ON COURSE FOR CLEAN SWEEP
Malaysian shuttlers eye five titles
WITH one title guaranteed, a clean sweep is on the cards for the national badminton squad at the Celcom Axiata Malaysia International Challenge today.
The last time Malaysia won all five titles was back in 1998.
Yesterday, BAM shuttlers looked dominant in marching to the semi-finals at the Juara Stadium.
Lim Chiew Sien-Tan Sueh Jeou and Soong Fie Cho-Tee Jing Yi won their ties to set up an all Malaysian women’s doubles final.
Chiew Sien-Sueh Jeou secured their second straight final (after reaching the Indonesia International Series final last week) this season, when they upset fourth seeds Putri Sari Dewi Citra-Jin Yujia of Singapore 21-19, 21-12, before top seeds Fie Cho-Jing Yi eased past Hong Kong’s Ng Tsz Yau-Yuen Sin Ying 21-11, 21-15 in the second semi-final match.
The singles event, as expected drew the most attention. In the men’s event, Tan Jia Wei rose to the occasion to see off world junior champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in straight games 21-17, 21-15, while women’s singles Lee Ying Ying kept her Uber Cup dreams alive following a 21-7, 10-21, 21-17 upset win over top seed Hanna Ramadini of Indonesia.
“I was extremely nervous before today’s match because I lost to her (Hanna) before. Winning the match was definitely sweet revenge for me. I can’t predict the outcome of the match tomorrow, but I hope to win it and secure my spot in the Uber Cup squad,” said Ying Ying, who also reached the final of the Iran International Challenge in February.
Jia Wei, whose last title win was the Polish Open last year, will take on Taiwan’s Hsueh Hsuan Yi next, while Ying Ying faces China’s Wang Zhiyi for the crown.
In the much anticipated men’s doubles semi-final, youngsters Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik ousted defending champions and teammates Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani 21-18, 22-24, 21-13, to reach their third final as a duo.
A tall order, however, awaits them in the form of former world champions Mohammad AhsanHendra Setiawan of Indonesia, who defeated local duo Chooi Kah Ming-Low Juan Shen 21-15, 21-13 in just 25 minutes.
In the mixed doubles semi-finals, Chen Tang Jie-Peck Yen Wei notched a comfortable 21-13, 2115 win over the independent mixed combination of Malaysia’s Azriyn Ayub and Indonesia’s Devi Tika Permatasari.
Tang Jie-Yen Wei, tipped to join the ranks of their more successful seniors, will play Indonesia’s Andika Ramadiansyah-Mychelle Crhystine Bandaso, who upset eighth seeds Guo Xinwa-Liu Xuanxuan of China 21-19, 13-21, 21-16 in the other last four tie, for the title.