# Asian champion defeats national champ Chi Wing to advance to quarters
# Second seed Zii Jia, Iskandar, June Wei, Yee Han also through to last eight
# Top seeds Kah Ming-Juan Shen suffer shock defeat in men’s doubles
National champion Lim Chi Wing’s run in the Celcom Axiata Malaysia International Challenge at the Stadium Perpaduan in Pasir Gudang came to an end in the third round on Thursday.
In a “revenge battle” Chi Wing, who had beaten Jun Hao in the national championships, failed this time around. Jun Hao, the reigning Asian Junior Under-19 champion gunned down Chi Wing 13-21, 21-16, 21-12 to reach the quarter-finals.
Jun Hao is having a good run in Pasir Gudang. He defeated top seed Yu Igarashi of Japan in the second round and will now Indonesia’s Krishna Adi Nugraha for a place in the semi-finals. Nugraha advanced without lifting his racquet when he received a walkover from Malaysian seventh seed Goh Giap Chin.
Second seeded Lee Zii Jia was fully stretched before he prevailed 16-21, 21-16, 22-20 in a 58-minute battle against Indonesia’s Enzi Shafira. Zii Jia next plays Vietnamese veteran Nguyen Tien Minh who stopped Malaysia’s Tan Jia Wei 21-16, 21-15.
Cheam June Wei kept his challenge alive with a 21-18, 18-21, 23-21 win over Thailand’s Thammasan Sitthikom and next plays compatriot Iskanda Zulkarnain Zainuddin, the sixth seed, who overcame Andre Marten of Indonesia 21-9, 12-21, 21-19 in 61 minutes.
In the women’s singles Ho Yen Mei (seeded No 4) and Lim Yin Fun (seeded No 5) kept the country’s flag flying by reaching the quarter-finals. Yen Mei defeated Thailand’s Manassanan Lerthattasin 21-17, 21-18 while Yin Fun beat India’s Anura Prabhudesai 21-7, 21-17.
Top seed Vu Thi Trang of Vietnam swept to a 21-16, 21-12 win over Thailand’s Thamolvan Poopradusil in 34 minutes.
In the men’s doubles top seeds Chooi Kah Ming-Low Juan Shen were shown the exit after a shock defeat to Lee Chia-han-Lin Chia-yu of Chinese Taipei who came back from a game down for a 19-21, 27-25, 21-15 win. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
SELECTED THIRD ROUND RESULTS
Men’s singles
Leong Jun Hao (Mas) beat Lim Chi Wing (Mas) 13-12, 21-16, 21-12
Chong Yee Han (Mas) beat Hashiro Shimono (Jpn) 21-18, 21-16
Firman Abdul Kholik (Ina) beat Lim Chia-hung (Tpe) 21-14, 21-8
Cheam June Wei (Mas) beat Thammasan Sitthikom (Tha) 21-18, 18-21, 23-21
Nguyen Tien Mih (Vie) Tan Jia Wei (Mas) 21-16, 21-15
Krishna Adi Nugraha (Ina) w/o Goh Giap Chin (Mas)
Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin (Mas) beat Andre Marten (Ina) 21-9, 12-21, 21-19
Lee Zii Jia (Mas) beat Enzi Shafira (Ina) 16-21, 21-16, 22-20
Women’s singles
Mattana Hemrachatanun (Tha) beat Wendy Chen (Aus) 22-20, 21-9
Ho Yen Mei (Mas) beat Manassanan Lerthattasin (Tha) 21-17, 21-18
Lin Ying-chu (Tpe) beat S. Kisona (Mas) 21-15, 12-21, 21-17
Vu Thi Trang (Vie) Thamolvan Poopradubsil (Tha) 21-16, 21-12
Lim Yin Fun (Mas) beat Anuar Prabhudesai (Ind) 21-7, 21-17
Men’s doubles
Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin (Mas) beat Kazuaki Oshima-Yuta Yamasaki (Jpn) 21-18, 21-18
Chun Kang Shia-Tan Wee Gieen (Mas) beat Akbar Bintang Cahyono-Giovani Dicky Oktavia (Ina) 21-13, 18-21, 21-17
Lee Chia-han-Lin Chia-yu (Tpe) beat Chooi Kah Ming-Low Juan Shen (Mas) 19-21, 27-25, 21-15
