Former Thomas Cupper Liew Daren more than made up for Datuk Lee Chong Wei’s absence in the on-going World Championships in Nanjing, China when packed off Indonesia’s No 13 seed Jonatan Christie 21-12, 21-16 in the first round.
His straight games win in 34 minutes was also sweet revenge for the 30-year-old Malaysian for his first-round defeat in the Malaysia Open in Kuala Lumpur in April. The 30-year-old Daren is ranked 38 while Christie, 20, is ranked 15 and the reigning Sea Games champion.
More importantly, Daren kept Malaysia’s flag flying in the men’s singles in the absence of Chong Wei who pulled out from the world meet after coming down with respiratory problems. Chong Wei has also withdrawn from the Asian Games in Indonesia in August.
Daren will face Israel’s Misha Zilberman in the second round. Misha defeated Sri Lanka’s Niluka Karunaratne 12-21, 21-17, 21-10 in his first-round match.
Malaysia also had a fruitful day in the men’s doubles with Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi and Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik making the second round after winning their respective first-round matches.
Yew Sin-Ee Yi made short work of India’s Arjun M.R.-Ramchandran Shlok21-14, 21-15 in 29 minutes while Aaron-Wooi Yik beat Koreans Chung Eui-seok-Kim Dukyong 21-15, 21-18.
There was also cheer in the mixed doubles despite the defeat of Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing who lost to No 10 seeds Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai of Thailand 12-21, 15-21.
World No 7 Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie eased into the second round with a 21-13, 21-17 win in 31 minutes over Dutch pair Jacco Arends-Selena Piek while Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying stopped India’s Saurabh Sharma-Anoushka Parikh 21-18, 21-11.
There was a disappointment for Soniia Cheah in the women’s singles as she went down in straight games to Japan’s 15th seed and 17th ranked Sayaka Sato in a 35-minute encounter. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
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