After their impressive run to the semi-finals in last week’s Malaysia Open,  Tan Kim Meng-Lai Pei Jing have done it again – defeating Japan’s world No 3 and second seeds Yuta Watanabe-Arisa Higashino in the first round – this time in the Singapore Open on Wednesday.
 
The Malaysian pair stopped the Japanese also in the first round in last week’s Malaysian Open 21-16, 21-15. In the Singapore Open, however, it was a much tougher fight and had come from a one-game deficit before prevailing 16-21, 21-18, 21-15 against last year’s All-England champions.
 
It is another Japanese hurdle for Kian Meng-Pei Jing in the second round when they play Kohei Gondo-Ayane Kurihara  
 
Kian Meng-Pei Jing were not the only Malaysians who advanced to the second round on a day when men’s singles Lee Zii Jia made up for his first-round exit in the Malaysia Open.
 
Zii Jia ousted Korean veteran Lee Hyun Il in straight games for a 21-19, 21-16 win in 41 minutes to earn a second-round clash against Indonesia’s Asian Games champion Jonatan Christie who defeated Thailand’s Khosit Pherpradap 21-18, 19-21, 21-18.
 
Other mixed doubles pairs who made the second round included fourth seeds Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying who beat Singapore’s Terry Hee Yong Kai-Crystal Wong Wong Jia Ying 21-18, 22-20 in 37 minutes.
 
For a place in the quarter-finals, they will face Lao Ching Yao-Lee Chia Hasin of Chinese Taipei.
 
The Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie pair, forced to withdraw in the second round in the Malaysia Open after Soon Huat fell ill suddenly, also cleared their first hurdle in Singapore with a 21-18, 21-16 win over Indonesia’s Alfian Eko Prasetya-Marsheilla Gischa Islami – the same pair they beat at the same stage in Kuala Lumpur. Their opponents are Japan’s Yuki Kaneko-Misaki Matsutomo.
 
In an all-Malaysian first round, men’s doubles match Chooi Kah Ming-Low Juan Shen defeated Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin 8-21, 21-17, 21-18. They will take on second seeds Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rain Ardianto of Indonesia, the No 8 seeds.
 
However, it was the end of the road for Liew Daren in the men’s singles who lost pace after taking the first game 21-19 against Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto and lost 18-21, 20-22. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
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