On to the last eight: Wong Ling Ching upstaged Canada’s Michelli Li 21-17, 16-21, 21-19 in the second round of the Japan Masters.
PETALING JAYA: Women’s singles shuttler Wong Ling Ching stole the show in the Japan Masters when she pulled off a sensational win over Canada’s world No. 15 Michelle Li to reach the quarter-finals.
World No. 63 Ling Ching started as the underdog against the experienced Michelle but defied the odds with a hard fought 21-17, 16-21, 21-19 victory in 62 minutes at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium.
It was a huge breakthrough for the 22-year-old, who made it into the last eight of a World Tour Super 500 competition for the first time.
Singles coach K. Yogendran praised Ling Ching, saying she has become a more consistent player.
“Ling Ching has improved a lot. Before this, she was inconsistent but now I can see she is more consistent on her game plan and she is more disciplined on court,” said Yogendran.
“She knows what to do and what she should not do. I hope today’s (yesterday) win will give her a boost and give her more confidence and help her to grow into a better player.
“Let’s try our best again in the quarter-finals tomorrow (today).”
It was Ling Ching’s first win over a player ranked in the world’s top 20 and earned her the right to take on Thailand’s world No. 9 and former world champion Ratchanok Intanon in the last eight.
The Sarawakian was the only Malaysian in the singles to reach the quarter-finals after K. Letshanaa and independent men’s singles player Jacky Kok bowed out.
Letshanaa narrowly went down 22-24, 18-21 to Taiwan’s Chiu Pin-chian while Jacky, who came through the qualifying round, lost 20-22, 11-21 to homester Kenta Nishimoto.
In the men’s doubles, world No. 37 Mohd Haikal Nazri-Choong Hon Jian brought the biggest cheers when they came from behind to topple Taiwan’s world No. 22 Liu Kuang-heng-Yang Po-han 14-21, 21-17, 21-19.
Hon Jian-Haikal will face another Taiwanese duo Wang Chi-lin-Chiu Hsiang-chieh next.
Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi also progressed after overcoming home pair Takumi Nomura-Yuichi Shimogami 21-11, 21-19 to set up a last eight clash against another Japanese duo Kyohei Yamashita-Hiroki Midorikawa.
Yamashita-Midorikawa prevented an all-Malaysian quarter-final after overcoming Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi 21-17, 10-21, 21-14.
In the women’s doubles, World Championships silver medallists Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah continued their fine form this year by sweeping aside South Korea’s Jeong Na-eun-Lee Yeon-woo 21-14, 21-9.
Top seeds Pearly-Thinaah will play Taiwan’s seventh seeds Hsu Yin-hui-Lin Jhih-yun next.
Malaysia’s challenge in the mixed doubles though came to an end after Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin and Jimmy Wong-Lai Pei Jing crashed out.
World No. 20 Pang Ron-Su Yin fought hard before losing 21-14, 12-21, 17-21 to Thailand’s world No. 3 Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran.
World No. 29 Jimmy-Pei Jing fell 17-21, 14-21 to Taiwan’s world No. 17 Ye Hong-wei-Nicole Chan.
SECOND ROUND RESULTS
Malaysians only
Men’s singles: Kenta Nishimoto (Jpn) bt Jacky Kok 22-20, 21-11.
Men’s doubles: Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani bt Keiichiro Matsui-Katsuki Tamate (Jpn) 21-23, 21-13, 26-24; Mohd Haikal Nazri-Choong Hon Jian bt Liu Kuang-heng-Yang Po-han (Tpe) 14-21, 21-17, 21-19; Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi bt Takumi Nomura-Yuichi Shimogami (Jpn) 21-11, 21-19; Kyohei Yamashita-Hiroki Midorikawa (Jpn) bt Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi 21-17, 10-21, 21-14; Kakeru Kumagai-Hiroki Nishi (Jpn) bt Tan Wee Kiong-Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub 21-13, 21-11.
Women’s singles: Wong Ling Ching bt Michelle Li (Can) 21-17, 16-21, 21-19; Chiu Pin-chian (Tpe) bt K. Letshanaa 24-22, 21-18.
Women’s doubles: Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah bt Jeong Na-eun-Lee Yeon-woo (Kor) 21-14, 21-9; Rui Hirokami-Sayaka Hobara (Jpn) bt Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting 21-12, 21-9.
Mixed doubles: Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran (Tha) bt Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin 14-21, 21-12, 21-17; Ye Hong-wei-Nicole Chan (Tpe) bt Jimmy Wong-Lai Pei Jing 21-17, 21-14.
