PETALING JAYA: Mixed doubles professionals Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing cleared their first hurdle at the Australian Open after breezing past home ground players Sam Ephraim-Dania Nugroho, but the real fight for Jia Peng begins in the next round.
Yesterday, the world No. 19 Malaysians won their first-round fixture 21-13, 21-13 against the Australians in the Super 500 tournament.
Seeded fifth in the tournament, Kian Meng-Pei Jing have a good chance of making it far in the tournament after their recent good run.
At their last outing at the Indonesian Open last week, the pair reached the semi-finals before falling to fifth ranked Chinese pair Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin in the final four.
Kian Meng-Pei Jing will play Australians Adam Jeffrey-Justine Villegas in the second round today.
Pei Jing will then have to fight on two fronts, as she will then switch over to the women’s doubles with Lim Chiew Sien to take on India’s Rutaparna Panda-Swetaparna Panda. The pair received a first-round bye.
Also making it to the second round are mixed doubles pair Yap Roy King-Valeree Siow who thrashed Vincent Lawrencio-Louisa Ma of Australia.
They took just 18 minutes to win 21-4, 21-5 and will meet Hong Kong’s Reginald Lee-Ng Tsz Yau in the second round today.
Meanwhile, Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin also advanced after beating Tarun Kona-K. Priya 21-6, 21-11.
They will meet China’s Zhenbang-Yaxin, who are fresh off their Indonesian Open win, in the second round today.
Mixed doubles pair Choong Hon Jian-Go Pei Kee also booked their spot in the round of 16 after winning 24-26, 21-17, 21-14 against Rehan Naufal-Lisa Ayu of Indonesia and will meet Timotius Elbert-Maureen Clarissa of Australia today.
However, the tournament ended in the opening round for mixed doubles duo Wong Tien Ci-Lim Chiew Sien. They could not get past India’s Sumeeth Reddy-Sikki Reddy, losing 17-21, 19-21.
