Daren gets to play in home tourney

Liew Darren of BAM/KL in action against Mohd Ziyad Md Tahad during the Maybank Sirkit Kebangsaan Terbuka Kuala Lumpur 2015 .. -- M. Azhar Arif/The Star 11 Feb 2015

KUALA LUMPUR: Independent shuttler Liew Daren (pic) has vowed to come good after getting a lucky break to play in the Celcom Axiata Malaysian Open.

The World Championships-bound Daren has been included in the home tournament at the eleventh hour.

Daren, the 2012 French Open champion, was a second reserve behind Japan’s Kanta Tsuneyama for the tournament but both got in following the withdrawals of India’s H.S. Prannoy and South Korea’s Jeon Hyeok-jin.

Daren takes on Kuala Lumpur SEA Games champion Jonatan Christie of Indonesia today and is eyeing an upset against the world No. 14 in their first-ever duel.

The first round of the men’s singles matches are being played over two days.

“I wasn’t hopeful because I didn’t think top players will pull out from a Super 750-rated event (third tier of the World Tour). The players will be fined for withdrawing,” said Daren.

“I just couldn’t believe my luck. I’m so pumped up now. I’ll make the most of it,” said the world No. 39.

Daren lost to Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen in the first round last year and will try to go one step better this time.

“Jonatan is a very good attacking player, so I must not give him too much room to attack. If I can do that, then I may stand a chance of beating him,” he said.

Daren’s best outing in the Malaysian Open was reaching the quarter-finals in 2013. He will be hoping to replicate his outstanding performance in the Malaysian Masters at the same venue earlier in January when he made it to the last four before losing to reigning world champion Axelsen.