DUO GET THEIR REVENGE
Kian Meng-Pei Jing show Olympic champions the door
IT was a day of mixed feelings for Malaysia at the Australian Open in Sydney for mixed doubles Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei and men’s doubles Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong yesterday.
Kian Meng-Pei Jing, who will play in the World Championships in Glasgow in August, got their revenge when they upset reigning Olympic champions Tontowi Ahmad-Liliyana Natsir 21-17, 2116 in the first round at Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre.
Last week, the World No 10 lost to Tontowi-Liliyana in the quarter-finals of the Indonesia Open.
“It was a great win for Kian Meng and I. Tontowi-Liliyana seemed a little tired and we took full advantage of that. We are hoping to continue our fine form for the next match,” said Pei Jing yesterday.
The Malaysians face Japan’s Yugo Kobayashi-Misaki Matsutomo for spot in the quarter-finals today.
“Tomorrow (today) will not be easy. We have lost once to them before (2016 Hong Kong Open),” Pei Jing added.
Another Malaysian pair, Chan Peng Soon-Cheah Yee See also made the second round following a 14-21, 21-19, 21-14 win over qualifiers Takuro Hoki-Sayaka Hirota of Japan. The Malaysian scratch pair plays Indonesia’s Hendra Tandjaya-Sekartaji Putri today,
V Shem-Wee Kiong’s poor run in form reached alarming levels, when they lost 16-21, 21-13, 21-13 to World No 21 Takuto Inoue-Yuki Kaneko of Japan.
It was the second first round exit this year for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games silver medallists since the Malaysia Open in April.
V Shem-Kiong, who won last year’s World Super Series Finals in December, have yet to reach the quarter-finals this season.
National No 2 Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi were flawless in the 21-6, 2111 win over Australia’s Simon Leung-Mitchell Wheller to set a second round clash against Indonesia’s Saputra Alvindo-Ferdinand Sinarta Surbakti today.
Malaysian Masters’ runners-up Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzudin Rumsani were also shown the exit with a 21-13, 21-11 defeat to Taiwan’s Lu Ching Yao-Yang Po Han.