CHONG WEI EYES REVENGE
Faces Frenchman Leverdez in China Open second round
FERZALFIE FAUZI ferzalfie@nstp.com.my
LEE Chong Wei is back in business after back-toback first round defeats in recent tournaments when the World No 7 reached the second round of the China Open in Fuzhou yesterday.
The seventh seed took only 26 minutes to record an effortless 21-5, 21-7 win over Taiwan’s Hsu Jen Hao. He plays Frenchman Brice Leverdez, who edged India’s Sourabh Verma 21-14 15-21 21-11, today.
Chong Wei will be gunning for revenge in his second round match as Leverdez had won their last encounter at the World Championships in August.
“Everything was good in the match. I just want to focus on each round and do well. Of course, today’s win will help me regain confidence for the upcoming matches,” said Chong Wei, who suffered first round losses in the Denmark Open and the French Open.
Chong Wei’s rival Lin Dan, the two-time Olympic champion, failed to win his opening match, losing 21-19, 21-16 to Indonesian Jonatan Christie in 42 minutes.
In men’s doubles, Ong Yew SinTan Wee Kiong defeated Denmark’s Mathias ChristiansenDavid Daugaard 21-9, 21-10 to set up a second round clash against China’s fifth seeds Liu ChengZhang Nan, who overcame India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty 21-13, 21-13 yesterday.
Mixed doubles Goh Soon HuatShevon Lai produced a decent performance in the 20-22, 21-16, 21-19 defeat to Japan’s Takuro Hoki-Sayaka Hirota.
In women’s doubles, Lee Meng Yean-Chow Mei Kuan reached the second round with a 21-6, 17-21, 21-9 success over Taiwan’s Lin Xiao Min-Wu Fang Chien.
Compatriots Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei also won their first round match by edging Taiwan’s Chiang Kai Hsin-Hung Shih Han 15-21, 21-19, 21-11. They play Japan’s Shiho Tanaka-Koharu Yonemoto next.