National mixed doubles pair Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing marched into the quarter-finals in the USD400,000 Daihatsu Indonesia Masters at Istora Senayan Stadium in Jakarta on Thursday.
After an embarrassing exit in the first round in last week’s Perodua Malaysia Masters, Kian Meng-Pei Jing stayed afloat in Jakarta, defeating Indonesia’s Alfain Eko Prasetya-Annisa Saufika 21-13, 21-11 in 29 minutes in a second-round match.
The Malaysians will meet Korean qualifiers Ko Sung Hyun-Eom Hye Won who ousted another national pair, eighth seeds Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie 21-15 21-19.
Joining Kian Meng-Pei Jing in the Friday’s last eight is the professional pair of Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying. The sixth seeds knocked out Lee Jhe Huei-Hsu Ya Ching of Chinese Taipei 21-15, 21-17 in 33 minutes.
The Rio Olympics silver medal winners will be hard-pressed for a place in the last four against China’s world No 1 and top seeds Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong, winners of the Malaysia Masters last week.
Malaysia also kept their challenge alive in the men’s doubles with number one pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik checking in the quarter-finals with a straight game 21-15, 21-13 win over Danish veterans Mathias Boe-Conrad Petersen.
The eighth seeds will battle former national teammates Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi for a place in the semi-finals. Yew Sin-Ee Yi needed only 31 minutes to beat German qualifiers Jones Ralfy Jansen-Peter Kaesbauer 21-17, 21-12.
However, another professional pair Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong fell to a 13-21, 21-16, 17-21 defeat to No 7 seeds Lee Yang-Wang Chi-Lin of Chinese Taipei in 50 minutes.
Malaysia’s challenge in the women’s doubles also ended with the defeat of Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean. The Malaysians lost to reigning Olympics champions Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi of Japan 16-21, 12-21 in 37 minutes. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
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