Same mission: Hafiz with P.V. Sindhu; and Wong Choong Hann (right) looking after his Hong Kong shuttler Lee Cheuk Yiu (second from right).
PETALING JAYA: A mini rivalry among Malaysian coaches is taking shape and it is quite evident at the Denmark Open.
Former international Wong Tat Meng’s charge Lee Zii Jia made it to the men’s singles quarter-finals after top seed and home hero Viktor Axelsen withdrew from a second-round clash due to foot injury in Odense on Thursday.
Zii Jia has been slated to play Kenta Nishimoto of Japan for a place in the semis.
There was also a sole representative under former national coaching director Wong Choong Hann, who is now handling the Hong Kong side. His charge Lee Cheuk Yiu made it to the last eight to set-up a match against Koki Watanabe of Japan.
In the women’s singles, P.V. Sindhu, who is coached by Mohd Hafiz Hashim, marched into the last eight.
Two Malaysians at the Japan’s camp – Jeremy Gan and Tan Kim Her – did not shine this time.
Jeremy’s mixed pair and Tokyo Olympic Games bronze medalists Yuta Watanabe-Arisa Higashino went down to Taiwan’s Ye Hong-wei-Lee Chia-hsin in the last 16.
And none of Kim Her’s charges were also left standing after the second round with the defeats of former world champions Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi to Jin Yong-Na Sung-seung of South Korea and Akira Koga-Taichi Sato to Malaysia’s Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi on Thursday.
Yew Sin-Ee Yi play Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen for a place in the semis.
Former All-England champion Hafiz said it was healthy competition among the Malaysian coaches.
“We do talk whenever we bump into each other but on court, we are all professionals,” said Hafiz.
“Every coach wants to see their players do well but I guess, it’s nice to see several Malaysian coaches at this level with different players.”
Hafiz is enjoying his stint as Sindhu’s coach.
“It’s nice to see her show some improvement in her speed and fitness.
“She reached the quarter-finals at the Asian Games and made it to the semis at the recent Arctic Open in Finalnd,” he said.
“Winning and losing is part of the game but the joy for a coach to see their continuous improvement of their player,” he said.
RESULTS
Malaysians only
Men’s singles: Lee Zii Jia w.o. Viktor Axelsen (Den).
Men’s doubles: Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi bt Akira Koga-Taichi Saito (Jpn) 21-17, 22-20.
