Soong Joo Ven pulled off a stunning upset when the national player ranked No 94 in the world packed off world No 19 and second seeded Marc Zwiebler of Germany 22-20, 21-9 in a third round match in the Thailand Open in Bangkok on Thursday.
The Malaysian will now play Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu for a place in the semi-finals. Cheuk Yiu defeated Malaysia’s independent player Liew Daren 21-15, 14-21, 21-14 in a 50-minute third round match.
Joo Ven is having good run in the Thailand Open. In the first round he scalped 14th seed Emil Holst of Denmark 21-10, 21-23, 21-16 before knocking out Thai youngster Noppanai Singruenang 21-12, 19-21, 21-13 in the second round.
While Joo Ven celebrated his win and a place in the Friday’s quarter-finals it was disappointment for Malaysia’s SEA Games bound Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin. Iskandar fell by the wayside to India’s third seed B. Sai Praneeth.
Praneeth, winner of the Singapore Open this year sent the Malaysian packing with a 21-13, 21-18 win in 41 minutes.
There was also good news in the mixed doubles when mixed doubles pair of Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie made the quarter-finals with a 21-11, 18-21, 21-14 win over Indonesia’s Irfan Fadhilah-Weni Anggraini in 45 minutes.
They will meet China’s Han Chengkai-Chen Lu for a place in the semi-finals. The Chinese pair upset fourth seeds Nipitphin Phuangphuapet-Jongkolphan Kititharakul of Thailand 14-21, 21-18, 21-19.
Malaysian shuttlers also took a beating in the men’s doubles. Sea Games hopefuls Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani were also knocked out. The pair lost to compatriots Tan Jinn Hwa-Wong Wai Jun in the first round.
It was also the end of the road for Malaysia in the women’s singles when Ho Yen Mei lost to Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong in the third round. The Thai sixth seed won 18-21, 21-12, 21-17. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
