PETALING JAYA: Newly crowned Malaysia Games (Sukma) champion Justin Hoh (pic) is the only Malaysian left standing in the men’s singles at the Macau Open as the competition moved into the second round.
The 20-year-old thrashed Taiwan’s Wang Po-wei 21-6, 21-9 to set up a last-16 clash against Singapore’s Alwi Farhan.
The eighth seeded Singaporean stopped Malaysia’s Cheam June Wei 21-17, 22-20 in another first round clash.
Justin will be hoping for a good run in the tournament as he eyes a break into the top 50 in the world rankings by end of this year.
Justin is currently ranked 57th in the world and closer to his career high of 48th ranking, which he achieved last year before an Achilles injury cruelly impeded his progress.
Justin recently reached the quarter-finals of a World Tour Super 300 tournament for the first time in the Taiwan Open.
He won the Slovenian Open and Saipan International in July as well as finishing runner-up in the Northern Marianas Open.
He was also part of the team that won bronze in the Thomas Cup Finals in Chengdu in May.
Malaysia’s Kok Jing Hong went down fighting 11-21, 21-17, 13-21 to Japan’s world No. 54 Koo Takahashi while independent player Soong Joo Ven also lost 17-21, 13-21 to Singapore’s Jason Teh.
It was the end of the road for another Sukma champion Wong Ling Ching in the women’s singles competition.
Ling Ching, who is from Sarawak, almost pulled off a stunning upset when she took Japan’s up-and-coming player Tomoka Miyazaki to three games.
However, Ling Ching failed to prevail in the deciding game as the 18-year-old Japanese shuttler, who finished runner-up in the China Open last week, advanced after winning 16-21, 21-15, 21-16.
Another Malaysian women’s singles shuttler K. Letshanaa lost 13-21, 12-21 to Thai top seed Busana Ongbamrungphan.
China Open quarter-finalists Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin advanced to the second round of the mixed doubles with a 21-15, 21-13 win over Taiwan’s Ming Che-lu-Hung En-tzu.
Malaysia also have another representative in the second round of mixed doubles with Wong Tien-chi-Lim Chiew Sien beating Taiwan’s Wu Hsuan-yi-Yang Chu-yun 21-18, 22-20.
Malaysians unless statedMen’s singles: Justin Hoh bt Wang Po-wei (Tpe) 21-6, 21-9; Kok Jing Hong lost to Kok Takahashi (Jpn) 11-21, 21-17, 13-21; Soong Joo Ven lost to Jason Teh (Sin) 17-21, 13-2.
Women’s singles: Wong Ling Ching lost to Tomoka Miyazaki (Jan) 21-16, 15-21, 16-21; K. Letshanaa lost to Busana Ongbamrungphan (Tha) 13-21, 12-21.
Men’s doubles: Low Hang Yee-Ng Eng Cheong lost to Chen Cheng-kuan-Chen Sheng-fa (Tpe) 16-21, 12-21; Bryan Jeremy Goonting-Mohd Razif Mohd Fazriq bt Lin Bing-wei-Su Ching-heng (Tpe) 21-15, 21-19; Goh Boon Sze-Wong Vin Sean bt Chia Weijie-Lwi Sheng Hao 21-16, 21-14; Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub-Tan Wee Kiong bt Chen Bo Yang-Guo Ruo Han (Chn) 21-17, 21-16; Lim Tze Jian-Wong Tien Chi lost to Sun Wenjun-Zhu Yijun (Chn) 18-21, 17-21; Lau Yi Sheng-Lee Yi Bo lost to Peeratchai Sukphun-Pakkapon Teeraratsakul (Tha) 17-21, 11-21; Boon Xin Yuan-Goh V Shem lost to Chang Ko-chi-Chen Xin-yuan (Tpe) 18-21, 21-18, 13-21.
Mixed doubles: Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin bt Ming Che-lu-Hung En-tzu (Tpe) 21-15, 21-13; Wong Tien Chi-Lim Chiew Sien bt Wu Hsuan-yi-Yang Chu-yun (Tpe) 21-18, 22-20; Loo Bing-kun-Ho Lo Ee lost to Reddy Sumeeth-Reddy Sikki (Ind) 22-24, 21-10, 13-21.
