logo
Pearly-Thinaah, Wei Chong-Kai Wun through to Indonesia Open semis

Pearly-Thinaah, Wei Chong-Kai Wun through to Indonesia Open semis

Women's doubles pair Pearly Tan-M Thinaah won the first game against Japan's Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi easily, but were made to sweat in the second. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA : Women's doubles pair Pearly Tan-M Thinaah cruised into the semi-finals of the Indonesia Open after a convincing win over Japan's Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi in straight games in Jakarta today.
The Malaysian world No 4 pair won the first game easily but had to work hard in the second before defeating the fifth ranked Japanese duo 21-6, 21-18 in 36 minutes at Istora Senayan.
It was their fourth win over the Japanese duo in six encounters.
Pearly-Thinaah will meet Chinese pair Li Yi Jing-Luo Xi Min who beat Japan's Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsumoto in another quarter-final.
Men's doubles pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun also booked their place in the semi-finals after defeating India's top pair in straight games.
The world No 7 pair, who won the Malaysia Masters last month, defeated Chirag Shetty-Satwiksairaj Rankireddy 21-19, 21-16 in a match lasting 43 minutes.
They will face either compatriots Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani or Sabar Karyaman Gutama-Reza Pahlevi Isfahani from Indonesia next.
It was Wei Chong-Kai Wun's first win over the 22nd ranked Indian pair in their five encounters, and their third semi-final appearance this season.
They hope to repeat their performance at the Indonesia Masters in Jakarta in January, when they clinched the title. They also won the Malaysia Masters last month after defeating compatriots Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik in the final.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Jun Hao mustn't let the shuttle kill him slowly
Jun Hao mustn't let the shuttle kill him slowly

New Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • New Straits Times

Jun Hao mustn't let the shuttle kill him slowly

KUALA LUMPUR: The shuttle can "slowly kill" players at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. Hence, Leong Jun Hao must learn to deal with the notoriously "slow" venue for the Japan Open beginning on Tuesday, said national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen. World No. 24 Jun Hao will face France's world No. 8 Alex Lanier in the first round. Ominously, Lanier thrived at the Metropolitan last year to achieve his ground-breaking career win at the Japan Open. "We do know quite a lot about the venue in Japan, and Alex performed well there," said Jonassen. "It's a challenge for Jun Hao to find a way to cope with the slow shuttles (during rallies) there besides overcoming the physicality and playing style of Alex. "Alex doesn't give away opportunities, plays at a high speed and is powerful, and it will be a challenge to get the right tactics. "Jun Hao played well at the Singapore and Indonesia Opens, but those venues are slightly different than what we can expect in Japan, hence a different approach. "Jun Hao needs to understand his own game and shot-selection. If we are too aggressive all the time, we tend to leave the court open. "It's important for Jun Hao to know when to take the initiative and when to allow the opponent to open up (the game)." Jun Hao should look to his compatriots. Men's doubles Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik proved that they could adapt to the Metropolitan Gymnasium as they won the world title there in 2022. World No. 1 Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani also tamed the "slow venue" there to win the Japan Open last year. Last month, Jun Hao reached the Singapore Open quarter-finals and Indonesia Open second round where the Singapore Indoor Stadium and Istora Senayan in Jakarta are known for their heavy draught.

Davis Cup captain wary of threat posed by Philippines, Kuwait
Davis Cup captain wary of threat posed by Philippines, Kuwait

New Straits Times

time4 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

Davis Cup captain wary of threat posed by Philippines, Kuwait

KUALA LUMPUR: Despite being the top seeds and having home ground advantage, Davis Cup captain Adam Jaya has stressed that Malaysia cannot afford to take any nation lightly during the Asia-Oceania Group IV competition which starts here on Wednesday (July 16). Malaysia will face second seeds Pacific Oceania, Iraq, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Qatar and unseeded favourites, the Philippines, at the National Tennis Centre (NTC). Only the last two teams standing will earn promotion to Group III next year. Malaysia is on a mission for redemption after being relegated from Group III last year. It was a crushing moment as Malaysia had never gone lower than Group III in the past. Adam, who is a former national player himself, is aware that national pride is at stake but made it clear that returning to Group III will not be easy. "At least five or six of the nations competing in Group IV this year have previously competed as high as Group II in recent seasons," said Adam when met yesterday (July 12). "Group IV this year will definitely be very competitive. Worldwide, I believe tennis is getting tougher and tougher. "When I last captained the Davis Cup squad (2018) in Group III, we played Kuwait in the promotional playoff and lost. "Kuwait have had quality players in the past ranked as high as top-20 in the juniors and top-300 or 400 in the ATP rankings. "(Besides Philippines) I believe they could also be a factor here this year." The Philippines tennis federation was suspended by the ITF in late 2020 due to governance issues. The suspension was lifted in January last year which is why they are currently making their way back up from the lower divisions in both men's and women's tennis. Koay Hao Sheng, Leroy Yong, Darrshan Kumar, Daniel Prickett, Naufal Kamaruzzaman and Devesh Sarawanan have been shortlisted for the Davis Cup squad. The final five-man squad will be announced on Tuesday (July 15). Adam is pleased with the quality in the squad. "As I have said before, Hao Sheng will be our key player and he will likely play in both singles and doubles," said Adam. "As for the second singles slot it is still wide open. All of the other players are evenly balanced, which is a positive for us. "As for a partner to play with Hao Sheng in the doubles, Leroy, Darrshan and Daniel are all capable of filling the slot. "The doubles is important, even if we have won the first two singles matches, as it could be taken into account if it (group placing) goes to a countback. Hopefully it does not come to that. "I will look to rotate the players as we will be playing for four to five days and we need to keep our players fresh." The draw for the Group IV competition will be held on Tuesday. The nations will be split into two pools. The top-two teams in each pool will advance to the promotional playoffs.

Abu Khalil Eyes U-23 Title Boosted by Overseas Stint
Abu Khalil Eyes U-23 Title Boosted by Overseas Stint

The Sun

time6 hours ago

  • The Sun

Abu Khalil Eyes U-23 Title Boosted by Overseas Stint

SEPANG: Midfielder Muhammad Abu Khalil aims to contribute to Malaysia's Under-23 squad's mission of clinching the title at the 2025 ASEAN U-23 Championship, which kicks off in Jakarta this Tuesday. For Muhammad, the experience of learning football abroad in Japan and Thailand has become a crucial asset in boosting his performance on the regional stage with the Harimau Muda squad. 'Yes, definitely. I went to Japan and Thailand, so with the experience I gained from a year abroad, God willing, it will help mature my style of play. '...and of course, we are aiming for the title,' he told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) here today. Expanding further, Muhammad said the chemistry among players in the current training camp has made preparations smoother, as most of them have known each other since their academy days. 'In this call-up, many players are ones we've known from before — from JDT Academy, AMD (Akademi Mokhtar Dahari) as well — and we've actually known these players for a long time, and now we've reunited again,' he said. Meanwhile, head coach Mohd Nafuzi Zain said the opening match against the Philippines will be crucial in setting the tone and momentum for the team throughout the tournament. 'I think that will be our turning point — the first match. Because even if we win, it doesn't guarantee anything yet. But it's like having 'one foot in', and that's the most important,' he said. Mohd Nafuzi stressed that mental strength and self-confidence must be given priority, especially ahead of the much-anticipated clash against hosts Indonesia in the final group match. 'Okay, in terms of mentality, in terms of self-confidence, that's the main aspect. We know that the Malaysia-Indonesia match will draw a lot of attention,' he said. Previously, Mohd Nafuzi had set the semi-finals as a minimum target to pave the way to the final. Malaysia are drawn in Group A and will open their campaign against the Philippines on July 15, followed by Brunei on July 18, before concluding the group stage against Indonesia on July 21. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals scheduled for July 25, while the final and third-place playoff will take place on July 29 - BERNAMA

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store