Malaysia mixed doubles shuttlers Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin in action against Denmark's Mathias Christiansen-Alexandra Boje during the second round of Malaysian Masters at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil on Thursday. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
PETALING JAYA: Mixed doubles shuttlers Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin hope to build on their good run in the Hong Kong Open after reaching the quarter-finals of a World Tour Super 500 event for the first time.
Pang Ron-Su Yin have struggled in higher tier competitions since they were combined last November but finally made a timely breakthrough by ousting Taiwan’s Lin Bing-wei-Lin Chih-chun 21-14, 21-15 at the Hong Kong Coliseum in Kowloon yesterday.
A day earlier, the world No. 40 pair stunned Singapore’s world No. 15 Terry Hee-Jessica Tan in their opening match.
Pang Ron-Su Yin only cleared the early rounds once before this year in the Super 300 Orleans Masters where they made it into the last four. Pang Ron was pleased with the breakthrough in Hong Kong and believes he and Su Yin are on the right track.
“Su Yin and I controlled the match better today (yesterday) compared to the first round,” said Pang Ron. “We tried to cut down our mistakes and eventually everything got better for us.
“This has given us a confidence boost. Of course we still have a lot more to improve but at least we know that we are on the right track. Our partnership is getting better day by day.”
Pang Ron-Su Yin though face a tough task in the last eight today against China’s top seeds Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping.
Meanwhile, Korean Open champions Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei are also through to the quarter-finals. Tang Jie-Ee Wei won the first game 21-14 and led 4-1 in the second against home pair Reginald Lee-Ng Tsz Yau when the latter retired due to injury.
The world No. 9 Malaysians will next take on China’s world No. 49 Guo Xinwa-Chen Fanghui for a place in the semi-final.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei defeated Guo Xinwa and his previous partner Li Qian in the final of the Korean Open two weeks ago.
In the men’s singles, Leong Jun Hao let slip a good opportunity when he went down narrowly 14-21, 21-15, 22-24 to homester Lee Cheuk Yiu.
The world No. 29 came back strongly to win the second game after losing the first to the world No. 15 but could not hold on to win despite leading 12-5 in the decider and also squandered two match points at 20-19 and 21-20.
RESULTS
(Malaysians only)
Second round
Men’s singles: Lee Cheuk Yiu (Hkg) bt Leong Jun Hao 21-14, 15-21, 24-22.
Men’s doubles: Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun bt Xie Haonan-Zeng Weihan (Chn) 21-11, 21-18; Shohibul Fikri-Daniel Marthin (Ina) bt Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani 16-21, 21-19, 21-13; Wang Chi-lin-Chiu Hsiang-chieh (Tpe) bt Tan Wee Kiong-Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub 18-21, 21-13, 21-17; Kang Min-hyuk-Seo Seung-jae (Kor) bt Lim Tze Jian-Wong Tien Ci 21-9, 23-21.
Women’s doubles: Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah bt Lui Lok Lok-Tsang Hiu Yan (Hkg) 21-16, 21-14.
Mixed doubles: Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin bt Lin Bing-wei-Lin Chih-chun (Tpe) 21-14, 21-15; Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei bt Reginald Lee-Ng Tsz Yau (Hkg) 21-14; 4-1, (ret).
