liu Ying just failed to deliver when it mattered at the crucial stages against Hong Kong’s Reginald Lee Chun Hei-Chou Hoi Wah. The Hong Kong pair won 21-17, 19-21, 28-26.
 
“We made too many mistakes and paid the price. Luck was also not on our side,” said Peng Soon.
 
A disappointed Liu Ying said: “We had the opportunities to win the match but our best was not good enough.”
 
Soon Huat-Shevon also went out in three games – losing 21-14, 11-21, 22-20 – to another Hong Kong pair Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet, the fourth seeds.
 
There was more blow for Malaysia when women’s doubles Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean also crashed out, also in three games. They Malaysians lost 17-21, 21-16, 19-21 to India’s Ashwini Ponnappa-N. Sikki Reddy. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
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