Top seed Chong Wei had to dig deep to beat Wing Ki 13-21, 21-6, 23-21 in a pulsating 49-minute opener to set-up a meeting against former world junior champion Wang Zhengming of China.
It could have been all over for Chong Wei when he was trailing 20-21 in the decider but the 22-year-old Wing Ki blew his chances when he smashed a clear winner to the net and allowed Chong Wei to level the score at 21-21.
Chong Wei, then hung on, to seal the match.
Two-time All-England champion Chong Wei said that he was simply lucky to scrape through.
"God was on my side yesterday. I was lucky that Wing Ki misfired at the crucial point or else, I would have been one of the star casualties in the All-England today," he said.
Prior to Chong Wei's match, top players from China - Du Pengyu (men's singles), Li Xuerui and Wang Yihan (women's singles), Hong Wei-Shen Ye (men's doubles) and several others like men's doubles hotshots Lee Yong-dae-Ko Sung-hyun of South Korea and Denmark's mixed doubles specialists Joachim Ficher Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen - had bit the dust.
China's four-time world champions Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng had also withdrawn from the tournament due to Cai Yun's back injury.
"For top players, usually, the first round are the most challenging and tricky.
My opponent really gave me a huge fright today. I have never seen Wing Ki play in such aggressive fashion in the first and third game.... his smashes were just ruthless," said Chong Wei.
"I hope to perform better from the next round onwards. I am the only Malaysian singles shuttler left in the fray and I will go all out to keep the challenge alive," he promised.
It was the end of the road for three others - Liew Daren, Chong Wei Feng and Tan Chun Seang in the first round on Thursday.
Daren did well to force a deuce against former world champion Chen Jin of China but eventually, went down fighting 15-21, 21-19, 11-21.
Chun Seang also gave a good account of himself before bowing out 12-21, 15-21, 15-21 but Chong Wei Feng was an easy prey for Denmark's Jan O Jorgensen. Wei Feng went down 11-21, 14-21.
It was mixed response for Malaysia in the men's doubles when three out of five pairs made it to the second round.
Second seeds Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong stayed solid despite strong resistance from Chris Adcock-Andrew Ellis of England before prevailing with a 21-19, 24-22 win.
It was also a good day for Hoon Thien How-Tan Wee Kiong and Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif but they have unexpected second round opponents.
Thien How-Wee Kiong will take on Ingo Kindervater-Johannes Schoettler of German, who stunned third seeds Yong-dae-Sung-hyun of South Korea 23-21, 21-18 while Fairuzizuan-Zakry face Ricky Karanda Suwardi-Mohd Ulinnuha, who got a free ride into the second round following the walkover by Cai Yun-Haifeng.
In the women's doubles, Woon Khe Wei-Vivian Hoo cleared their first round hurdle to set-up a meeting with Eom Hye-won-Jang Ye-na of South Korea. They are the only pair left after the defeats of Ng Hui Lin-Ng Hui Ern and Goh Liu Ying-Lim Yin Loo.
In the mixed doubles, Peng Soon-Liu Ying will face Fran Kurniawan-Shendy Puspa Irawati of Indonesia in the second round while Ong Jian Guo-Yin Loo will square off with Sudket Prapakamol-T. Saralee of Thailand.
Courtesy of The Star
No comments:
Post a Comment