Lucknow: Soong Joo Ven secured a spot in the top 8 of the 2023 Syed Modi International, joining forces with the world No. 175 mixed doubles pair Hoo Pang Ron/Cheng Su Yin, two men’s pairs – Junaidi Arif/Roy King Yap, Choong Hon Jian/Muhammad Haikal, and women’s singles player Wong Ling Ching, who all advanced into the quarter-finals on Thursday.
Soong, holding the 74th rank globally, triumphed over the 27th-ranked Wang Tzu Wei of Chinese Taipei with scores of 21-19, 21-13. He is set to face France’s 18-year-old Alex Lanier, currently ranked 49th in the world.
Meanwhile, another Malaysian men’s singles player, Cheam June Wei, standing at 61st globally, was defeated by Chi Yu Jen of Chinese Taipei, ranked 48th in the world, with scores of 21-17, 11-21, 17-21.
In contrast, 19-year-old Justin Hoh, who couldn’t finish when leading 20-12 in the second game, unfortunately, lost 8 game points in the second game against Indonesia’s reigning world junior champion Alwi Farhan, ending up with scores of 11-21, 21-23.
Malaysian coach K. Yogendran stated, “After seven months, this is Justin’s first match. I can see that his determination and focus on the court are very good. He is very eager to prove he’s back. I could tell from his game (Tuesday) that he’s very comfortable on the court.”
“However, because he hasn’t played for a long time, he may still be looking for the feeling and preparation before the game.”
“Justin needs to be a little patient and not rush to win too quickly. Other than that, he performed quite well.”
Yogendran added that coaches and support staff are still working on Hoh’s recovery, stretching, and rehabilitation during games.
In men’s doubles, World No. 93 Choong Hon Jian/Muhammad Haikal secured their most significant victory as a pair by defeating fourth seeds Mark Lamsfuss/Marvin Seidel of Germany, advancing to the quarter-finals with scores of 11-21, 25-23, 21-10.
This win sets up an all-Malaysian clash with teammates Wan Arif Junaidi/Yap Roy King on Friday, ensuring a place in the last four for the Malaysian team. Junaidi/Yap secured their progress with a dominant 21-6, 21-17 win over India’s A. Hariharan/R. Ruban Kumar.
Also advancing were the newly combined mixed pair Hoo Pang Ron/Cheng Su Yin, who are playing in their third tournament together and on the back of their Malaysia International Challenge triumph recently. They secured an untroubled 21-13, 21-13 win over India’s Nitri Kumar-Navdha Manglam, extending their unbeaten run to seven matches. Hoo/Cheng will play Chang Ko-Chi/Lee Chih Chen of Chinese Taipei next.
In women’s singles, Wong Ling Ching, ranked 83rd in the world, defeated Indian qualifier Janani Ananthakumar 21-15, 21-12, setting up a challenge against Hsu Wen Chi of Chinese Taipei in the top 8.
