Day of disappointment for Hong Kong shuttlers
Hong Kong’s disappointing Badminton Asia Championships ended with all the city’s remaining players crashing out in Manila yesterday.
For the second tournament in a row, Lee Cheuk-yiu lost to Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo of Indonesia. The leading Hong Kong player, in the absence of Angus Ng Ka-long, was beaten 21-19, 22-20 in the men’s singles second round.
Dwi Wardoyo, who ranks more than 30 places below world No 17 Lee, had also overcome Lee at the Asia Team Championships in Malaysia two months ago.
The Indonesian player sent home top seed Kento Momota of Japan in the opening round in Manila.
Hong Kong head coach Tim He Yiming sympathised with Lee after his player had chances to win the match, leading in the closing stages of both games but not capitalising on the big points.
“Overall, Lee did OK, but unfortunately the opponent got the better of him on the crucial points,” He said. “Winning or losing is sometimes a fine margin, and evidently it wasn’t Lee’s day.”
Lee led 19-14 in the first game, only for the Indonesian to take seven points in a row. In the second, Lee came back from 15-19 down to lead 20-19, but Dwi Wardoyo then took charge.
In the mixed doubles, Chang Tak-ching and Ng Wing-yung survived the opening round, which saw the unexpected exit of top pair Tse Ying-suet and Tang Chun-man. But Chang and Ng then lost to Kyohei Yamashita and Naru Shinoya of Japan 21-15, 21-17 in the second round.
In women’s doubles, Yeung Pui-lam and Yeung Nga-ting, who won last month’s Polish Open, put up a brave fight before losing 21-13, 23-21 to seventh seeds Pearly Tan and Muralitharan Thinaah of Malaysia. The Hong Kong pair battled in the closing stages, taking a 20-19 lead before losing 23-21 after deuce.
“They are still young and lack exposure in a big event like this, but their performance wasn’t too disappointing,” coach He said.
Ng Tsz-yau and Tsang Hiuyan were beaten 21-7, 21-13 by Japan’s Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida.