PETALING JAYA: Malaysian men’s singles shuttler Justin Hoh (pic) gave Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke a valiant fight before bowing out in the first round of the Hong Kong Open yesterday.
Recently moving up to world No. 57 in the world rankings, Justin didn’t make things easy for the 26th ranked Gemke, dragging the match to an hour and 10 minutes at the Hong Kong Coliseum before losing 7-21, 23-21, 18-21.
The 20-year-old Justin has now lost both encounters with Gemke, but their previous meeting at the Thomas Cup group stage this year was also a marathon affair, taking one hour and 16 minutes.
Justin catapulted himself up the rankings after reaching the quarter-finals of a World Tour Super 300 tournament at the recent Taiwan Open.
Also crashing out at the first hurdle was Cheam June Wei, who went down 19-21, 10-21 to France’s Christo Popov.
In the mixed doubles, Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie booked their spot in the second round after taking down Ko Sung-hyun-Eom Hye-won of South Korea 21-11, 21-14 in just 27 minutes.
The Malaysian world No. 12 will meet India’s Sumeeth Reddy-Sikki Reddy in the second round today.
Joining them in the mixed doubles camp is Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin, who won 21-17, 21-16 against Singapore’s Terry Hee-Jessica Tan, while Yap Roy King-Valeree Siow also advanced after beating Hong Kong’s Deng Chi Fai-Leung Yuet Yee 21-11, 21-16.
But it was all over for veteran mixed pair Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing as they fell to China’s Cheng Xing-Zhang 21-18, 14-21, 11-21.
In the men’s doubles, national players Lim Tze Jian-Wong Tien Ci got past Taiwan’s Liu Kuang-heng-Yang Po-han as they won 13-21, 21-14, 21-16.
They will meet third seed Kang Min-hyuk-Seo Seung-jae of South Korean, who took down Malaysia’s Kang Khai Xing-Aaron Tai 21-12, 21-17. Women’s singles shuttler Goh Jin Wei also ended her run in the first round as she lost to South Korea’s Kim Ga-Eun 7-21, 22-24.
RESULTS
(Malaysians only)First round
Men’s singles: Christo Popov (Fra) bt Cheam June Wei 21-19, 21-10; Rasmus Gemke (Den) bt Justin Hoh 21-7, 21-23, 21-18.
Women’s singles: Kim Ga-eun (Kor) bt Goh Jin Wei 21-7, 24-22.
Men’s doubles: Lim Tze Jian-Wong Tien Ci bt Liu Kuang-heng-Yang Po-han (Tpe) 13-21, 21-14, 21-16; Kang Min-hyuk-Seo Seung-jae (Kor) bt Kang Khai Xing-Aaron Tai 21-12, 21-17.
Women’s doubles: Febriana Dwipuji-Amallia Cahaya (Ina) bt Go Pei Kee-Teoh Mei Xing 21-10, 21-12.
Mixed doubles: Yap Roy King-Valeree Siow bt Deng Chi Fai-Leung Yuet Yee (Hkg) 21-11, 21-16; Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie bt Ko Sung-hyun-Eom Hye-won (Kor) 21-11, 21-14; Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin bt Terry Hee-Jessica Tan (Sin) 21-17, 21-16; Cheng Xing-Zhang Chi (Chn) bt Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing 18-21, 21-14, 21-11.
