INCHEON: GOh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong are just a match away from being medallists for the second straight time at a multi-sports event.
The Malaysians, gold medallists at last month’s Commonwealth Games, overcame Thailand’s Patiphat Chalardchalaem-Wannawat Ampunsuwan 21-19, 15-21, 21-15 in yesterday’s second round to book a spot in the quarter-finals at the Gyeyang Gymnasium.
Standing between them and a medal today is Japanese No. 1 Kenichi Hayakawa-Endo Hiroyuki.
The world No. 3 checked into the last eight with an easy 21-12, 21-10 win over Pakistan’s Umer Zeeshan-Muhd Irfan Saeed.
V Shem-Wee Kiong are the only Malaysian pair left in the men’s doubles following the withdrawal of Tan Boon Heong-Hoon Thien How from the competition on Wednesday.
V Shem said their performance yesterday was not as good as their first-round win over Taiwan’s Lee Sheng-mu-Tsai Chia-hsin on Wednesday.
“We played on a different court today and it took us time to get used to the conditions.
“We hope to play better in the quarter-finals. It will be hard as the Japanese are very experienced and have been together for some time. We have to raise our game to have a chance to progress,” said V Shem.
In the men’s singles, world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei strolled to a 21-14, 21-6 second-round win over Pakistani Umer Zeeshan to reach the last 16 but it was the end of the road for Chong Wei Feng.
Wei Feng fell 7-21, 13-21 to world champion Chen Long of China.
Chong Wei will play India’s P. Kashyap, the Commonwealth Games champion, today for a place in the quarter-finals.
It was game over for Malaysia in the women’s singles and mixed doubles events.
Yang Li Lian was beaten 16-21, 13-21 by South Korea’s Sung Ji-hyun in the women’s singles second round.
In the mixed doubles, Chan Peng Soon-Ng Hui Lin and Lim Khim Wah-Lim Yin Loo were sent packing in the first round.
Peng Soon-Hui Lin lost 15-21, 21-6, 15-21 to Singapore’s Danny Bawa Chrisnanta-Vanessa Neo while Khim Wah-Yin Loo were beaten 19-21, 19-21 by Taiwan’s Chen Hung-ling-Cheng Wen-hsing.
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