KUALA LUMPUR: National back up shuttler Chong Wei Feng defied the odds to beat fifth seed Kenichi Tago of Japan to book a place in the second round of the Japan Open in Tokyo yesterday.

The world No. 35 Wei Feng broke Japanese hearts when he rallied from a game down to defeat world No. 9 Tago 8-21, 21-16, 21-17 for his first win in two meetings.

“The first game was very hard to control because of the draft in the hall. I think he faced the same situation in the second game. So in the third game, I knew I had to change my tactics to win so I started to attack more and it worked,” said Wei Feng from Tokyo.

The 25-year-old will face Ajay Jayaram of India next.

Another Malaysian, Liew Daren, needed deuce in the third game to overcome India’s B. Sai Praneeth 17-21, 21-15, 22-20.

Daren faces a tougher hurdle in the second round as he is up against Nguyen Tien Minh. The Vietnamese has beaten him on four previous occasions

In other men’s singles matches, top seed Lee Chong Wei cruised into the second round after he made short work of India’s Anand Pawar, winning 21-13, 21-9 and will meet Danish youngster Viktor Axelsen next.

Meanwhile, national men’s doubles pair Hoon Thien How-Tan Wee Kiong beat India’s Pranaav Jerry Chopra-Akshay Dewalkar 21-16, 21-13 to move into the second round.

The eighth seeds are set to meet English pair Chris Adock-Andrew Ellis next while second seeds Koo Kien Kiat-Tan Boon Heong, who re­ceived a first round bye, take on Thai­land’s Patiphat Chalard­chaleam-Nipitphon Puang­puapech today.

• Please wait.

• O'Gara retires to take up coaching role
• Shields up to push claim for higher honours
• Dane Hoyer Larsen elected BWF president
• Crusaders slap down upstart Blues in soggy Christchurch
• Cycling: Leader Van Garderen wins California time trial
• Golf: Keegan Bradley maintains Byron Nelson lead
• Golf: Korda seizes lead at Mobile Bay LPGA
• Bradley stays in charge, Guan exits
• Hall of Famer Venturi dies aged 82
• Formula One: Increased venom as F1 tyre war erupts again