EARLY WAKE-UP CALL FOR CHONG WEI AT INDONESIA OPEN
PETALING JAYA: Top Malaysian shuttler Lee Chong Wei survived an early scare to reach the second round of the Indonesia Open badminton championships in Jakarta.
Chong Wei, who claimed a 12th Malaysian Open title in Bukit Jalil last Sunday, fended off a spirited challenge from Hong Kong's Angus Ng Ka Long to win 21-15, 18-21, 21-10 in the first round yesterday.
The seventh seeded Chong Wei, who is going for his seventh Indonesian Open title, will play Anders Antonsen of Denmark for a place in the last eight today.
Antonsen beat Japanese Kenta Nishimoto 21-14, 25-23 earlier.
Chong Wei is in the lower half of the draw and is tipped to take on Japan's Kento Momota in the last four.
In the men's doubles, Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi marched into the second round after beating Indonesians Wahyu Nayaka Arya Pangkaryanira-Ade Yusuf Santoso 21-18, 21-11.
Yew Sin-Ee Yi, who are the only Malaysian men's doubles pair left after the exit of Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong on Tuesday, will take on Indonesian top seeds Marcus Fernaldi Gideon-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo for a place in the last eight.
The world No. 1 ranked MarcusKevin overcame fellow teammates Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan 21-16, 18-21, 21-10 in the first round.
Rio Olympic silver medallists Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying pulled through to the second round of the mixed doubles competition after beating teammates Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie 21-19, 21-19.
Women's doubles pair Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean also reached the second round with a 25-23, 21-13 win over Indonesians Keshya Nurvita Hanadia-Devi Tika Permatasari.
They will go up against top seeds Chen Qingchen-jia Yifan of China in the second round today.