Doubles world champs withdraw from Malaysian Open

KUALA LUMPUR: It was confirmed after the team manager’s meeting on Monday that women’s singles shuttler Tee Jing Yi has been withdrawn from competing in women’s doubles alongside Sannatasah Saniru.

Jing Yi who left the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) stable in November last year only to rejoin them after a few weeks, had to withdraw because Sannatasah is not a BAM player.

The 22-year-old who endured a miserable year without significant results last year however is still set to compete in the women’s singles.

Jing Yi, who is currently ranked No. 77 in the world, will face compatriot Lee Zii Yii in the first round of the qualifiers on Tuesday.

If she wins, she is expected to meet either Lydia Cheah or South Korean junior Kim Hyo-min for a place in the main draw.

Meanwhile, there were other withdrawals too, with the biggest name to pull out being reigning world champions and top seeds Wang Xiaoli-Yu Yang in the women’s doubles.

The Chinese pair who also withdrew before the Korean Open last week, are replaced by Hong Kong’s Chan Tsz Ka-Tse Ying Suet in the first round, where they will meet Japan’s Miyuki Maeda-Reika Kakiiwa.

In the men’s singles, there were three withdrawals - Indonesia’s world No. 8 Sony Dwi Kuncoro, India’s Ajay Jayaram and Hong Kong’s Wong Wing Ki.

India’s K. Srikanth, Anand Pawar and Dutch journeyman Eric Pang will take their place in the main draw.

Men’s doubles also had a withdrawal with China’s Cai Yun-Liu Cheng pulling out. They are replaced by Koen Ridder-Ruud Bosch of Holland.