#V Shem-Wee Kiong upset Chinese sixth seeds in men’s doubles
# Kien Keat-Boon Heong ease into second round
# Both pairs in women’s doubles first round casualties
It was a day of mixed fortunes for Malaysian shuttlers in the first round of the USD275,000 Yonex French Open Superseries in Paris on Wednesday.
Malaysia’s Olympic hope Datuk Lee Chong Wei breezed into the second round with an effortless 21-7, 21-15 win over local hope Brice Leverdez in 38 minutes to set up a second round clash against Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen.
The lanky Dane, seeded seven, snuffed out Hong Kong’s Wei Nan in his first round match with a three set 21-13, 16-21, 21-11 win in 51 minutes. Wei Nan was the man who stopped Chong Wei in the second round in last week’s Yonex Denmark Open in Odense.
However the shock of the day was World No 3 and third seed Lin Dan’s defeat in the first round. The Chinese superstar, a five-time world champion and two Olympic gold medallist was dumped by World No 16 H.S. Prannoy of India 14-21, 21-11, 21-17 after a titanic 71 minute battle.
Malaysia are also alive in the women’s singles when Tee Jing Yi advanced to the second round at the expense of seventh seed Sung Ji-hyun of South Korea who retired after only three minutes with the score 4-2 in the Malaysian’s favour. Jing Yi will now face Indonesia’s Maria Febe Kusumastuti.
However, it was the end of the road for Malaysia’s second ranked player Chong Wei Feng. Wei Feng who had to come through the qualifying rounds for a place in the main draw lost tamely to Japanese veteran Sho Sasaki who won 21-18, 21-11 in 40 minutes – his second successive first round exit after losing in the Thailand Open.
Malaysia’s top men’s doubles pair Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong pulled off an upset against sixth seeds Chai Biao-Hong Wei of China in the first round. The Malaysians won a three-set thriller 21-16, 16-21, 21-12 in 53 minutes.
Privateers Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong also powered into the second round with an easy 21-16, 21-17 in 37 minutes over England’s Andrew Ellis-Peter Mills . The former All-England and Asian Games champions next face Japan’s 5th seeds Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa.
However, both the Malaysian pairs in the women’s doubles were first round casualties.
SEA Games champions Amelia Alicia Anscelly-Soong Fie Cho were bundled out by the Korean pair of Chae Yoo-jung-Kim So Yeong 21-14, 21-16 in 46 minutes. Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei fell to a 21-19, 19-21, 21-10 defeat to third seeds Christinna Pedersen-Kamilla Rhytter Juhl of Denmark.
SELECTED FIRST ROUND RESULTS
MEN
SINGLES
Datuk Lee Chong Wei (Mas) beat Brice Leverdez (Fra) 21-7, 21-15
Sho Sasaki (Jpn) beat Chong Wei Feng (Mas) 21-18, 21-11
Tian Houwei (Chn) beat K. Srikanth (Ind) 21-15, 13-21, 21-8
H.S. Prannoy (Ind) beat Lin Dan (Chn) 14-21, 21-11, 21-17
Kento Momota (Jpn) beat Son Wan-ho (Kor) 21-15, 21-17
Viktor Axelsen (Den) beat Wei Nan (Hkg) 21-13, 16-21, 21-11
DOUBLES
Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong (Mas) beat Chai Biao-Hong Wei (Chn) 21-16, 16-21, 21-12
Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (Mas) beat Andrew Ellis- Peter Mills (Eng) 21-16, 21-17
WOMEN
SINGLES
Tee Jing Yi (Mas) beat Sung Ji-hyun (Kor) 4-2 (retired)
Saina Nehwal (Ind) beat Michelle Li (Can) 21-18, 21-13
Nozomi Okuhara (Jpn) beat Sun Yu (Chn) 21-11, 21-18
Carolina Marin (Spn) beat Iris Wang (USA) 21-12, 21-13
Wang Shixian (Chn) beat P.V. Sindhu (INd) 21-10, 21-11
DOUBLES
Chae Yoo-jung-Kim So Yeong (Kor) beat Amelia Alicia Anscelly (Mas) 21-14, 21-16
Christinna Pedersen-Kamilla Rhytter Juhl (Den) beat Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei (Mas) 19-21, 21-19, 21-10
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