PETALING JAYA: The withdrawal of China’s world No. 1 Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang from the Japan Masters does not make it any easier for national pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun were slated to face Weikeng-Wang Chang in the second round but the latter decided to pull out of the tourney.
The Malaysians will instead take on Indonesia’s world No. 5 Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto in the second round.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun though nearly suffered a shock defeat in their opening match against French brothers Christo Popov-Toma Junior Popov before prevailing 21-18, 21-23, 21-19 in 59 minutes in Kumamoto yesterday.
The world No. 14 will need to raise their game to have any hope of causing an upset over Fajar-Rian after their narrow escape.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun have never beaten the Indonesians before, losing all three of their previous clashes.
Meanwhile, Malaysia are assured of a quarter-finalist in the men’s doubles after independent pairs Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and Tan Wee Kiong-Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub set up a meeting in the second round following victories over Taiwanese pairs.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin beat Lin Bing-wei-Su Ching-heng 21-12, 21-17 while Wee Kiong-Azriyn ousted Chang Ko-chi-Chen Xin-yuan 21-9, 21-18.
Youngsters Mohd Haikal Nazri-Choong Hon Jian and Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi, however, suffered early exits.
Hon Jian-Haikal lost out 15-21, 17-21 to Taiwan’s Liu Kuang-heng-Yang Po-han while Roy King-Arif went down 14-21, 15-21 to homesters and 2021 world champions Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi.
Meanwhile, Korean Masters champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik will open their campaign today against Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard-Mads Vestergaard.
In the women’s doubles, national No. 1 Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah’s campaign ended early when they went down fighting 9-21, 21-14, 21-23 at the hands of newly formed home combination Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsumoto.
Matsumoto is a former two-time world champion with Wakana Nagahara while Fukushima won three silver medals in the world meet with Sayaka Hirota.
Pearly-Thinaah led 19-15 in the third game but could not hold on to their advantage against the tricky pair.
