Pahang Open champ crashes out, Hafiz advances
Goh Giap Chin
KUCHING: Pahang Open men’s singles champion, Misbun Ramdan Mohmed Misbun crashed out of the ongoing Maybank Malaysia International Challenge being held at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) Sports Complex Badminton Hall as other top seeds advanced into the last 16 yesterday.
Ramdan, the tournament’s fifth seed, was simply not in his element and was upset by fellow national back-up shuttler and training mate Goh Giap Chin in straight sets of 21-10, 21-17 in 24 minutes.
Goh from Pulau Pinang was delighted with the victory and said he was confident of beating Ramdan.
“We have trained together and I know the way he plays. I went all out today to beat him for the second time after defeating him in the last 16 at Sukma XV in Pahang in July,” he said after the match.
For the record, in the four meetings between the duo, both have won twice and lost twice.
“I was playing my best game and I wasn’t playing under any pressure.
MARCHING ON: Malaysia’s Muhd Lutfi Zaim Abdul Khalid returns a shot to Taiwanese pair of Wang Chi-Lin and Chen Szu Yu as his partner Vivian Hoo Kah Mun watches during their mixed doubles last 32 encounter. The Malaysian eighth seeds won 21-13, 21-18. Photos by Teo Chi Wei
“Previously I used to play cautiously but today I just on the attacking mode and my strategy to play a fast game paid off as he made a lot of errors,” added Goh.
He will next face Pakkawat Vilailak in the last 16 later yesterday after the Thai challenger defeated another Malaysian Tan Kian Meng 21-15, 21-13 in another match.
Tournament top seed and former All-England champion, Muhammad Hafiz Hashim made short work of Abhimanyu Singh of India, beating him 21-9, 21-8 in only 14 minutes.
He will play compatriot Kuan Beng Hong next in the last 16 after the latter beat another Malaysian Chong Yee Han 21-17, 21-17.
Following Hafiz into the last 16 were second seed Mohamad Arif Abdul Latif who easily beat Indonesia’s Abraham Yoga Arya Wijaya Kasuma 21-11, 21-13, fourth seed Zulfadli Zulkifli who beat Tuan Duc Da 21-8, 21-14, and sixth seed Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin who defeated Tan Teck Han 21-14, 21-18.
Third seed Ashton Chen Yong Zhao of Singapore met stiff resistance from Malaysian veteran shuttler Wong Choon Hann, winning in three sets.
Choon Hann took the first set 25-23 but lost steam in the second and third set, bowing out 11-21, 12-21 to the player who was 13 years younger than him.
Meanwhile, in the mixed doubles, eight Malaysian pairs marched into the last 16, with fourth seeds Wong Fai Yin and Shevon Jemie Lai leading the way after they beat Singapore’s Mochamad Rizki Dely Nugraha and Wulan Sari Sri 21-16, 21-19.
Other pairs were fifth seeds Nelson Heg Wei Keat-Soong Fie Cho, eighth seeds Muhd Lutfi Zaim Abdul Khalid-Vivian Hoo Kah Mun, sixth seeds Tan Yip Jiun-Chow Mei Kuan, Teo Kok Siang-Lim Yin Choo, Chua Khek Wei-Goh Yea Ching, seventh seeds Ong Jian Guo-Woon Khe Wei and Low Juan Shen-Amelia Alicia Anscelly.
Also through to the last 16 are second seeds Liu Yi-Ting Ting Thng of Singapore who struggled to beat the Malaysian pair of Nurdini Mohd Saad-Lydia Habirin 16-21, 21-18 and 21-15.