*Chong Wei in men’s singles quarter-finals
*V Shem-Wee Kiong assured of bronze in men’s doubles
Commonwealth Games and SEA Games champions Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei failed to advance to final in the women’s doubles in the 17th Asian Games badminton competition but the pair still can take pride with the bronze medal, which ended Malaysia’s 44-year drought for a medal in the event after losing to Japan’s Ayaka Takahashi-Misaki Matsutomo in the semi-finals.
The Japanese won 21-16, 21-17 to fight for the gold medal while the Malaysians settled for the bronze as the beaten semi-finalists.
“It was a good experience to play the Japanese. We have never played them before. Winning the bronze is itself an achievement,” said Vivian after the match.
Malaysia are still in contention for the men’s doubles gold after Commonwealth Games champions Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong marched into the semi-finals when they ousted Japan’s Kenichi Hayakawa-Hiroyuki Endo 21-16, 21-16 in the quarter-finals. The Malaysians will face home favourites Lee Yong Dae-Yoo Yeonseong in the semi-finals.
In the men’s singles Datuk Lee Chong Wei had no difficulty in reaching the quarter-finals with a 21-12, 21-11 win over India’s Commonwealth Games champion Kashyap Parupalli. His next hurdle is Vietnam’s Nguyen Tien Minh, who can beat anyone on his day.
“Tien Minh is a difficult player and you have to be wary of his never say die attitude,” said Chong Wei, who won the silver medal at the last Asian Games in Guangzhou in 2010 where he lost to China’s Lin Dan in the final.
