Reaching the semi-finals in back to back world tour events in two weeks and Malaysia’s mixed doubles pair Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing is riding on a wave of new found confidence.
The Malaysians made the last four in the Singapore Open after carving out a hard-fought 22-20, 14-21, 21-18 against Indonesia’s Ricky Karandasuwardi-Pia Zebadiah Barnadet that lasted a good 66-minutes.
They are the last Malaysians left standing at the Singapore Indoor Stadium that also saw the defeat of fifth seeds Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying. The Rio Olympics silver medal winners were beaten 21-18, 12-21, 16-21 by Indonesia’s world No 9 Hafiz Faizal-Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja also in 66 minutes.
Incidentally, Meng Kian-Pei Jing will face Hafiz-Gloria for a place on Sunday’s final. Meng Kian-Pei Jing will take the underdogs tag – having lost to the Indonesians in their previous two meetings.
“The fact that they beat Peng Soon-Liu Ying in the quarter-finals today (Friday) gives them the edge in terms of confidence,” said Pei Jing.
Malaysia’s hopes in the men’s doubles disappeared in thin air when professionals Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong once again dished out a roller coaster ride in their defeat to Indonesia’s former world champions Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan.
The All-England champions found the rhythm after losing the first game at 18-21 but took the second and third 21-16, 21-17 in 46 minutes for a place in the last four.
Meanwhile, World No 1 Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei and India’s P.V. Sindhu will be out to deny an all-Japan women’s singles final against their Japanese opponents in the semi-finals.
Tzu Ying will face Akane Yamaguchi and Sindhu will be up against Nozomi. In the quarter-finals, Tzu Ying defeated Korea’s Sung Ji-hyun 21-11, 17-21, 21-16 while Sindhu stopped China’s Cai Yanyan 21-13, 17-21, 21-14.
Yamaguchi was a 21-13, 21-7 winner against Thailand’s Rathchanok while Nozomi ousted India’s Saina Nehwal 21-8, 21-13.
In the men’s singles, World No 1 and top seed Kento Momota beat India’s K. Srikanth 21-18, 119-21, 21-9 and will face Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen who came through a very tough match against Indonesia’s Asian Games champion Jonatan Christie 22-24, 21-18, 24-22 in 80 minutes.
Second seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei battled past India’s Sameer Verma 21-10, 15-21, 21-15 to face Indonesia’s Anthony Ginting who beat China’s No 4 seed Chen Long 21-8, 21-19. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
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