INDEPENDENT SHUTTLERS JUAN SHEN-KAH MING ROMP INTO KOREAN OPEN QUARTERS
Juan Shen-Kah Ming defy the odds by stunning seventh seeds
PETALING JAYA: The men’s doubles pair Low Juan Shen and Chooi Kah Ming have proven a point by showing their careers are far from over after being dropped from the national badminton team.
The world No. 75 continued to make waves in the Korean Open – their first tournament as independent shuttlers – by stunning seventh seeds Liao Min-chun-Su Ching-heng of Taiwan 21-19, 21-16 to check into the quarter-finals in Seoul yesterday.
It is the first time in their two-year partnership that Juan Shen-Kah Ming have reached the quarter-finals in a Badminton World Federation ( BWF) Tour’s top-flight tournament.
They now aim to go further when they take on Thailand’s Kittinupong Kedren-Dechapol Puavaranukroh today.
“It certainly feels different when you compete in a tournament pressure-free,” said Juan Shen.
“But I also think we did prepare really well for this week.
“As this is just our first tournament since we left BAM, we didn’t set ourselves any target.
“So, making it to the last eight is already a bonus.
“We’ve got nothing to lose ... we’re going to march on as far as possible.”
Juan Shen-Kah Ming’s fine run in Seoul has surely repaid Ampang Jaya Badminton Club’s (AJBC) faith in them.
AJBC came to their aid when they were on the lookout for opportunities to resurrect their careers after being released by BAM in July.
“AJBC head coach (Ho) Khek Mong invited us to join his club and we did. We are so thankful that they decided to fund us for the Korean Open,” said Juan Shen.
“Hopefully, we’ll justify their investment in us. It has been just two months, but it is enough to make us realise how tough it can be as professionals. We’ve to handle everything on our own ... arranging accommodation, flight and training.”
Juan Shen said he decided to stick together with Kah Ming as they already have established world ranking.
“We discussed and concluded that it was best not to part ways. With our world ranking, we can still get into tournaments.”
Youngsters Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi
Yik have also made it to the last eight in convincing fashion when they took just 22 minutes to send China’s Huang Kaixiang-Wang Zekang packing 21-16, 21-11 to set up a meeting against world No. 13 Japanese Yuta Watanabe-Hiroyuki Endo.
There was more cheer from the women’s doubles when Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean defeated homesters Chang Ye-na-Jung Kyungeun 21-13, 18-21, 21-14 in a hardfought 57-minute contest. They face top seeds Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota of Japan next.