Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying’s hopes of winning a medal in the World Championships in Nanjing went up in smoke in the quarter-finals – thanks to an injured left heel picked up by Liu Ying in the third round.
The Malaysians, seeded eighth and ranked No 9 in the world, gave their best despite the injury to Liu Ying against Hong Kong’s third seeds Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Yuet and succumbed 21-12, 11-21, 21-10 in a 56-minute encounter.
It was a sad end to Peng Soon-Liu Ying who felt that they had the chance to end Malaysia’s 12-year drought in the mixed doubles in the world meet. Malaysia last won a medal in the world championships through Koo Kien Keat-Wong Pei Tty in Madrid in 2006.
With the defeat of Peng Soon-Liu Ying, Malaysia’s challenge for a medal now rests with Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik in the men’s doubles and Daren Liew in the men’s singles. Their matches will be played later tonight.
Meanwhile, there were two major upsets in the women’s singles and the men’s doubles.
Top seed and world number one Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei, who was favored to win her first world title, suffered a shock exit at the hands of China’s sixth seed He Binjiao who won 21-18, 7-21, 21-13 in the women’s singles.
In another women’s singles, quarter-final tie Spain’s Carolina Marin outplayed India’s Commonwealth Games gold medallist Saina Nehwal 21-6, 21-11.
In the men’s doubles, Indonesia’s world number one and top seeds Marcus Fernaldi Gideon-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo were bundled out in the quarter-finals by Japan’s fifth seeds Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda 21-19, 21-18. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
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