Kang Khai Xing-Aaron Tai upstaged veteransGoh V Shem–Choi Sol-gyu to make the semifinals of the Men’s Doubles Allianz Super 100 here at the Indoor Arena Educity Sports Complex in Iskandar Puteri, Johor.
The pair of 19-year-olds Khai Xing and Aaron, who won the World Junior title last year, put up a more composed performance to etch the 21-19, 21-17 win over former Olympic silver medallist V Shem and partner Sol-gyu from Korea.
“It was a really tough game, but we are happy that we managed to upset them. Before we played against them (V Shem-Sol-gyu), we saw their matches, so we knew what to expect,” said Khai Xing.
Added Aaron: “We are happy that we are in the semifinals. For tomorrow, we hope that more spectators will come to the stadium and watch us play.”
In their semifinal tie tomorrow, it will be an all-Malaysia affair with the fourth-seeded Khai Xing-Aaron set to take on second-seeded Low Hang Yee-Ng Eng Cheong.
World No. 39 Hang Yee-Eng Cheong, who won the Malaysia Masters last year, did not struggle too much in their quarterfinal clash against fifth-seeded Cui He Chen-Peng Jian Qin from China.
It took Hang Yee-Eng Cheong 34 minutes to record the 21-16, 24-22 victory and a place in the next round.
In the meantime, Malaysia will have another representative in the other semifinal tie in Chia Wei Jie and Lwi Sheng Hao, who have been seeded third.
Wei Jie-Sheng Hao, who won the Guwahati Masters last year and then reached the quarter-finals of the recent China Masters, took less than half an hour to overcome the sixth-seeded Chinese pair Hu Ke Yuan-Lin Xiang Yi 21-11, 21-17.
In the semifinals, the Malaysian duo will take on top seed Kakeru Kumagai-Hiroki Nishi from Japan tomorrow.
