Just when things looked good for men’s doubles pair Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong after knocking out third seeds Liu Cheng-Zhang Nan in the first round the Malaysians fell flat in the second round in the USD400,000 Yonex Sunrise Hong Kong Open on Thursday.
V Shem-Wee Kiong failed to get past Indonesia’s Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan for a place in the quarter-finals, losing 16-21, 21-12, 21-12 in 42 minutes.
It was also a disastrous day for Malaysia in the mixed doubles at the Hong Kong Coliseum with Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing shown the exit by second seeds Wang Yilyu-Huang Dongping 21-11, 18-21, 21-6 in 52 minutes.
The Chinese had also beaten the Malaysian pair 21-15, 21-5 in the Fuzhou China Open in Fuzhou last week.
Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lei Jemie, the eighth seeds, fared no better in their second round match against Indonesians Praveen Jordan-Melati Daeva Oktavianti, going out tamely 14-21, 16-21 in 33 minutes.
Compatriot Kanta Tsuneyama stretched men’s singles top seed and world number one Kento Momota before succumbing to a 21-17, 17-21, 16-21 defeat in 68 minutes. Momota who won the China Open last week will face Asian Games champion Christie Jonatan in the quarter-finals.
An exciting clash is in store in the women’s singles quarter-finals. Top seed Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei will face three-time world champion and Olympics gold medallist Carolina Marin of Spain after a 17-21, 21-16, 21-9 win over home favorite Cheung Ngan Yi. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
- Advertisement - 
