Eain Yow, Addeen prove their worth
Badminton Asia president president
(centre) speaks to the media after the ‘Big 7 Countries Meeting of Asian Badminton’. With him are BWF (right) and Badminton Asia secretary Greg Kim. Bernama pic
“I thought I played really well as I have been working on a few stuff with my coach and I executed what I worked on in training,” said Eain Yow, 18. “For the last three weeks, I tried to improve on taking the ball a bit earlier because that is what I learned when I went to the Worlds.
“I saw all the top players take the ball really early and that is what I am trying to do, and to step up a bit higher in the court, volley more.”
Eain Yow now has Nafiizwan, who recovered from a game down to beat Syafiq Kamal 9-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-4, in his sights.
“No pressure, just going to enjoy it and try to get the most out of it,” said Eain Yow. “It’s going to be tough but as a player you don’t want to lose and you always expect to win, so I will go into the match with that mentality.”
Addeen, 22, did not get as far as Eain Yow at the World Championship but observing new world champion Karim Gawad of Egypt in action was an eye-opener.
“I played well, my preparation in Egypt when we had a training camp, I did well there,” said Addeen said after his win over national coach Beng Hee, a three-time national champion. “I applied what I learned in that camp in this tournament and I thought it was well worth sending me there.
“After learning from the top players, I kept working hard and analysed my own game. I looked at Karim Gawad and how he places the ball, he is not a physical type of player but he places the ball really well when under pressure.”
Next up for Addeen is second seed Ivan Yuen, who has beaten his Selangor teammate twice in the last 12 months in Islamabad and Doha.
Women’s top seed Delia Arnold and No 2 Low Wee Wern, who received a RM30,000 sponsorship boost from property developer Nusmetro earlier in the day, remain on course for another final showdown.
Title holder Delia faces national junior S. Sivasangari while two-time champion Wee Wern takes on Rachel Arnold in the semi-finals.
Nafiizwan Adnan bt Syafiq Kamal 911, 11-3, 11-8, 11-4; Ng Eain Yow bt Farez Izwan Mukhtar 11-9, 11-4, 11-3; Addeen Idrakie Bahtiar bt Ong Beng Hee 1012, 11-9, 10-12, 11-6, 11-4; Ivan Yuen bt Valentino Bong 11-2, 11-2, 11-6.
Delia Arnold bt Zoe Foo 11-3, 11-7, 11-7; S. Sivasangari bt Aifa Azman 11-7, 11-8, 4-11, 411, 11-4; Rachel Arnold bt Aika Azman 11-5, 11-7, 11-6; Low Wee Wern bt Teh Min Jie 11-6, 11-5, 11-5. By Devinder Singh