*Malaysian badminton takes a beating in Singapore Open
*No Malaysians go beyond the first round
It was a bad, bad day for Malaysia in the USD300,000 OUE Singapore Open Superseries at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Wednesday when none of the Malaysian shuttlers advanced to the second round.
It is not a surprise when one considers Malaysia’s poor showing in the recently concluded Maybank Malaysia Open Superseries Premier which ended at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Sunday. In the Malaysian Open no Malaysians featured in the semi-finals after Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei were beating in the quarter-finals.
But what happened in Singapore are clear signals that Malaysian badminton has hit rock bottom and spells gloom for the coming SEA Games to be held in Singapore from June 5-16.
In the men’s singles Malaysia’s main hope Chong Wei Feng, who earned a place in the main draw following the late withdrawal of Tommy Sugiarto of Indonesia due to back injury, was no match against another Indonesian Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka, himself earning a place in the main draw to replace Japan’s Sho Sasaki who also withdrew.
Dionysius needed only 35 minutes in his 21-12, 21-13 win over Wei Feng to advance to the second round. Independent player Mohd Arif Abdul Latif was also a first round casualty when he was beaten 14-21, 14-21 by yet another Indonesian Simon Santoso in 22 minutes.
Malaysia’s best hope rested on doubles pair Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong who did well to take a set off newly crowned Malaysian Open champions Mohamad Ahsan-Hendraw Setiawan but eventually ran out of steam and lost 21-18, 15-21, 14-21 after a 44 minute battle.
Earlier backup pair Chooi Kah Ming-Ow Yao Han were stopped by second seeds Lee Sheng Mu-Tsai Chia Hsin of Taiwan 21-11, 21-15.
In the women’s singles, Malaysia top woman shuttler Tee Jing Yi fell to a 10-21, 9-21 defeat to China’s rising star Sun Yu in 32 minutes. The women’s doubles pair of Amelia Alicia Anscelly-Soong Fie Cho were knocked out by China’s Wang Xiaoli-Yu Yang 21-15, 21-18 in 31 minutes.
There was also disappointment for Malaysia in the mixed doubles when third seeds Tontowi Ahmad-Liliyana Natsir who were on court for only 14 minutes in their whirlwind 21-15, 21-17 win over Malaysia’s Lee Jian Yi-Lim Peiy Zhean..
SINGAPORE OPEN
First Round (Malaysians only)
Men
Singles
Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka (Ina) beat Chong Wei Feng (Mas) 21-12, 21-13
Simon Santoso (Ina) beat Mohd Arif Abdul Latif (Mas) 21-14, 21-14
Doubles
Mohamad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan (Ina) beat Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong (Mas) 18-21, 21-15, 21-14
Women
Singles
Sun Yu (Chn) beat Tee Jing Yi (Mas) 21-10, 21-9
Doubles
Wang Xiaoli-Yu Yang (Chn) beat Amelia Alicia Anscelly-Soong Fie Cho (Mas) 21-15, 21-8
Mixed doubles
Tontowi Ahmad-Liliyana Natsir (Ina) beat Lee Jian Yi-Li,Peiy Zhean (Mas) 21-5, 21-7
