April 8, 2022
PETALING JAYA – Ng Tze Yong (pic) showed he is ready for his Thomas Cup debut in Bangkok next month after storming into the quarter-finals of the Korean Open in Suncheon City yesterday.
The national No. 2 men’s singles shuttler disposed homester Kim Dong-hun 21-14, 21-19 in 44 minutes.
The 21-year old will next face China’s Weng Hongyang, who ended the hopes of Cheam June Wei.
June Wei succumbed 14-21, 21-17, 17-21 to the unheralded Chinese in a hard-fought match that lasted 78 minutes.
Tze Yong will be hoping to make his second semi-final appearance in an Open tournament this year after the India Open in January.
Women’s singles shuttler Goh Jin Wei joined Tze Yong in the quarter-finals after overcoming home player Lee Se-yeon 21-17, 17-21, 21-12 in 57 minutes.
Jin Wei, who is returning to action after her last tournament action at the Spanish International in June last year, will meet another South Korean player Kim Ga-eun for a place in the semi-finals.
World No. 20 Ga-eun had earlier stunned China’s reigning Olympics champion and top seed Chen Yufei 21-17, 21-19.
Meanwhile, it was double joy for Ong Yew Sin after booking his spot in both the men’s and mixed doubles events.
Yew Sin and partner Goh Liu Ying can consider themselves lucky as they received a walkover from top seeds and home favourites Seo Seung-jae-Chae-Yu-jung.
They will meet another home pairing Kim Won-ho-Jeong-Na-eun for a last four berth.
Yew Sin then teamed up with Teo Ee Yi to oust Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando-Daniel Marthin 22-20, 21-11.
The sixth seeded Malaysians will take on another Indonesian pairing and newly crowned Swiss Open champions Fajar Alfian-Muham-mad Rian Adrianto next.
Yew Sin-Ee Yi will be keen to exact revenge over the Indonesians who had beaten them en route to their title win in Switzerland.
Malaysia will have another representative in the mixed doubles quarters after national No.1 Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing breezed past South Korea’s unseeded pairing of Na Sung-seung-Kim Min-ji 21-11, 21-9.
They will take on China’s Ou Xuan Yi-Huang Yaqiong next.
In other results, 2016 Rio Olympics silver medallists Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong both lost their second round ties with their respective partners. Malaysians only
Men’s singles: Ng Tze Yong bt Kim Dong-hun (Kor) 21-14, 21-19; Weng Hong Yang (Chn) bt Cheam June Wei 21-14, 17-21, 21-17.
Men’s doubles: Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi bt Leo Rolly Carnando-Daniel Marthin (Ina) 22-20, 21-11; Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Adrianto (Ina) bt Tan Kian Meng-Tan Wee Kiong 19-21, 21-13, 21-13; Kang Min-hyuk-Seo Seung-jae bt Goh V Shem-Low Juan Shen 21-6, 22-20.
Women’s singles: Goh Jin Wei bt Lee Se-yeon (Kor) 21-17, 17-21, 21-12.
Women’s doubles: Benyapa Aimsaard-Nuntakarn Aimsaard (Tha) bt Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien 21-10, 21-19.
Mixed doubles: Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing bt Na Sung-seung-Kim Min-ji (Kor) 21-11, 21-9; Hiroki Midorikawa-Natsu Saito (Jpn) bt Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie 21-15, 23-21; Ong Yew Sin-Goh Liu Ying bt Seo Seung-jae-Chae-Yu-jung (Kor) w.o.