* But V Shem-Wee crash out in Australian Open
A year after going separate ways and coming back together with the 2016 Rio Olympics on their minds, former World No 1 and Asian Games gold medallists Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong have been in smashing form in theUSD750,000 The Star Australian Open Superseries at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Center in Sydney.
On Thursday the privateers from Malaysia marched into the quarter-finals with a straight sets 21-16, 21-18 win over current world No 4 Lee Sheng Mu-Tsai Chia Hsin of Taiwan in a second round match which lasted only 32 minutes.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong, playing their first tournament together since coming back together, had knocked out World No 15 Takeshi Komura-Keigo Sonoda 21-16, 20-22, 21-10 in the first round after coming through the qualifiers.
While Kien Keat-Boon Heong were celebrating it was disappointment for Malaysia’s current top pair Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong who were shown the exit after a 57 minute battle against fifth seeds Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa who came back from a set down to win 19-21, 21-16, 21-16. V Shem-Wee Kiong also had to come through the qualifying rounds to make the main draw.
In the quarter-finals Kien Keat-Boon Heong will take on sixth seeds Liu Xiaolong-Qiu Zihan of China. The Chinese pair won 21-16, 21-17 against Taiwan’s Chen Hung Lin-Wang Chi Lin.
SECOND ROUND RESULTS (Malaysians only)
Doubles
Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa (Jpn) beat Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong (Mas) 19-21, 21-16, 21-16
Koo Kien Kiat-Tan Boon Heong (Mas) beat Lee Sheng Mu-Tsau Chia Hsin (Tpe) 21-16, 21-18
