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The Star
9 hours ago
- Sport
- The Star
Shuttlers hope to have the wind at their backs in quarters
PETALING JAYA: The tricky drift at the Changzhou Olympic Sports Centre is proving to be a challenge for many shuttlers, especially the Malaysians chasing a spot in the China Open semi-finals today. World No. 2 men's doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik struggled at times to adapt to the conditions but made quick adjustments to pull off a 21-17, 21-18 win over French brothers Christo and Toma Junior Popov to reach the quarter-finals yesterday. They will play compatriots Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, thus assuring at least one ticket for Malaysia in the semis. 'I think we just increased our focus and speed because in the second game, they had a good lead against us,' said Wooi Yik in a post-match interview with the Badminton World Federation. 'We needed to control the wind better, especially at the front court. We made too many errors, and that's something we need to learn from, particularly when playing on court one. Hopefully, we can adapt better in the next match.' A similar sentiment was shared by compatriots Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi, who also booked their place in the quarter-finals. The pair defeated Thailand's Kittinupong Kedren-Dechapol Puavaranukroh 21-16, 21-16. Ironically, the match was also played on court one. 'I think the wind was the key factor for both pairs. The advantage went to whoever managed to control the shuttle better. Everyone knows how tricky the conditions and shuttle can be. 'We had to adjust our strategy constantly, whether we were leading or trailing in the match,' said Yew Sin. In addition to dealing with the tricky drift on court, the 2021 World Championships bronze medallists must now devise a solid strategy to overcome India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty today. The Indian pair have won all four of their encounters since 2023. Their most recent clash came at the Malaysian Open in January, which also happened to be in the quarter-finals. 'We've been trying out new things because we're getting older,' said Yew Sin. 'We've experimented with different strategies for quite some time, although they haven't been very successful. 'Recently, we added a few new elements and the results seem to be better compared to previous tournaments,' he added.
The Star
9 hours ago
- Sport
- The Star
Jun Hao upset with himself for not taking the chance against Kunlavut
PETALING JAYA: Things could have turned out differently for men's singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao (pic) had he capitalised on his advantage in the opening game against world No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn at the China Open yesterday. While Kunlavut and Jun Hao are worlds apart in the current rankings, the Malaysian had the upper hand in their junior days, having beaten the Thai several times. However, their latest encounter at Changzhou Olympics Sport Centres told a different story, as Jun Hao failed to make the most of his chance despite staging a fightback to take the lead, only to let it slip away. The Malaysian admitted he was frustrated after his efforts to close out the first game fell short. That missed opportunity affected his focus, and Kunlavut quickly turned things around to take the opener 23-21. A poor tactical decision also played a part in the defeat, as Jun Hao admitted that his attacks lost intensity even while he was leading Kunlavut. 'At first I was trailing, then I tried to be more aggressive to get more points. I managed to lead 19-17, but I couldn't finish the game. From there, it probably affected my mindset a little. 'I didn't really take my chances when I was leading 19-17. Even then, I felt I was playing more defensively,' said Jun Hao in a post-match interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF). Things got worse in the second game as Jun Hao struggled to keep up, allowing Kunlavut to pull away and seal a 21-7 win to book his place in the quarter-finals. Even so, Jun Hao felt his performance wasn't as bad as it seemed, as he was still able to put up a fight against Kunlavut. 'In the second game, I was on the less favourable side of the court, so I just tried to do my best. Overall, I don't think my performance was that bad,' said Jun Hao.. This was Jun Hao's third straight defeat to Kunlavut, following earlier losses at the Thailand Open last year and the Singapore Open in May. The world No. 26 will not be taking part in the Macau Open next week and will instead use the time to focus on his preparations for the World Championships in Paris starting on Aug 25.
The Star
9 hours ago
- Sport
- The Star
Chen-Toh out to tame drift and home ‘dragons' in bid to reach semis
Tough challenge: Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei will go up against China's Guo Xinwa-Chen Fanghui in the China Open quarter-finals today. PETALING JAYA: Mixed pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei are staying firmly on course with eyes set on a third straight semi-final after riding the unpredictable drift and their rising momentum in the China Open. The duo tamed the tricky conditions inside the Changzhou Olympic Sports Centre to edge past China's Gao Jiaxuan-Wu Mengying 22-20, 21-17 to set up a quarter-final meeting with another home pair, Guo Xinwa-Chen Fanghui yesterday. The world No. 4 pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei are looking at extending their fine run by reaching the semi-finals for the third time in a row, but they are wary of the threat posed by home pair Xinwa-Fanghui, who are equally fired up. Their second-round match yesterday against another Chinese pair, Gao Jiaxuan-Wu Mengying, had served as a timely wake-up call. The world No. 39 duo almost pulled off an upset after leading ahead in the opening game, but Tang Jie-Ee Wei mounted a dramatic comeback to win 22-20, 21-17 and secure their spot in the quarter-finals. Commenting on the match, Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei revealed that the strong drift inside the stadium had made it difficult for them to control the shuttle and execute the shots they wanted. 'We started slow in the first game, and our opponents played better than us, but we're happy that we managed to fight back and win,' said Tang Jie in a post-match interview with the Badminton World Federation. 'Our main challenge in the first game was the strong drift and also the condition of the shuttle. 'We were on the side of the court that went with the direction of the wind, so we didn't dare lift the shuttle as it would have given our opponents a chance to attack more aggressively in the mid and front court. We only managed to adjust after the 11-point mark.' The win over Jiaxuan-Mengying not only gave Tang Jie and Ee Wei a boost in confidence ahead of today's quarter-final, but also provided valuable insights into the best strategies to use on court against the world No. 9 pair Xinwa-Fanghui. One thing's clear that Tang Jie-Ee Wei cannot afford to be complacent despite having won their previous two encounters against Xinwa-Fanghui at the Hong Kong Open and China Masters last year. Both matches were tightly contested and went to rubber games, and this time, the Chinese pair will also have the advantage of home support. Tang Jie-Ee Wei have been enjoying a consistent run of form. Just last week, they reached the semi-finals of the Japan Open in Tokyo before falling to China's Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin. A month earlier in Jakarta, they also made it to the semi-finals of the Indonesian Masters, but were stopped by Thailand's Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran.
New Straits Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
It gets from bad to worse for Sze Fei-Izzuddin
THE world came crashing down on men's doubles Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani in the past week. After slipping two rungs to world No. 3 in the weekly Badminton World Federation rankings on Tuesday, Sze Fei-Izzuddin were dealt another blow yesterday. They crashed out in the first round of the China Open after a 21-15, 15-21, 17-21 loss to South Korea's world No. 40 Kang Min Hyuk-Ki Dong Ju in 56 minutes at the Changzhou Olympic Sports Centre. Sze Fei-Izzuddin conceded that their opponents were simply better on the day. The Malaysian duo failed to build on the momentum from their runners-up finish at the Japan Open last week. Despite winning the opening game convincingly, Sze Fei-Izzuddin couldn't stop the Koreans from taking control of the match thereafter. "We tried our best, but our opponents were better than us today," said Sze Fei in a post-match BWF interview. "They controlled the game with the first three shots." Since winning the India Open in January, Sze Fei-Izzuddin have been unable to add to their trophy haul — a slump that saw them relinquish their world No. 1 ranking after just eight weeks at the top. There has been speculation recently that the independent pair were set to rejoin the BA of Malaysia. However, Sze Fei dismissed such claims on Tuesday. Sze Fei-Izzuddin will hope to bounce back at next month's World Championships.s
The Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Shock early exit leaves Sze Fei-Izzuddin at a loss for words
PETALING JAYA: Professional men's doubles pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani were left stunned after their China Open campaign came to an abrupt end in the first round in Changzhou. The defending champions, who were riding high after finishing runners-up at the Japan Open last week, were expected to cruise past South Korea's world No. 40 pair Kang Min-hyuk-Ki Dong-ju. But the top seeds suffered a shock 21-15, 15-21, 17-21 defeat in a 56-minute encounter. Clearly disappointed, Sze Fei-Izzuddin struggled to find words after the match and offered only a brief response. They credited the Korean pair for their composure and tactical control that thwarted their hopes of advancing. 'I think we already tried our best, but our opponents were better than us today. In terms of the first three shots, they were able to control the game,' said Sze Fei in a post-match interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF). Mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie also endured a similar disappointment after going down 21-18, 22-24, 15-21 to Indonesia's Jafar Hidayatullah-Felisha Pasaribu yesterday. It has been a disappointing week for Sze Fei-Izzuddin, who not only lost their world No. 1 ranking to South Korea's Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae, but also slipped to No. 3 in the world behind compatriots Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik. To make matters worse, just two days before their opening match in Changzhou, the pair were also caught in speculation that they might return to the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM). However, Sze Fei was quick to deny the rumours. They now have a month to regroup and get themselves ready for the World Championships, which will be held in Paris starting on Aug 23.
