Hong Kong: Denmark’s newly crowned China Open champion Jan O Jorgensen stared defeat right in the face, saving two match points and coming back from a 18-20 deficit to beat Hong Kong’s Wei Nan 19-21, 21-13, 24-22 in the second round of Hong Kong Open on Thursday.
Jorgensen will play another Hong Kong player Vincent Wong Wing Ki in the last eight.
Malaysia’s World No. 53 men’s singles player Chong Wei Feng staged a comeback from one set down to upset India’s World No. 25 H. S. Prannoy, 15-21, 21-11, 21-15 in 58 minutes to face another Indian player, Sameer Verma, who defeated Japan’s Kazumasa Sakai 19-21, 21-15, 21-11.
In men’s doubles, Rio Olympics silver medalist Goh V Shem/Tan Wee Kiong avenged their last week’s China Open first round loss to Zhang Nan/Liu Cheng of China. Goh/Tan took their time to find their elements, in the end they put on a scintillating show to oust the Chinese pair 19-21, 21-17, 21-16. The World No. 1 Malaysian pair will take on Indonesia’s Mohammad Ahsan/Rian Agung Saputro who steamrolled through fellow Indonesians and No. 8 seeds Angga Pratama/Ricky Karanda Suwardi 21-18, 21-16 in 33 minutes.
Malaysia’s young men’s pair Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi also held off a spirited challenge by Korea’s Kim Jae Hwan/Yoo Yeon Seong 11-21, 21-10, 21-18 to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Hong Kong Open. However, they face a tough test to win their next match, as No. 4 seeds Mathias Boe/Carsten Mogensen who defeated Indonesian pair Markis Kido/Hendra Aprida Gunawan are awaiting a quarter-final showdown against them.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s luck ran out in the women’s doubles competition as Vivian Hoo/Woon Khe Wei lost 21-10, 11-21, 9-21 to third seeded Kamilla Rytter Juhl/Christina Pedersen of Denmark.
In women’s singles, India’s Saina Nehwal defeated Japan’s Sayaka Sato 21-18, 9-21, 21-16 in the second round in 51 minutes. Saina, who is seeded fifth, will face Hong Kong’s Cheung Ngan Yi next.
India’s Olympic silver medalist P.V. Sindhu also advanced to the quarter-finals after overcoming Chinese Taipei’s Hsu Ya Ching 21-10, 21-14 in 36 minutes. She will be facing Singapore’s Xiaoyu Liang in the quarter-finals.
Nehwal and Sindhu are on course to clash in the semi-finals if they win their respective quarter-final matches on Friday.
