Tommy Sugiarto concedes match due to back injury
Making a comeback after a two-year absence, Chinese superstar Lin Dan marched into the second round in his bid to win the elusive Malaysia Open title in only two minutes and did not even raised a sweat before his first round opponent Tommy Sugiarto retired after conceding the first two points with a back injury in the Maybank Malaysia Open Super Series Premier.
The crowd at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil was left disappointed as Super Dan shook hands with the Indonesian after Tommy conceded the match at 2-0 due to a back injury that had also forced him to retire in his semi-final match against Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen in the semi-finals in last week’s India Open.
For the record, Tommy, son of former Indonesian ace Icuk Sugiarto, had beaten Lin Dan in the quarter-finals of the Indian Open winning 21-17, 15-21, 21-17 after a 78 minute battle. However, Tommy called quits in the semi-finals against Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen after winning the first set 24-22 and was down 11-17 when he picked up a back injury.
“The injury is not new. It is an old injury. The doctor told me I need at least a week’s rest but I came for the Malaysian Open after feeling better. But I found my movements on court restricted. Now I will return to Jakarta for further treatment and hope to be ready for the Singapore Open (April 7-12),” said Tommy.
Lin Dan, who has a large following in the country hurriedly posed some pictures and signed autographs, as he made his exit but not before saying: “I have not played in the Malaysia Open in the last two years and had hoped to win the fans over today but it turned out to be a short lived match.
“I will have more to talk tomorrow.”
Lin Dan’s second round opponent is India’s H. S. Prannoy who defeated Ireland’s Scott Evan 22-20, 21-18 in his first round match.
Qualifier Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka of Indonesia was another first round winner when he surprised Vietnam veteran Nguyen Tien Minh with a 18-21, 21-11, 21-14 win while second seeded Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark tamed South Korea’s Lee Hyun Il 21-11, 21-17 in 34 minutes to earn a second round match against Japan’s Kenichi Tago.
Kenichi had beaten Hong Kong’s Vincent Wong Wing Kit 21-16, 12-21, 21-17.
