Siti Zulaikha Muhammad Azmi and Wong Ling Ching kept the Malaysian flag flying in the Women’s Singles when the duo made the Round of 16 of the Allianz Super 100 at the Indoor Arena Educity Sports Complex here in Iskandar Puteri, Johor.
The 19-year-old Siti Zulaikha, champion at last year’s PETRONAS Malaysia International Series also in Johor, fought valiantly in the first set but could not deny the first set 19-21 to Liang Ka Wing from Hong Kong.
However, more consistency in the next two sets saw the Melaka lass battling to win 21-18, 21-9 and secure a place in the next round.
Siti Zulaikha’s opponent in the Round of 16 tomorrow is Park Ga-eun from Korea.
The 24-year-old Ga-eun showed plenty of tenacity to outplay fifth-seeded Happy Lo Sin Yan from Hong Kong, as she asserted her presence by taking the first set 21-12.
But Happy was certainly not happy, as after taking the second set 22-20, she could not hold her own in the final and decisive set, conceding 13-21 to Ga-eun.
In the meantime, Ling Ching did not suffer much in her Round of 32 match against Yeung Sum Yee from Hong Kong.
The 22-year-old from Sarawak, bronze medallist at the World University Games (WUG) in July this year, took just 37 minutes to wrap up her match 21-16, 21-13.
Tomorrow, Ling Ching will have to produce her best game yet when she takes on second-seeded Pornpicha Choeikeewong from Thailand.
Pornpicha certainly did not have it easy in her match against Wang Pei Yu from Chinese Taipei before winning 21-11, 17-21, 21-11.
