Singapore: Malaysia’s Olympic men’s doubles silver medalists Goh V Shem/Tan Wee Kiong headed into the 2017 Singapore Open with doubters wondering whether they could regain their championship forms in Singapore after their lackluster start of the 2017 season.
The former World No. 1 pair seemed to redeem themselves when they earned a hard-fought match over the Indonesia/Malaysia pair of Hendra Setiawan/Tan Boon Heong 21-19, 21-18 at the second round of the Singapore Open on Thursday.
Goh/Tan will play Indonesian pair Hardianto Hardianto/Berry Angriawan in the quarter-finals.
Young Malaysian men’s doubles pair Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi put up a magnificent fight against World No. 2 Li Junhui-Liu Yuchen, only to lose 22-20, 18-21, 21-16 in a rubber set game that lasted 58 minutes.
In mixed doubles, Malaysia’s mixed doubles pair Tan Kian Meng/Lai Pei Jing also entered the quarter-finals, dismissing Tam Chun Hei-Ng Tsz Yau of Hong Kong 21-17, 21-13 in 37 minutes.
The mixed doubles No. 8 seeds from Malaysia will take on No. 4 seeds Joachim Fischer Nielsen/Christinna Pedersen from Denmark who defeated Lee Yang/Hsu Ya Ching from Taiwan 21-15, 21-19.
Malaysia’s challenge in the men’s singles fizzled out after its last remaining men’s singles player Zulfadli Zulkiffli crashed out in the second round to Vincent Wong of Hong Kong 21-16, 21-10 in 35 minutes. Wong who pulled off an upset on Wednesday when he sent Viktor Axelsen of Denmark packing in the first round will play Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia on Friday.
