Ninth seeded Liew Daren gave his badminton career a shot in the arm when he sent newly crowned Vietnam Open champion and top seed Dionysius Hayon Rumbaka out of the USD125,000 Yonex Sunrise Indonesian Masters Grand Prix in Palembang with 22-20, 21-14 win in 38 minutes in a second round match.
In the quarter-finals the beleaguered Malaysian, who was dropped from the Asian Games team to Incheon after a spate of disappointing results, will face India’s sixth seed B. Sai Praneeth who won 21-16, 14-21, 23-21 against compatriot Ajay Jayaram.
Independent player Zulfadli Zulkifli, a former world junior champion, also advanced to the last eight with a 21-15, 21-14 win over Singapore’s Chao Huang and will face Ivanudin Rifan Fauzin who upset compatriot and second seed Sony Dwi Kuncoro 23-25, 22-24.
On a day of surprises Malaysia also fared well in the women’s and mixed doubles. Lee Meng Yean-Ong Jian Guo reached the mixed doubles quarter-finals with an upset 21-11, 21-16 win over third seeds Irfan Fadhillah-Weni Anggraini. They will play another Indonesia pair Afiat Yuris Wirawan-Komala Dewi who beat compatriots Raffidias Akhdan Nugroho-Ulfa Zakia 21-14, 21-18.
In the women’s doubles Meng Yean-Chow Mei Kuan will face second seeded Russians Olga Golovanova-Viktoriia Vorobeva in the quarter-finals after a 21-15, 21-19 win over Indonesia’s Mahadewi Istirani Ni Ketut-Melvira Oklamona. The Russians beat Indonesia’s Mychelle Crhystine Bandaso-Felicia Peremnas 21-12, 21-13.
Meanwhile Lydia Cheah’s comeback trail suffered another setback when she fell to Indoensia’s Purwaningtyas Elyzabeth 21-18, 21-19 in a second round match.
Selected Second Round Results
MEN
Singles
Liew Daren (Mas) beat Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka (Ina) 22-20, 21-14
B. Sai Praneeth (Ind) beat Ajay Jayaram (Ind) 21-16, 14-21, 23-21
Zulfadli Zulkifli (Mas) beat Chao Huang (Sin) 21-15, 21-14
Ivanudin Rifan Fauzin (Ina) beat Sony Dwi Kuncoro 25-23, 24-22
WOMEN
Singles
Purwaningtyas Elyzabeth (Ina) beat Lydia Cheah (Mas) 21-18, 21-9
Doubles
Lee Meng Yean-Chow Mei Kuan (Mas) beat Mahadewi Istirani Ni Ketut-Melvira Oklamona (Ina) 21-15, 21-19
Olga Golovanova-Viktoriia Vorobeva (Rus) beat Mychelle Crhystine Bandaso-Feleicia Paremnas (Ina) 21-12, 21-13
Mixed Doubles
Lee Meng Yean-Ong Jia Guo (Mas) beat Irfan Fadhila-Weni Anggraini (Ina) 21-11, 21-16
Afiat Yuris Wirawan-Komala Dewi (Ina) beat Raffidias Akhdan Nugroho-Ulfa Zakia (Ina) 21-14, 21-18
