# Seventh seeds Soon Huat-Jemie in shock defeat in mixed doubles
# Jin Wei beats Yu Po in the first round in women’s singles
It was a bright start for Malaysian hot-shot Lee Chong Wei in his quest for his 12th Malaysian Open title when he breezed past Japan’s Kazumasa Sakai in the first round 21-13, 21-10 win in 33 minutes.
The win for Chong Wei was his fifth over the Japanese in as many outings and the 35-year-old Malaysian next faces South Korean Lee Hyun Il. The Korean stopped Thailand’s Suppanyu Avinhingsanon 21-18, 21-13.
Chen Long fell to Thailand’s rising youngster Kantaphon Wangcharoen in straight games 23-21, 21-5 on a day when defending champion Lin Dan was in a class of own in his 21-17, 21-8 win in 37 minutes over Hong Kong’s Vincent Wong Wing Ki.
With the win, Lin Dan set up a second-round clash against compatriot and All-England champion Shi Yuqi. Yuqi had to bring out his best with a hard-fought 24-22, 21-17 win over England veteran Rajic Ouseph in 41 minutes.
World No 1 and top seed Viktor Axelsen was also stretched to the limit in his three-game 21-17, 18-21, 21-13 win over Thailand’s Khosit Phetpradap in a match which lasted nearly an hour.
Former junior world champion Goh Jin Wei got her Malaysia Open campaign to a winning start with a 21-13, 21-17 win over Hong Kong’s Pai Yu Po in 42 minutes.
Others who won their first-round matches in the women’s singles were India’s Saina Nehwal and Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara who defeated Hong Kong’s Yip Pui Yin (21-12, 21-16) and China’s Chen Yufei (15-21, 21-15, 21-11 respectively.
Meanwhile, in the mixed doubles, the seventh seeds fell to a 21-18, 15-21, 14-21 defeat to Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh. RIZAL ABDULLAHÂ