# Chong Wei to face Viktor Axelsen in quarter-finals
# Three All England champions beaten
# Peng Soon-Liu Ying in mixed doubles quarter-finals
Datuk Lee Chong Wei is in the quarter-finals in the USD550,000 Celcom Axiata Malaysia Open – and the semi-finals is his for the taking if the logistics are anything to go by.
However, the Malaysian ace chasing his 11th Malaysia Open title, is not taking past records as the yardstick for his quarter-final clash against Denmark;s Viktor Axelsen fin Friday’s quarter-finals.
On Thursday the Malaysian Olympic hopeful sent South Korean veteran Son Wan-ho packing with a 21-18, 21-12 win in the second round and was quick to admit that it was a “tough match” for him as he took his head-to-head tally to an impressive 9-1 in his favour.
And it is equally impressive figures against Axelsen – a 7-0 tally.
“I have an impressive count against Viktor and I don’t want to spoil my unbeaten record, more so on my home soil and in front of my home supporters,” said Chong Wei.
Malaysia also celebrated a quarter-final berth in the mixed doubles quarter-finals when New Zealand Open winners Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying upset fifth seeds Xu Chen-Man Jin of China with a 23-21, 21-6 win.
“We did not expect to reach this far. However, I must admit that our game improved and our confidence soared after we won the New Zealand Open. We hope to ride on this momentum,” said Liu Ying.
In the quarter-finals the Malaysian pair will take on Thailand’s Puavaranukrih Dechapol-Sapsiree Taerattanachai who stunned third seeds Liu Cheng-Bao Yixin of China in a three set thriller before prevailing 22-20, 18-21, 21-17.
The Malaysians have won both their previous two encounters with the Thais.
Thursday also saw the fall of three All-England champions – women’s singles champion Nozomi Okuhara, mixed doubles champion Praveen Jordan-Debby Susanto and men’s doubles champions Vladimir Ivanov-Ivan Sozonov.
Second Round Results (Selected)
Men’s singles
Lin Dan (Chn) beat Boonsak Ponsana (Tha) 21-15, 21-9
Christie Jonatan (Ina) beat Hu Yun (Hkg) 21-13, 21-11
Lee Chong Wei (Mas) beat Son Wan-ho (Kor) 21-18, 21-12
Viktor Axelsen (Den) beat Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk (Tha) 21-15, 21-11
Men’s doubles
Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa (Jpn) beat Hoon Thien How-Teo Kok Siang (Mas) 18-21, 24-22, 21-15
Lee Yong-dae-Yoo Yeon-seong (Kor) beat Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong (Mas) 21-13, 21-11
Mads Conrad-Petersen-Mads Pieler Kolding (Den) beat Vladimir Ivanov-IUvan Sozonov (Rus) 21-12, 21-8
Ko Sung-hyun-Shin Baek-cheol (Kor) beat Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (Mas) 20-22, 21-11, 22-20
Women’s singles
Carolina Marin (Spn) beat Tee Jing Yi (Mas) 21-13, 22-20
Saina Nehwal (Ind) beat Bae-Yeon-ju (Kor) 21-10, 21-16
Porntip Buranaprasertsuk (Tha) beat Nozomi Okuhara (Jpn) 21-12, 22-20
Women’s doubles
Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi (Jpn) beat Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei (Mas) 21-19, 25-23
Mixed Doubles
Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying (Mas) beat Xu Chen-Ma Jin (Chn) 23-21, 21-6
Danny Bawa Chrisnanta-Vanessa Neo (Sin) beat Praveen Jordan-Debby Susanto (Ina) 21-19, 21-14
