PETALING JAYA: Shuttlers Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying hit the ground running to check into the mixed doubles second round at the Indian Open.
The world No. 6 didn’t put a foot wrong as they thumped homesters Venkat Gaurav Prasad-Juhi Dewangan 21-12, 21-12 in the first round in New Delhi yesterday.
It was the perfect start for the Olympic silver medallists who are still reeling from the narrow three-game loss to China’s Lu Kai-Huang Yaqiong at the All-England final two weeks ago.
Fourth seeds Peng Soon-Liu Ying next face Indonesia’s Edi Subaktiar-Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja, who edged the Malaysian-Indian pairing of K. Yogendran-Prajakta Sawant 21-16, 16-21, 21-16, for a place in the quarter-finals.
“The Indian pair were not very strong, but it was a good warm-up ahead of the tougher matches to come. We have not played Edi-Gloria before but we’ll be well prepared,” said Peng Soon.
Liu Ying, who had operations on her two knees in 2015, added: “It was good that today’s match wasn’t tough. And I didn’t need to strain myself too much as my knees still hurt every now and then. ”
In the men’s doubles, world No. 2 Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong also got off to a winning start to move into the second round.
Top seeds V Shem-Wee Kiong were, however, given a scare by Thailand’s world No. 28 Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Kedren Kittinupong before prevailing 21-17, 21-19.
V Shem-Wee Kiong, who were the Indian Open semi-finalists last year, will meet the Indo-Malaysian pair of Hendra Setiawan-Tan Boon Heong in the second round.
World No. 93 Hendra-Boon Heong, who came through the qualifiers, eliminated homesters Ketan Chahal-Tanveer Gill 21-15, 21-15.
RESULTS
*Involving Malaysians only
First round
Men’s doubles: Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong bt Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Kedren Kittinupong (Tha) 21-17, 21-19.
Mixed doubles: Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying bt Venkat Gaurav Prasad-Juhi Dewangan (Ind) 21-12, 21-12.
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