KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian badminton players performed as expected in the opening round of the China Open today as the Super 1000 tournament returns following a three-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic and travel restrictions.
Top national women’s doubles duo Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah cruised past the first round after defeating Dutch pair Debora Jille-Cheryl Seinen in rubber sets, 17-21, 21-17, 21-10 in under one hour.
Their next journey, however, will be a bit tricky, as they will face either the higher-ranked Japanese duo Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota or the lower-ranked German duo Linda Efler-Isabel Lohau.
The Japanese have defeated the German pair five times in the past and they are estimated to be playing later today.
Earlier, in an all-Malaysian mixed doubles showdown, independents Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing beat Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai in straight sets, 25-23, 21-15 in 41 minutes.
Kian Meng-Pei Jing will meet Indonesia’s Praveen Jordan-Melati Daeva Oktavianti in the second round.
Meanwhile, men’s singles shuttler Ng Tze Yong pulled off a shocker when he defeated world number six H.S. Prannoy of India 21-18, 21-13, 21-12 in a little over an hour.
Tze Yong has always had the luck of upsetting top-ranked players after sending the world’s top shuttler, Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen, packing at the All England second round in March in rubber sets.
At the Japan Open in July, he also stunned former World Champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore in the first round in straight sets.
On Thursday, Tze Yong will meet Indonesia’s Shesar Hiren Rhustavito to book a spot in the quarterfinal. — September 5, 2023