Malaysia’s challenge in men’s singles and mixed doubles came to an end on the first day of the Asian Badminton Championships at the Gimcheon Indoor Stadium in Gimcheon, South Korea.
Without Datuk Lee Chong Wei who is being rested and Chong Wei Feng who is in injured, Malaysia found the going tough in Gimcheon. Liew Daren, Goh Soon Huat and Chong Yee Yee Han failed to clear their first round hurdles.
Liew Daren was no match for Korea’s Lee Dong Keun who won 24-22, 21-13 in 50 minutes. India’s P. Kashyap knocked out Goh Soon Huat with a 21-14, 21-17 win while rookie Chong Yee Han was shown the exit by Japan’s veteran Sho Sasaki who romped home 21-11, 21-12 win in 33 minutes.
Malaysia also fell in the mixed doubles when all three pairs failed to make the second round. Zhang Wen-Huan Xia of China, however, needed three sets to subdue Ong Jian Guo-Lim Yin Loo 21-18, 13-21, 21-15 after a 59 minute battle while another Chinese pair Wang Yilv-Ou Dongni humbled Lutfi Zaim Khalid-Soong Fie Cho 21-19, 21-15.
Koreans Yoo Yeon Seong-Eom Hye Won were too strong Tan Aik Quan-Lai Pei Jing and won 21-15, 21-18 to advance to the second round.
However, amidst the gloom the girls brought some cheer to the Malaysian camp when the country’s number one women’s player Tee Jing Yi displayed a splendid form to regiamnster a straight set 22-20 21-14 win over Hong Kong veteran Yip Pui Yin in 40 minutes.
Joining Ting Ji was Lim Yin Fun who stopped Vietnam’s Le Thu Huyen with a hard fought 24-22, 21-23, 21-18 win. Yang Li Lian gave a good account of herself before going down 18-21, 21-15, 19-21 to Taiwan’s Pai Hsiao Ma while Hirose Eriko of Japan made short work of Lim Chiew Sien with a 23-21, 21-12 win.
SEA Games champions Woon Khei Wei-Vivian Hoo had no difficulty getting past Taiwan’s Chiang Kai Hsing-Tsai Pei Ling with a 21-12, 21-11 win. Anscelly Amelia Alicia-Soong Fei Cho also advanvced into round two after beating Hong Kong’s Chan Hung Yung-Yuen Sin Ying 21-10, 21-18.
In the men’s doubles, Malaysia also made a winning start to their campaign when the pairs cleared the first round. Low Juan Shen-Heg Nelson Wei Keat overcame India’s Attri Manu-B. Sumeeth Reddy in a three-set thriller, winning 16-21, 21-13, 22-20 in 61 minutes and Teo Ee Hui-Chooi Kah Ming were also taken the full distance before winning 19-21, 21-17, 22-20 against Taiwan’s Liang Jui Wei-Liao Kuan Hao in one hour.
It was also upsets galore in the men’s singles when top seed Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand, third seed Nguyen Tien Minh (Vietnam), fourth seed Momota Kento (Japan) and eighth seedTanongsak Saensomboonsuk (Thailand).
Hong Kong’s Wei Nan beat Boonsak 19-21, 21-12, 21-10 while Tien Minh fell to Korea’s Jong Soo Hwang who won 21-13, 21-19.
RESULTS FIRST ROUND (Malaysians only)
MEN
Singles
Lee Dong Keun (Kor) beat Liew Daren 24-22, 21-13
P. Kashyap (Ind) beat Goh Soon Huat 21-14, 21-17
Sho Sasaki (Jpn) beat Chong Yee Han 21-11, 21-12
Doubles
Low Juan Shen-Heg Nelson Wei Keat beat Attri Manu-B. Sumeeth Reddy (Ind) 16-21, 21-13, 22-20
Teo Ee Yi-Chooi Kah Ming beat Liang Jui Wei-Liao Kuan Hao (Tpe) 19-21, 21-17, 22-20
WOMEN
Singles
Lim Yin Fun beat Le Thu Huyen (Vie) 24-22, 21-23, 21-18
Pai Hsiao Ma (Tpe) beat Yang Li Lian 21-18, 15-21, 21-19
Hirose Eriko (Jpn) beat Lim Chiew Sien 23-21, 21-12
Tee Jing Yi beat Yip Pui Yin (Hkg) 22-20, 21-14
Doubles
Woon Khe Wei-Vivian Hoo beat Chaing Kai Hsing-Tsai Pei Ling (Tpe) 21-12, 21-11
Anscelly Amelia Alicia-Soong Fei Cho beat Chan Hung Yung-Yuen Sin Ying (Hkg) 21-10, 21-18
Mixed Doubles
Zhang Wen-Huang Xia (Chn) beat Ong Jian Guo-Lim Yin Loo 21-18, 13-21, 21-15
Wang Yilv-Ou Dongni (Chn) beat Lutfi Zaim Khalid-Soong Fie Cho 21-19, 21-15
Yoo Yoon Seong-Eom Hye Won (Kor) beat Tan Aik Quan-Lai Pei Jing 21-15. 21-19
