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KUALA LUMPUR - National men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik are the sole Malaysian representatives to get into the Japan Open badminton championship quarter-finals, as rest of the shuttlers were shown the exit.
The reigning world champions Aaron-Wooi Yik just needed 24 minutes to dispose of world number 14, Muhammad Shohibul Fikri-Bagas Maulana of Indonesia 21-12, 21-10 in the second round at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo.
The world number four will be challenged by home favourites Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi, who beat Ren Xiang Yu-Tang Qiang of China 21-11, 23-21, in the battle for semi-finals, tomorrow.
In the men’s singles, Ng Tze Yong, who stunned 2021 world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore yesterday, suffered a setback against world number 33 Koki Watanabe of Japan.
Watanabe, who stunned compatriot and two-time world champion Kento Momota yesterday, continued his progress by beating the world number 21 Tze Yong 21-17, 21-14.
The 24-year-old is set to clash against Lakshya Sen of India, who ousted the hosts' Kanta Tsuneyama 21-14, 21-16, in the quarter-finals, tomorrow.
Meanwhile, women’s doubles aces Pearly Tan-M.Thinaah, ranked 11th in the world, suffered another defeat against world number one Chinese duo Chen Qing Chen-Jia Yi Fan, just a week after their Korea Open second round heartbreak.
This time, the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games champions went down in straight sets of 15-21, 13-21 to hand the Chinese their fifth win in as many matches.
Mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei also faced a similar fate, as they were beaten 11-21, 13-21 by world number one Chinese pair Zheng Si Wei-Huang Ya Qiong.
Other results (Malaysians unless stated):
Men’s Doubles:
Lee Yang-Wang Chi Lin (TPE) bt [6] Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi 15-21, 21-18, 21-16
[8] Liu Yu Chen-Ou Xuan Yi (CHN) bt Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani 21-14, 21-17
Mixed Doubles:
Supak Jomkoh-Supissara Paewsampran (THA) bt Chan Peng Soon-Cheah Yee See 21-18, 19-21, 21-18. - BERNAMA