Big hurdle: Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi will be playing Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen (left) next.
KUALA LUMPUR: Men’s doubles shuttlers Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi got off on the right foot in their mission to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
Yew Sin-Ee Yi secured a straightforward 21-14, 21-15 win over Taiwan’s world No. 23 Lu Ching-yao-Yang Po-han to storm into the second round of the Malaysian Open at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil yesterday. The world No. 12 knew that they had less margin for error as they seek to return to the top eight in the world before the Olympic qualifying period ends in April in order to make the cut.
Yew Sin-Ee Yi had been ranked as high as No. 6 in the world last year before inconsistency saw them drop out of the top eight.
The independent pair are out to do better this year and stayed steady to come out on top in front of the home fans.
“We stayed calm and played well today (yesterday),” said Yew Sin.
“The Taiwanese pair tried to catch up in the second game but we kept our focus to get the win.
“We need to do well to qualify for the Olympics and it’s a good start for us.”
Yew Sin-Ee Yi, though, face a tough task in the second round against Denmark’s world No. 5 Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen.
“The Danish pair have been on good form for the past six months or so,” said Yew Sin.
“We need to come up with the right strategy against them.”
Meanwhile, national pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun’s campaign is over after they lost 12-21, 19-21 to China’s world No. 1 Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang.Wei Chong could not hide his disappointment after a second straight opening round defeat in the tournament.
The pair had lost to Indonesia’s Kevin Sanjaya-Marcus Fernaldi in the first round last year.
“We prepared well but could not play our own game today (yesterday),” lamented Wei Chong.
“In the second game, we did better but it was too late.”
Two other pairs – Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani – will play their opening matches today.
National No. 1 Aaron-Wooi Yik will face Denmark’s Rasmus Kjaer-Frederik Sogaard while Sze Fei-Izzuddin will meet Thailand’s Supak Jomkoh-Kittinupong Kedren.
