Well done. Tan Kian Meng-Shevon Lai Jemie are through to the semis of the World Tour Finals.
PETALING JAYA: Indonesian veterans Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan stand in the way of Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi's fine run in the World Tour Finals.
On Friday, independent shuttlers Yew Sin-Ee Yi put up a remarkable show to beat world No. 3 Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto of Indonesia 10-21, 21-17, 21-19 to emerge as the Group A champions in Bangkok. It was their first win against the hotshots this year after losing in four previous meetings.
In a draw conducted after the group stage, Yew Sin-Ee Yi have been drawn to play the former world champions Ahsan-Hendra. The Malaysians have beaten the Indonesians once in four meetings and their only win was achieved way back in 2019.
Said a delighted Yew Sin: "We're happy with the win. The hope was to qualify for the semis. Throughout the year, they (Alfian-Rian) have been fantastic but we didn't think so much about the past, we knew we had a chance today."
In the mixed doubles, Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing was thrilled to make the semi-finals.
They defeated Supak Jomkoh-Supissara Paewsampran of Thailand 21-17, 22-20 to finish second in Group A. Only the top two in each group advance to the top four elimination round.
They however, have been drawn to face Olympic Games silver medal winners Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong of China. The independent shuttlers have lost in all their last seven encounters.
Siwei-Yaqiong received a walkover from Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie in an earlier Group A match.
Said Shevon: "We had to withdraw as Soon Huat has been sick. He has been ill since Wednesday morning, in fact, he even vomited after the opening match. He insisted on completing the group matched but today, he just could not cope."
"He is slightly better after getting treated in the hospital but the body is still weak."
Besides Soon Huat-Shevon, the other Malaysians who failed to clear the group stage are reigning world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik (men's doubles), Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah and Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien (women's doubles).
DRAW
Men's singles: Viktor Axelsen (Den) vs Kodai Naraoka (Jpn); Anthony Ginting (Ina) vs Jonatan Christie (Ina).
Men's doubles: Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi (Mas) vs Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan (Ina); Liu Yuchen-Ou Xuanyi (Chn) vs Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto (Ina).
Women's singles: Chen Yufei (Chn) vs Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn); He Bingjiao (Chn) vs Tai Tzu-ying (Tpe).
Women's doubles: Benyapa Aimsaard-Nuntakarn Aimsaard (Tha) vs Jeong Na-eun-Kim Hye-jeong (Kor); Chen Qingchen-Jia Yifan (Chn) vs Zhang Shuxian-Zheng Yu (Chn).
Mixed doubles: Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong (Chn) vs Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing (Mas); Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Tha) vs Rinov Rivaldy-Pitha Haningtyas (Ina).
RESULTS
Men's singles
Group A: H.S. Prannoy (Ind) bt Viktor Axelsen (Den) 14-21, 21-17, 21-18; Kodai Naraoka (Jpn) bt Lu Guangzu (Chn) 21-19, 21-15.
Group B: Jonatan Christie (Ina) bt Chou Tien-chen (Tpe) 21-13, 12-21, 21-17; Anthony Ginting (Ina) bt Loh Kean Yew (Sin) 21-12, 23-21.
Men's doubles
Group A: Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi (Mas) bt Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto (Ina) 10-21, 21-17, 21-19; Choi Sol-gyu-Kim Won-ho (Kor) bt Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi (Jpn) 21-11, 21-19.
Group B: Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen (Den) bt Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik (Mas) 21-19, 23-21; Liu Yuchen-Ou Xuanyi (Chn) bt Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan (Ina) 21-13, 21-18.
Women' singles
Group A: Chen Yufei (Chn) bt An Se-young (Kor) 21-16, 21-12; Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn) bt Gregoria Mariska (Ina) 21-15, 13-21, 21-18.
Group B: He Bingjiao (Chn) bt Busanan Ongbamrungphan (Tha) 8-21, 22-20, 21-13; Tai Tzu-ying (Tpe) bt Ratchanok Intanon (Tha) 21-10, 12-21, 21-7.
Women's doubles
Group A: Benyapa Aimsaard-Nuntakarn Aimsaard (Tha) bt Jeong Na-eun-Kim Hye-jeong (Kor) 21-15, 21-8; Jongkolphan Kititharakul-Rawinda Prajongjai (Tha) bt Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien (Mas) 21-10, 21-17.
Group B: Chen Qingchen-Jia Yifan (Chn) bt Apriyani Rahayu-Siti Fadia (Ina) 21-16, 21-16; Zhang Shuxian-Zheng Yu (Chn) bt Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah (Mas) 21-19, 20-22, 21-9.
Mixed doubles
Group A: Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong (Chn) w,o. Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie (Mas); Rinov Rivaldy-Pitha Haningtyas (Ina) bt Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue (Fra) 14-21, 21-17, 24-22.
Group B: Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Tha) bt Wang Yilyu-Huang Dongping (Chn) 23-21, 21-13; Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing (Mas) bt Supak Jomkoh-Supissara Paewsampran (Tha) 21-17, 22-20.
