PETALING JAYA: Mixed doubles shuttlers Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei face a potential banana skin against the home pair Gao Jiaxuan-Wu Mengying in the second round of the China Open at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in Changzhou tomorrow.
Jiaxuan-Mengying, who only started playing together in World Tour events this year, pulled off a surprise when they took down another Malaysian pair Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin 21-15, 21-16 in the opening match
World No. 13 Pang Ron-Su Yin were hoping to set-up an all-Malaysian second-round match against Tang Jie-Ee Wei but could not raise their game and went down in just 29 minutes.
This was not the first time that world No. 39 Jiaxuan-Mengying had upstaged Pang Ron-Su Yin as they also won in the German Open second round in February.
The Chinese duo also proved that they are a new threat when they stunned Hong Kong’s world No. 5 Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet en route to reaching the final of the Thailand Open in May before finishing runners-up to world No. 1 teammates Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping.
Jiaxuan-Mengying have next set their sights on beating Tang Jie-Ee Wei in what will be the first meeting between both the pairs in an international tournament.
The world No. 4 duo, who booked their spot in the second round after ousting Americans Presley Smith-Jennie Gai 22-20, 21-12, need to be sharp to avoid an upset.
Meanwhile, independent pair Wong Tien Ci-Lim Chiew Sien were made to sweat in their first-round match against India’s Rohan Kapoor-Ruthvika Gadde before prevailing 25-27, 21-16, 21-14 in 64 minutes.
World No. 34 Tien Ci-Chiew Sien face an uphill battle next against Yanzhe-Dongping.
Another independent duo Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie will open their campaign today against Indonesia’s world No. 14 Jafar Hidayatullah-Felisha Pasaribu.
The world No. 6 pair will be hoping for another deep run in the tourney after finishing runners-up to Yanzhe-Dongping last year.
