Golden chance: Chan Peng Soon-Cheah Yee See will play either Taiwan’s Chang Ko-chi-Lee Chih-chen or Denmark’s Jasper Toft-Clara Graversen in the second round of the Orleans Masters today.
PETALING JAYA: Chan Peng Soon-Cheah Yee See got off to the perfect start in the Orleans Masters after sweeping aside China’s Cheng Xing-Chen Fang Hui 21-14, 21-16 in the first round in Orleans, France, yesterday.
The mixed doubles pair, who had left the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) last November to turn independent, are seeking to turn their form around after an indifferent start.
World No. 39 Peng Soon-Yee See have not cleared the early rounds in any of their tournaments so far this year. The furthest they’ve got was the second round of the Thailand Masters, which was their first tournament since turning professional.
They have an opportunity to reach their first quarter-finals when they play either Taiwan’s Chang Ko-chi-Lee Chih-chen or Denmark’s Jasper Toft-Clara Graversen in the second round today.
Peng Soon said: ‘’Yee See and I are playing well and we hope we can keep this up.’’
Meanwhile, it was relief for men’s singles player Leong Jun Hao who has also been struggling to hit top form this year after he managed to clear the qualifying rounds to reach the tournament proper.
Jun Hao fought hard to overcome Germany’s Samuel Hsiao 21-16, 19-21, 21-9 in the first qualifying round.
The 23-year-old then returned to court about about two hours later to beat Hsiao’s compatriot Fabian Roth 21-17, 9-21, 21-13 in another gruelling match.
Jun Hao will next take on India’s 2019 World Championships bronze medallist B. Sai Praneeth for a place in the second round.
An upset win over the Indian will be just the right tonic for Jun Hao ahead of the SEA Games in Cambodia from May 5-17.
Malaysia’s challenge in the men’s doubles, though, is over after independent pairs Goh V Shem-Lim Khim Wah and Boon Xin Yuan-Wong Tien Ci lost their respective first-round matches.
RESULTS
Malaysians only
First qualifying round
Men’s singles: Leong Jun Hao bt Samuel Hsiao (Ger) 21-16, 19-21, 21-9.
Men’s doubles: Boon Xin Yuan-Wong Tien Ci bt Abderrahime Belarbi-Adel Hamek (Alg) 21-11, 21-11.
Second qualifying round
Men’s singles: Leong Jun Hao bt Fabian Roth (Ger) 21-17, 9-21, 21-13.
First round
Men’s doubles: Leo Rolly-Daniel Marthin (Ina) bt Boon Xin Yuan-Wong Tien Ci 21-14, 21-17; Keiichiro Matsui-Yoshinori Takeuchi (Jpn) bt Goh V Shem-Lim Khim Wah 21-14, 21-15.
Mixed doubles: Chan Peng Soon-Cheah Yee See Cheng Xing-Chen Fang Hui (Chn) 21-14, 21-16.
