PETALING JAYA: It was a good day for Malaysia in the doubles department with all three men’s pairs progressing to the last 16 of the Swiss Open in Basel.
It was a relief to German Open champions Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani as they managed to clear their first-round hurdle on Wednesday.
Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin overcame Danes Emil Lauritzen-Mads Vestergaard 21-9, 21-13.
They will take on another Danish pair Jeppe Bay-Lasse Molhede for a place in the quarter-finals.
Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin were eliminated in the first round of the All-England Open last week.
Tokyo Olympics bronze medallists Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik also did not encounter any trouble as they beat Algerians Mohd Abderrahime-Adel Hamek 21-11, 21-13.
Aaron-Wooi Yik, seeded second in the tournament and hunting for their first Open title on the World Tour, will meet India’s Bokka Navaneeth-B. Sumeeth Reddy in the second round.
There was also joy for world No. 11 Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi as they survived a tricky first-round encounter against French pair Christo Popov-Toma Junior Popov 21-19, 17-21, 21-17.
Yew Sin-Ee Yi will play Scotland’s Alexander Dunn-Adam Hall for a place in the last eight.
The sixth seeded Yew Sin-Ee Yi and Aaron-Wooi Yik will be hoping to impress in the Swiss Open after exiting in the early stage of the All-England last week.
Hungry: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik are still hunting for their first Open title on the World Tour.
Yew Sin-Ee Yi and Aaron-Wooi Yik certainly have a chance to bring cheers for Malaysia this week with the top Indonesian pairings crashing out in the first round.
The path to the semis are there for the taking for the Malaysian pairs with the entire Chinese team having pulled out earlier because of Covid-19 concerns.
Indonesia’s reigning All-England champions Mohd Shohibul Fikri-Bagas Maulan tripped up against Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, going down in the first round 21-17, 11-21, 18-21.
It was a bad day for the Indonesian team as top seed and All-England runners-up Mohd Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan also exited in the first round. Ahsan-Hendra conceded a walkover to their younger teammates Leo Rolly Carnando-Daniel Marthin.
Women’s doubles pair Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien beat fellow Malaysians Go Pei Kee-Yap Ling 21-17, 21-9 to advance to the second round, where they will face Low Yeen Yuan-Valeree Siow.
Yeen Yuan-Valeree reached the second round without lifting their racquets after China’s top seeds Chen Qingchen-Jia Yi Fan withdrew from the tournament.
RESULTS
* Malaysians only
First round
Women’s singles: S. Kisona bt Nadia Fankhauser (Swi) 21-13, 21-11.
Men’s doubles: Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani bt Emil Lauritzen-Mads Vestergaard (Den) 21-9, 21-13;
Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik bt Mohd Abderrahime-Adel Hamek (Alg) 21-11, 21-13; Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi bt Christo Popov-Toma Junior Popov (Fra) 21-19, 17-21, 21-17.
Women’s doubles: Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien bt Go Pei Kee-Yap Ling 21-17, 21-9.
