# Chong Wei faces Korean Son Won-ho in his second match in Group A
# Kian Meng-Pei Jing pick up their second defeat Group B in mixed doubles
Malaysia’s top mixed doubles pair Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing crashed out of the Dubai World Superseries Finals but not without giving Rio Olympics and world champions Tontowi Ahmad-Liliyana Natsir a run for their money.
At the Hamdan Sports Complex in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Thursday, the Malaysians held the Indonesians in all aspects of the game but could not produce the “extra” against their opponents in their 17-21. 19-21 defeat in 50 minutes.
It was the second defeat for the Malaysians in Group B. In their first match Kian Meng-Pei Jing also lost in straight games – losing 12-21, 11-21 to China’s Wang Yilyu-Huang Dongping.
Kian Meng-Pei Jing take on England’s husband and wife team Chris Adcock and Gabrielle Adcock on Friday to complete their group fixtures. The Malaysians will be hoping to pick up a win against the English pair, winners in Dubai in 2015, but have lost both their group matches so far.
Meanwhile four-time winner of the BWF Superseries Finals Datuk Lee Chong Wei will face Korea’s top seed Son Won-ho in a Group A match on Friday to decide the group champions.
The three-man group after China’s Chen Long pulled out of the Finals at the eleventh hour due to a knee injury, saw Hong Kong’s Angu Ng Ka Long back in contention for a place in the semi-finals after he beat Won-ho 21-15, 13-21, 21-16. The defeat for the Korean was his second in Dubai and is now out of contention.
The shock of the day was defending champion and top seed Viktor Axelsen of Denmark. The 23-year-old world champion was stunned by China’s 21-year-old Shi Yuqi who won 13-21, 21-18, 21-17 in a 73-minute battle.
Another defending champion to fall was Tai Tzu Ying in the women’s singles. The top seed was beaten 18-21, 17-21 by former world number one and world champion Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand in a Group B match. BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
RESULTS (SELECTED)
MEN’S SINGLES
GROUP A
Angus Ng Ka Long (Hkg) beat Son Won-ho (Kor) 21-15, 13-21, 21-16
GROUP B
Shi Yuqi (Chn) beat Viktor Axelsen (Den) 13-21, 21-18, 21-17
Chou Tien-chen (Tpe) K. Srikanth (Ind) 21-18, 21-18
MEN’S DOUBLES
GROUP A
Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda (Jpn) beat Marcus Fernaldi Gideon-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (Ina) 21-17, 21-17
WOMEN’S SINGLES
GROUP A
P.V. Sindhu (Ind) beat Sayaka Sato (Jpn) 21-13, 21-12
Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn) beat He Bingjiao (Chn) 21-14, 13-21, 21-8
GROUP B
Ratchanok Intanon (Tha) beat Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe) 21-18, 21-17
Chen Yufei (Chn) beat Sung Ji-hyun (Kor) 21-16, 21-13
WOMEN’S DOUBLES
GROUP A
Shiho Tanaka-Koharu Yonemoto (Jpn) beat Huang Yaqiong-Huang Dongping (Chn) 21-16, 21-16
MIXED DOUBLES
GROUP B
Wang Yilyu-Huang Dongping (Chn) beat Chris Adcock-Gabrielle Adcock (Eng) 21-14, 21-17
Tontowi Ahmad-Liliyana Natsir (Ina) beat Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing (Mas) 21-17, 21-19
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