Last minute inclusion Cheam June Wei made the main draw in the Badminton Asia Championships in Wuhan, China after winning both his qualifying round matches on Tuesday.
 
However, the 22-year-old Penangite nearly bit the dust at the Wuhan Sports Center Gymnasium in his second match against Sri Lanka veteran Olympian Niluka Karunaratne.
 
It was touch and go affair in the 62-minute decider before June Wei prevailed 21-11, 19-21, 21-18 to earn a first-round match against Thailand’s Sitthikom Thammasin.
 
In the first match June Wei, who made the trip to Wuhan after head coach Datuk Misbun Sidek dropped Lee Zii Jia, eased past Iran’s Amir Jabbari 21-13, 21-14.
 
“I was nervous against Niluka after my opponent changed his play style and won the second to force a decider. Luckily I managed to keep my cool and kept pace to win,” said June Wei.
 
June Wei goes into the match against Thammasin on equal footing with the head-to-head count standing at 1-1 in their previous two meetings.
 
“The win over Niluka has given me some confidence and I hope to stay alive in Wuhan. I am slowly getting back my rhythm after injuries nearly floored my badminton career.”
 
Meanwhile, in the mixed doubles, fifth seeds Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying cleared the first hurdle after coming through three-games to prevail 13-21, 22-20, 21-18 in 57 minutes against Singapore’s Danny Bawa Chrisnanta-Tan Wei Har.
 
“It was not a good game for us. I am still recovering from cough and fever but still, it is good to win the first match,” said Liu Ying.
 
Two other Malaysian pairs – Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing and Chen Tang Jie-Peck Yen Wei – fell at the first hurdle.
 
Kian Meng-Pei Jing ranked 38, came unstuck against top seeds and world No 1 Zheng Siwei who won 21-12, 14-21, 21-15 – a defeat that could spoil their hopes of playing in the Sudirman Cup next month.
 
Tang Jie-Yen Wei went out in straight games – losing to Hong Kong China’s Yeung Ming Nok-Ng Tsz Yau 15-21, 21-17. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
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