Doubles save the day at home tourney

PETALING JAYA: National back-up men’s doubles pairs Beh Chun Meng-Goh Boon Zhe and Leong Jun Kai-Jimmy Wong saved the blushes for the country in the Malaysian International Series.

Both had set up an all-Malaysian semi-final yesterday after hard-fought victories at Arena Badminton Perak in Ipoh.

Chun Meng-Boon Zhe showed great fighting spirit and determination to battle past Thailand’s Peeratchai Sukphun-Pakkapon Teeraratsakul 21-14, 14-21, 21-19 in the last eight.

Not to be outdone, Jun Kai-Jimmy produced an equally valiant performance to overcome Taiwan’s Chen Cheng-kuan-Chen Sheng-fa 21-17, 20-22, 21-19.

While it was joy for both the men pairs, it was despair for all the other players in the tournament.

In the mixed doubles, Ng Eng Cheong-Teoh Lexuan blew a good opportunity to reach the last-four when they squandered four match points in the second game against Taiwan’s Ming Che-lu- Chung Kan-yu to lose 21-14, 24-22, 12-21.

It was a double disappointment for Lexuan when she and Ng Qi Xuan went down 10-21, 10-21 to China’s Liu Shengshu-Tan Ning in the women’s doubles.

Another mixed pair, Loo Bing Kun-Yap Cheng Wen also saw their campaign come to an end when they lost out 9-21, 17-21 to China’s Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin.

Malaysia’s challenge in the men’s singles also came to an end with the exits of Eogene Ewe and Lim Chi Wing.

Eogene, who did well a day earlier to stun Thailand’s World Junior Championships bronze medallist Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul in the third round, found China’s Lei Lanxi a tough nut to crack and succumbed 16-21, 12-21.

Chi Wing was upstaged by another Chinese, Liu Liang 17-21, 15-21.

QUARTER-FINALS RESULTS

Men’s singles: Lei Lanxi (Chn) bt Eogene Ewe 21-16, 21-12; Liu Liang (Chn) bt Lim Chi Wing 21-17, 21-15; Bobby Setiabudi (Ina) bt Chang Shih-chieh (Tpe) 22-20, 21-18; Syabda Perkasa (Ina) bt Yohanes Marcellyno (Ina) 21-14, 16-21, 21-14.

Men’s doubles: Beh Chun Meng-Goh Boon Zhe bt Sukphun-Pakkapon Teeraratsakul (Tha) 21-14, 14-21, 21-19; Leong Jun Kai-Jimmy Wong bt Chen Cheng-kuan-Chen Sheng-fa (Tpe) 21-17, 20-22, 21-19; Chen Boyang-Liu Yi (Chn) bt Mohd Haikal Nazri-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi 21-10, 21-6; Juan Elgiffani-Nendi Novatino (Ina) bt Chia Weijie-Low Hangyee 21-11, 21-12.

Women’s singles: Chen Lu (Chn) bt Chiang Ying-li (Tpe) 21-15, 18-21, 21-11; Chiu Pin-chian (Tpe) bt Aisyah Sativa (Ina) 21-16, 21-18; Gao Fangjie (Chn) bt Chen Su-yu (Tpe) 21-18, 21-13; Stephanie Widjaja (Ina) bt Saifi Rizka (Ina) 21-11, 18-21, 21-16.

Women’s doubles: Laksika Kanlaha-Phataimas Muenwong (Tha) bt Chung Kan-yu-Hung En-tze (Tpe) 21-11, 21-11; Liu Shengshu-Tan Ning (Chn) bt Ng Qi Xuan-Teoh Lexuan 21-10, 21-10; Cheng Yu-pei-Sun Wen-pei (Tpe) bt Chiang Ying-li-Ying Lin Ying-chun (Tpe) 16-21, 21-15, 21-13; Li Yijing-Luo Xumin (Chn) bt Fitriani Fitriani-Jesica Moeljati (Ina) 21-8, 21-7.

Mixed doubles: Ming Che-lu- Chung Kan-yu (Tpe) bt Ng Eng Cheong-Teoh Lexuan 14-21, 24-22, 21-12; Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin (Chn) bt Loo Bing Kun-Yap Cheng Wen 21-9, 21-17; Cheng Xing-Chen Fang Hui (Chn) bt Chen Sheng-fa-Sun Wen-pei (Tpe) 21-19, 21-16; Pakkapon Teeraratsakul-Phataimas Muenwong (Tha) bt Lin Yong-sheng-Kuo Yu-wen (Tpe) 21-14, 21-14.