Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik
Malaysian men’s doubles stole the show at their home tournament – the Malaysian Masters badminton championships – with three pairs storming into the semi-finals.
Fifth seeds Junaidi Arif-Yap Roy King were the first to book their place in the semi-finals. They took 33-minutes to dismantle surprise quarter-finalists Chen Zhi Yi-Presley Smith of the USA 21-15, 21-19.
The pair will take on sixth seeded Danes Daniel Lundgaard-Mads Vestergaard in the semi-finals. The European pair stunned second seeds Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi 21-18, 21-14 in their quarter-final match-up.
The Malaysian pair will relish their chances in the semi-final tomorrow, having beaten the Danish du in all their previous for encounters, including at the All-England first round tie last month.
Malaysia will be assured a place in the final with top seeds Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik taking on teammates Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin in the last four tomorrow.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin defeated Japan’s Kakeru Kumagai-Hiroki Nishi 21-17, 16-21, 21-16 in their quarter-final clash. As for Aaron-Wooi Yik, they eased into the semi-finals with a clinical 21-15, 21-16 victory over China’s He Keyuan-Lin Xiangyi.
Ironically, the two Malaysian pairs have not met in an international competition since the Badminton Asia Championships two years ago. Aaron-Wooi Yik hold a 6-2 winning record against their third seeded teammates. But it was Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin, who were victorious at their last clash.
While the Malaysian men were celebrating a grand outing, their top seeded mixed double pair of Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei crashed to a 18-21, 16-21 defeat to China’s Gao Jiaxuan-Wei Yaxin.
It was a remarkable results for the Chinese duo, who are only ranked a lowly 248 compared to the Malaysian’s who are fourth in the world. Jiaxuan-Yaxin are only playing together since early this year, and the match today was only their sixth as a pair.
Meanwhile, sixth seed Ratchanok Intanon is on course to capture her third women’s singles title after an impressive 21-16, 21-11 win over Line Christophersen of Denmark in her quarter-final tie.
Ratchanok will become the second most successful singles player behind local icon Lee Chong Wei, who holds five, if she does win the title this time.
She is currently tied on two with India’s Pusarla V. Sindhu and China’s Wang Zhiyi.
She will take on another Danish player, Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt in the semi-finals. The other semi-finals will see top seed Chen Yufei taking on Japan’s Hina Akechi.
It was a revenge of sorts for Akechi, who beat Malaysia’s Letshanaa Karupathevan 19-21, 21-12, 21-10. Letshanaa had beaten third seeded Japanese Tomoka Miyazaki in the second round yesterday.
In the men’s singles, fourth seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia crashed to a 14-21, 21-13, 21-16 defeat to China’s unheralded Hu Zhean.
Zhean will take on fellow Chinese Li Shifeng, the fifth seed, in the semi-finals. The other semi-finals will pit Frenchman Christo Popov, the third seed, against Thailand’s unseeded Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul.
QUARTER-FINAL RESULTS
Men’s Singles: Li Shifeng (Chn) bt Toma Junior Popov (Fra) 21-18, 15-21, 21-5; Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul (Tha) bt Lu Guangzu (Chn) 21-15, 21-18; Hu Zhean (Chn) bt Jonatan Christie (Ina) 14-21, 21-13, 21-16 Christo Popov (Fra) bt Moh. Zaki Ubaidillah (Ina) 23-21, 21-19
Men’s Doubles: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik (Mas) bt He Keyuan-Lin Xiangyi (Chn) 21-15, 21-16; Junaidi Arif-Yap Roy King (Mas) bt Chen Zhiyi-Presley Smith (USA) 21-15, 21-19; Daniel Lundgaard-Mads Veterdaard (Den) bt Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi (Jpn) 21-18, 21-14; Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin (Mas) bt Kakeru Kumagai-Hiroki Nishi (Jpn) 21-17, 16-21, 21-16
Women’s Singles:
Chen Yufei (Chn) bt Pitchamon Opatniputh (Tha) 21-19, 21-9; Hina Akechi (Jpn) bt Letshanaa Karupathevan (Mas) 19-21, 21-12, 21-10; Ratchanok Intanon (Tha) bt Line Christophersen (Den) 21-16, 21-11; Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt (Den) bt Ashmita Chaliha (Ind) 21-23, 21-18, 21-11
Women’s Doubles: Bao Lijing-Cao Zihan (Chn) bt Chen Yan Fei-Sun Liang Ching (Tpe) 21-14, 18-21, 21-15; Lauren Lam-Allisson Quynh Lee (USA) bt Luo Yi-Wang Tingge (Chn) 20-22, 21-19, 21-17; Sayaka Hirota-Ayako Sakuramoto (Jpn) bt Ornnicha Jpngsathapornparn-Sabrina Sophita Wedler (Tha) 21-11, 21-12; Chen Fan Shutian-Luo Xumin (Chn) bt Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi (Jpn) 24-22, 21-18
Mixed Doubles: Mathias Christiansen-Alexandra Boje (Den) bt Wu Guan Xun-Lee Chia Hsin (Tpe) 21-17, 21-14; Gao Jiaxuan-Wei Yaxin (Chn) bt Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei (Mas) 21-18, 21-16; Pakkapon Teeraratsakul-Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Tha) bt Chan Yin Chak-Ng Tsz Yau (Hkg) 23-21, 21-19; Guo Xinwa-Chen Fanghui (Chn) bt Presley Smith-Jennie Gai (USA) 23-21, 22-20
