Tokyo: The 2023 Japan Open witnessed a thrilling first round on Wednesday, with Malaysia’s men’s singles players securing one victory and suffering two losses in three matches.
Leading the charge was Malaysia’s World No. 21 Ng Tze Yong, who showcased remarkable resilience against the 2021 world champion Loh Kean Yew from Singapore. Ng made an impressive comeback in both games, securing a convincing 21-16, 21-17 win.
Highlights of Ng Tze Yong vs. Loh Kean Yew in the 2023 Japan Open first round:
In the first game, Ng found himself trailing 1-7 and faced a similar deficit of 7-12 in the second game. However, displaying great determination, he managed to score eight consecutive points in the second game, overtaking Loh at 20-17 and ultimately clinching the victory with a breathtaking backcourt shot.
This victory marks Ng’s second triumph over Loh, adding to his record of 2 wins and 1 loss against the former world champion since their clash in last year’s Commonwealth Games men’s singles quarter-finals.
With this win, Ng progresses to the round of 16, where he will face Japan’s Koki Watanabe for the first time. Watanabe ranked 33rd in the world, caused a significant upset by defeating World No. 40 Kento Momota with a score of 13-21, 21-16, 21-13.
On the other hand, Malaysia’s men’s singles player Lee Zii Jia faced a disappointing fate as he was eliminated by Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto in an intense 3-game battle that lasted 1 hour and 29 minutes. The match saw Lee losing with a scoreline of 22-20, 17-21, 19-21, marking his fourth consecutive first-round exit in BWF World Tour tournaments.
Highlights of Lee Zii Jia vs. Kenta Nishimoto in the 2023 Japan Open first round:
Lee’s recent struggle began with exits in the first round of the Singapore Open, Indonesia Open, and Korea Open. His defeat against Nishimoto also brought an end to his previous 5-game winning streak against the Japanese player, leaving him with a record of 5 wins and 2 losses.
The match was a rollercoaster ride, with Lee snatching the first game 22-20, but Nishimoto making a comeback in the second game with a score of 21-17. The decider saw Lee valiantly attempting to catch up from a large deficit, but Nishimoto’s skills proved too formidable as he sealed the win with a well-placed shot to the sidelines.
In the next round, Kenta Nishimoto will battle against the world No. 3, Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn, who dominated Chinese Taipei’s Wang Tzu Wei with a comprehensive 21-5, 21-16 victory.
In the men’s doubles category, reigning world champions Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik from Malaysia received an easy passage to the second round when their Indian opponents, M.R. Arjun/Dhruv Kapila had to withdraw from the match due to injury. Chia/Soh’s next challenge will be against Indonesia’s former All-England champions Muhammad Shohibul Fikri/Bagas Maulana in the round of 16.
On the women’s singles front, Malaysia’s Goh Jin Wei suffered a hard-fought loss against Singapore’s Yeo Jia Min with a score of 16-21, 21-18, 17-21. Meanwhile, India’s former world champion PV Sindhu continued her struggles, losing to China’s Zhang Yiman 12-21, 13-21. This marks her second consecutive first-round exit after last week’s Korean Open.
