By Rizal Abdullah
There was plenty to cheer for Malaysia in the USD150,000 China Masters Grand Prix Gold at the Olympic Sports Center Xincheng Gymnasium in Jiangsu on Wednesday with national champion Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin keeping the flag flying in the men’s singles together with professional player Liew Daren.
Malaysia are also in the running in the women’s doubles and mixed doubles while privateers Hoon Thien How-Teo Kok Siang cleared their first hurdle in the men’s doubles.
Iskandar, the Malaysia Masters runners-up, overcame a tough second round hurdle before prevailing 21-19, 21-19 against China’s Zhu Siyan and will Korean Lee Dong-keun in the third round.
Liew Daren will face India’s h.S. Prannoy for a place in the quarter-finals after overcoming Chinese youngster Ye Bonghong 21-18, 16-21, 21-15 in an hour-long battle. Prannoy defeated China’s Huang Yuxiang 21-13, 21-11 in his second round match.
In the women’s doubles Commonwealth Games gold medalists Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei marched into the second round after defeating China’s Guo Xuyi-Liu Huijie 21-12, 21-9 in 25 minutes.
They will face another Chinese hurdle for a place in the quarter-finals – Huang Dongping-Zhong Qianxin who won 21-10, 21-12 over teammates Cao Tong Wei-Tong Hao. Vivian-Khe Wei were semi-finalists last year.
However, it was the end of the road for another women’s doubles pair Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean who lost 16-21, 18-21 to India’s Jwala Gutta-Ashwini Ponappa.
Sixth seeds Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying, the Malaysian Open runners, advanced to the second round in the mixed doubles. Also through to the second round are Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing who upset Indonesia’s experienced pair Riky Widianto-Puspita Richii Dili 15-21, 21-18, 21-11.
Peng Soon-Liu Ying, ranked No 12 in the world, defeated Japan’s Kenta Kazuno-Ayane Kurihara 21-18, 23-21 to earn a second round clash with China’s Zhu Junhao-Zhou Chaomin who beat Russians Evgenj Dremin-Evgenia Dimona 16-21, 21-17, 21-14.
Kian Meng-Pei Jing will face Singapore’s Terry Hee Yong Kai-Tan Wei Han who upset Korean fifth seeds Solgyu Choi-Eom Hye-won 18-21, 22-20, 21-12.
Maenwhile, Chen Long, the top seed and current world No 1 played his first match in the tournament and was hardly tested in his 21-11, 21-17 win over another of China’s new talent Ren Pengbo in 37 minutes. He got a walkover from his Thai opponent Mek Narongkrit in the first round.
The world champion will face another compatriot Shi Yuqi for a place in the quarter-finals after the latter upset Japanese 10th seed Sho Sasaki 21-12, 21-19 in a 44-minute match.
Lin Dan will take on Japanese youngster Riichi Takeshita in the third round. Takeshita rode to a 21-11, 21-14 win over China’s Zhou Zeqi.
Men’s doubles top seeds and favourites Lee Yong-dae-Yoo Yeon-seong were too strong for Thailand’s Puavaranukroh Dechapol-Kedren Kittinupong in their 21-12, 21-11 win.
Malaysian independent pair Hoon Thien How-Teo Kok Siang also stayed in contention for a quarter-final berth after their 21-19, 21-15 win over Taiwan’s Shang Kai-lin-Lu Ching Yao.
Mixed doubles top seeds Xu Chen-Ma Jin, the Singapore Open runners-up had not trouble against Thailand’s Bodin Issara-Savitree Amitrapal 21-16, 21-14 while Korea’s Kim Gi-jung-Shin Seung-chan were given a tough fight by Malaysia’s Tan Chee Tean-Chow Mei Kuan before winning 21-16, 21-19.
SECOND ROUND RESULTS (Selected)
Men’s singles
Chen Long (Chn) beat Ren Pengbo (Chn) 21-11, 21-17
Shi Yuqui (Chn) beat Sho Sasaki (Jpn) 21-12, 21-19
Lin Dan (Chn) beat Cheng Po Wei (Tpe) 21-12, 21-10
Hashiru Shimono (Jpn) beat Wu Xin (Chn) 21-15, 21-15
Lee Dong Keun (Kor) beat Sun Feixiang (Chn) 21-19, 21-18
Riichi Takeshita (Jpn) beat Zhou Zeqi (Chn) 21-11, 21-14
Tanongsak Saensombonsuk (Tha) beat Muhammad Bayu Pangisthu (Ina) 21-10, 21-18
S. Prannoy (Ind) beat Huang Yuxiang (Chn) 21-13, 21-11
Daren Liew (Mas) beat Ye Binghong (Chn) 21-18, 16-21, 21-15
Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin (Mas) beat Zhu Siyuan (Chn) 21-19, 21-19
Men’s doubes (First Round)
Huang Kaixiang-Zheng Siwei (Chn) beat Chooi Kah Ming-Ow Yao Han (Mas) 21-18, 21-11
Lee Yong-dae-Yoo Yeon-seong (Kor) beat Puavarukrih Dechapol-Kedren Kittinupong (Tha) 21-12, 21-11
Hoon Thien How-Teo Kok Siang (Mas) beat Shang Kai-lin-Lu Chong Yao (Tpe) 21-19, 21-15
Women’s singles (First round)
Porntip Buranaprasertsuk (Tha) beat Yui Hashimoto (Jpn) 21-10, 21-19
Li Xuerui (Chn) beat Pai Yu-po (Tpe) 21-6, 21-9
Li Wen Mei (Chn) beat Michelle Li (Can) 21-17, 21-13
Chen Yufei (Chn) beat Ling Fang Hu (Tpe) 21-11, 21-13
P.V. Sindhu (Ind) beat Natsuki Midaira (Jpn) 21-16, 21-12
Kaori Imebeppu (Jpn) beat Li Yun (Chn) 19-21, 21-19, 21-17
Chen Xiaolin (Chn) beat Aya Ohori (Jpn) 21-17, 21-18
Women’s doubles
Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei (Mas) beat Guo Xuyi-Liu Huijie (Jpn) 21-12, 21-9
Luo Ying-Luo Yu (Chn) beat Chen Hsiao Huan-Huang Mei-ching (Tpe) 21-8, 21-14
Jwala Gutta-Ashwini Ponappa (Ind) beat Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean (Mas) 21-16, 21-18
Chen Qingchen-Jia Yifan (Chn) beat Naoko Fukuman-Kurumi Yonoa (Jpn) 21-16, 21-18
Mixed doubles
Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying (Mas) beat Kenta Kazuno-Ayane Kurihara (Jpn) 21-18, 23-21
Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing (Mas) beat Riky Widianto-Pupita Richi Dili (Ina) 15-21, 21-18, 21-11
Xu Chen-Man Jin (Chn) beat Bodin Issara-Savitree Amitrapal (Tha) 21-16, 21-14
Kim Gi-jung-Shin Seung-chan (Kor) Tan Chee Tean-Chwo Mei Kuan (Mas) 21-16, 21-19
