PETALING JAYA: Mixed doubles pair Jimmy Wong-Lai Pei Jing are now aiming for their seventh final appearance of the year and to achieve that, they will have to overcome home duo An Yun-seong-Lee Yu-lim in the semi-finals of the Korean Masters today.
Third seeds Jimmy and Pei Jing had little trouble continuing their fine run after easing past Thailand’s Phuwanat Horbanluekit-Benyapa Aimsaard 21-10, 21-12 in the quarter-final match held at the Wonkwang University Cultural and Sports Center.
However, they cannot afford to assume the same outcome in the semi-final even though their opponents, Yun-seong and Yu-lim, are a newly formed pair.
The Korean pair have only played in three tournaments together since being paired up in August this year, but they have already made an impact by winning the Saipan International in the Northern Marianas, their first tournament together.
Although Yun-seong may not be as accomplished as his sister, women’s singles world No. 1 An Se-young, he is still capable of posing a threat to Jimmy and Pei Jing.
Yun-seong and Yu-lim reached the semi-finals after stunning sixth seeds Akira Koga-Hina Osawa 21-16, 23-25, 21-18 in the quarter-finals yesterday.
If Jimmy-Pei Jing manage to reach the final, it will bring them one step closer to their mission of capturing their first title since being paired up in April.
Earlier in the men’s doubles event, professional pair Chia Wei Jie-Lwi Sheng Hao saw their run come to an end after going down 15-21, 15-21 to third seeds Chen Zhi Yi-Presley Smith of the United States.
