#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.
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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.
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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.
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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.Ā
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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.Ā Jing Yi will now face Indonesia’s Maria Febe Kusumastuti.
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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.
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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 RESULTSĀ
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
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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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