PETALING JAYA: The withdrawal of shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik have shifted the limelight to Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani in the Hong Kong Open.
Aaron-Wooi Yik have pulled out of the men’s doubles event to rest and recover fully for the Asian Games after the latter came down with high fever last Saturday.
Wooi Yik’s condition wrecked the duo’s hopes of capturing the China Open title on Sunday and they are not about to jeopardise their chances in their maiden Asiad as well.
“Wooi Yik is getting better now but he does not feel he is fully fit yet. So, we decided to let them rest and prepare for the Asiad,” said national men’s doubles coach Tan Bin Shen.
Their withdrawal saw teammates Sze Fei-Izzuddin getting a free ride into the second round at the Hong Kong Coliseum in Kowloon yesterday.
The duo, who competed in the Australian Open last month, will face Taiwan’s world No. 20 Lee Jhe-huei-Yang Po-hsuan for a quarter-final berth.
Bin Shen has urged world No. 41 Sze Fei-Izzuddin to make the most of the opportunity.
“They need to take their chances and go all out in their matches,” said Bin Shen.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin are the only Malaysian men’s doubles pair left standing in the tournament after qualifiers Chia Weijie-Liew Xun gave a good account of themselves before going down 22-20, 12-21, 13-21 to Taiwan’s reigning Olympic champions Lee Yang-Wang Chi-lin.
In the women’s doubles, Anna Cheong-Teoh Mei Xing set up an all-Malaysian second round match against Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah after overcoming Taiwan’s Chang Ching-hui-Yang Ching-tun 21-15, 9-21, 21-15.
There was also joy for Malaysia in the mixed doubles when three pairs made it into the second round.
Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei justified their recent rise to their career high No. 9 in the world by beating India’s B. Sumeeth Reddy-Ashwini Ponnappa 21-16, 16-21, 21-18 to set up a meeting against Chinese scratch pairing Guo Xinwa-Wei Yaxin next.
Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing will face Japanese pair Hiroki Midorikawa-Natsu Saito while fellow independent shuttlers Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie will meet either China’s Jiang Zhenbang-Li Qian or Taiwan’s Po-hsuan-Hu Ling-fang next.
RESULTS
(Malaysians only)
First round
Men’s singles: Ng Tze Yong bt Chou Tien-chen (Tpe) 21-15, 21-19; Leong Jun Hao bt Lin Chun-yi (Tpe) 22-20, 21-15.
Men’s doubles: Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani w.o. Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik; Lee Yang-Wang Chi-lin (Tpe) bt Chia Weijie-Liew Xun 20-22, 12-21, 13-21.
Women’s singles: Yeo Jia Min (Sin) bt S. Kisona 21-11, 21-12; Goh Jin Wei bt Line Kjaersfeldt (Den) 23-25, 21-13, 21-14.
Women’s doubles: Anna Cheong-Teoh Mei Xing bt Chang Ching-hui-Yang Ching-tun (Tpe) 21-15, 9-21, 21-15.
Mixed doubles: Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei bt B. Sumeeth Reddy-Ashwini Ponnappa (Ind) 21-16, 16-21, 21-18; Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing bt Kyohei Yamashita-Naru Shinoya (Jpn) 21-15, 21-17; Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie bt Yuki Kaneko-Misaki Matsutomo (Jpn) 21-14, 21-9; Guo Xinwa-Wei Yaxin (Chn) bt Chan Peng Soon-Cheah Yee See 21-15, 21-5.
