RALLY TO RELISH
PEARLY Tan-M. Thinaah set a record for the longest rally of 211 shots en route to beating Japanese pair Rena Miyaura-Ayako Sakuramoto 21-17, 18-21, 21-19 in the second round. That match lasted for one hour and 29 minutes. In fact, every other match except for their opener went the distance. They beat Gabriela Stoeva-Stefani Stoeve (40 minutes, first round); Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota of Japan (one hour and 51 minutes, quarter-finals); Jeong Na-eun-Kim Hye-jeong (one hour and 33 minutes, semi-finals); and lost to Baek Ha-na-Lee So-hee (one hour and 41 minutes, final). It took them more than seven hours in total en route to finishing as the runners-up.
CONTRASTING FORTUNES
CAMBODIA SEA Games champion Christian Adinata was wheeled out of the tournament after suffering a hamstring injury. The 21-year-old suffered the injury while playing against H.S. Prannoy. The Indian eventually won the title, his first Open crown after seven years at the age of 30.
REXY’S WRATH
MALAYSIA’S doubles coach Rexy Mainaky is a jovial person and rarely gets upset. But the Indonesian lost his cool during the quarter-finals between Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah and Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota of Japan and was seen embroiled in a tense verbal exchange with the umpire. He was annoyed with several calls made by the umpire, which he alleged as unfair. It fell on deaf ears but his fired-up charges went on to win the match.
DASHING DUO
FROM colourful sports attires to cool and elegant suits, Lin Dan of China and local hero Lee Chong Wei certainly looked charming, debonair and confident. The old rivals had turned up as guests of honour after being inducted into the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Hall of Fame. Both had set world badminton alight with their dominant presence for almost two decades, and certainly deserved the recognition.
NEW STARS
MAN Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun were just another pair in the men’s department since joining the team a few years back but now, they are household names after reaching the final with their fighting displays. Taiwan’s Lin Chun-yi, 23, has also gained some attention after beating Lee Zii Jia, who was unwell, in the second round.
HOT CAKES
IT was the best ticket sales for the Malaysian Masters since the tournament’s inception in 2009. All tickets at the Axiata Arena were sold out from the semi-finals onwards. The Malaysian Masters is ranked lower than the Malaysian Open held in January this year, but the Malaysian players did better.
HIGH-OCTANE AKANE
JAPAN’s Akane Yamaguchi has made Malaysia her home. Just five months ago, she emerged as the Malaysian Open winner and this week, she made it a double joy in Kuala Lumpur by triumphing in the Masters too
