PETALING JAYA: Independent shuttlers Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing gave themselves a much needed boost after making it into the second round of the China Open.
The mixed doubles duo, who have been struggling for form this year, shrugged off their recent woes to beat compatriots Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie 25-23, 21-15 in the first round at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in Changzhou yesterday.
The win is timely for Kian Meng-Pei Jing as they face a fight to remain in the 2024 Paris Olympics Road to Gold (RTG) programme after they had slumped to No. 23 in the latest world rankings.
The pair will likely have only this tournament and the Hong Kong Open next week to save themselves from being dropped from the programme as the RTG committee are set to meet after the Asian Games in Hangzhou (Sept 23-0ct 8) to review the athletes’ performances.
Kian Meng-Pei Jing have not been chosen for the Asiad.
While the duo live to fight another day, it was another blow for Soon Huat-Shevon, who had been overtaken by rising national pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei as Malaysia’s No. 1 recently.
Soon Huat-Shevon dropped one rung to No. 12 in the world after losing in the third round of the recent World Championships in Copenhagen while the latter, who reached the quarter-finals, rose to No. 11.
Soon Huat-Shevon were ahead 6-2 in the head-to-head records with Kian Meng-Pei Jing and had come out on top in their last three encounters but could not raise their game this time.
Meanwhile, women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah survived a scare before booking their spot in the second round by defeating Holland’s Debora Jille-Cheryl Seinen 17-21, 21-17, 21-10.
“Pearly-Thinaah were a bit uncertain at the start of the match and did not get into their rhythm but they were braver in the next two games,” said doubles coach Hoon Thien How.
Pearly-Thinaah will take on Japan’s world No. 4 Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota next for a place in the last eight.
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