Pumped up: Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and Goh Sze Fei upstaged world champions Kang Min-hyuk-Seo Seung-jae of South Korea in the first round. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
PETALING JAYA: National coaching director Rexy Mainaky was happy to see two men pairs through to the quarter-finals of the Asian Championships in Ningbo, China.
Former world champions and world No. 5 Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik defeated Japan’s Kenya Mitsuhashi-Kiroki Okamura 21-18, 14-21, 21-14 in the second round on Thursday. It was their first meeting against the world No. 25 Japanese pair.
Aaron-Wooi Yik will now play China’s Liu Yuchen-Ou Xuanyi next in the quarter-finals.
Thomas Cup hopefuls Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani also checked into the last eight. They will face Olympic champions Lee Yang-Wang Chi-lin of Taiwan next.
They had easy ride into the quarter-finals after their second round opponents He Jiting-Ren Xiangyu retired after losing the first game 11-21.
A day earlier, Sze Fei-Izzuddin had upstaged world champions and second seeds Kang Min-hyuk-Seo Seung-jae of South Korea in the first round.
Said Rexy: "Sze Fei-Izzuddin did well to beat the world champions and I hope they will keep their good run going here."
Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun could have made it a triple joy but lost 18-21, 17-21 to Lee Jhe-huei-Yang Po-hsuan of Taiwan in the second round.
