ALOR SETAR: Top seeds Lee Chong Wei and Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong lived up to their top billings when they checked into the quarter-finals of the Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold with relatively comfortable wins at the Sultan Abdul Halim Stadium here yesterday.
But it was the surprise victory of Malaysia’s unheralded men’s pair of Vountus Indra Mawan-Mohd Lutfi Zaim Abdul Khalid over Olympic and former world champions Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan that stole the thunder.
Vountus-Lutfi, both 22-years-old, turned the tables against the second seeded Indonesians, winning 21-13, 18-21, 21-13 in 39 minutes to set up a match against South Koreans Cho Gun-woo-Kwon Yi-goo.
Dynamic duo: Mohd Lutfi Zaim Abdul Khalid (left) and Vountus Indra Mawan defeated Indonesia’s Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan 21-13, 18-21, 21-13 to book their spot in the quarter-finals yesterday. — CHIN CHENG YEANG / The StarThey scored their career best win to earn a first appearance in the quarter-finals of an international tournament.
A dazed Vountus, whose partnership with Lufti is only a year old, said of the unexpected victory: “We trusted each other and both of us rose to the occasion.
“We are still young and there is so much more to learn but this win will put us in the right path for success. We hope to ride on this to scale greater heights.”
National doubles coach Rexy Mainaky was pleased with the exploits of the back-up squad’s doubles shuttlers.
“I have been focusing on Koo and Tan while Rosman (Razak) has been taking care of them. I am pleased to note that these players stayed composed throughout the game to win it,” he said.
“Usually, a young pair will play to the gallery or will make mistakes in their haste to gain victory. But Vountus and Lutfi were in control. They did not let their emotions get the better of them. It is a big achievement for them.”
Kien Keat-Boon Heong stayed on track to win their first title of the year when they defeated younger compatriots Ow Yao Han-Chooi Kah Ming 21-9, 21-13 in just 21 minutes.
It was a much better showing from the country’s top pair after losing to the 2009 world junior champions in the opening round of the Kuala Lumpur Open last month.
They will take on Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa today.
Malaysia’s interest in the men’s singles is down to only Chong Wei, who suffered a rough patch en route to a 21-19, 21-19 win over Tommy Sugiarto of Indonesia in the third round yesterday.
“I was disorientated today. I made quite a number of unforced errors. I was way behind in the second game but I did not give up,” said the world No. 1.
“Fortunately, I was patient enough to finish him off in straight games. I have to be more focused tomorrow.”
Chong Wei will play against Brice Leverdez for a place in the semi-finals. The Frenchman ended the gallant run of Malaysian Beryno Wong.
It was also the end of the road for Mohd Hafiz Hashim and Liew Daren, who were beaten by Vietnamese Nguyen Tien Minh and South Korean Lee Hyun-il respectively.
The shock of the night in the men’s singles was the exit of world champion Chen Jin of China, who was beaten 17-21, 21-19, 21-13 by Japan’s Sho Sasaki.
Results
MEN’S SINGLES
Third round: Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Tommy Sugiarto (Ina) 21-19, 21-19; Brice Leverdez (Fra) bt Beryno Jiann Tze Wong (Mas) 14-21, 21-9, 21-15; Park Sung-hwan (Kor) bt Shon Wan-ho (Kor) 21-17, 21-15; Sony Dwi Kuncoro (Ina) bt Derek Wong Zi Liang (Sin) 21-18, 21-18;
Nguyen Tien Ming (Vie) bt Mohd Hafiz Hashim (Mas) 19-21, 21-18, 21-6; Bao Chunlai (Chn) bt Kazushi Yamada (Jpn) 18-21, 21-15, 21-7; Lee Hyun-il (Kor) bt Liew Daren (Mas) 21-14, 21-12; Sho Sasaki (Jpn) bt Chen Jin (Chn) 17-21, 21-19, 21-13.
MEN’S DOUBLES
Second round: Ruud Bosch-Koen Ridder (Ned) bt Naoki Kawamae-Shoji Sato (Jpn) 21-12, 13-21, 21-17; Mohd Ahsan-Bona Septano (Ina) bt Fernando Kurniawan-Wifqi Windarto (Ina) 21-19, 14-21, 21-16; Hirokatsu Hashimoto-Noriyasu Hirata (Jpn) bt Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Ong Soon Hock (Mas) 21-17, 21-18; Alven Yulianto-Hendra Gunawan (Ina) bt Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen 14-21, 21-16, 21-17;
Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa (Jpn) bt Kim Ki-jung-Kim Sa-rang (Kor) 21-16, rtd; Vountus Indra Mawan-Mohd Lutfi Zaim Abdul Khalid (Mas) bt Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan (Ina) 21-13, 18-21, 21-13;
Cho Gun-woo-Kwon Yi-goo (Kor) bt Patipat Chalardchaleam-Nipitphon Puangpuapech (Tha) 21-17, 21-16; Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (Mas) bt Chooi Kah Ming-Ow Yao Han (Mas) 21-9, 21-13.
* Matches involving Malaysians in other events
WOMEN’S DOUBLES
Second round: Luo Ying-Luo Yu (Chn) bt Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty 22-20, 20-22, 21-9.
MIXED DOUBLES
Second round: Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Ng Hui Lin bt Tan Wee Kiong-Woon Khe Wei 21-15, 16-21, 21-17; Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying bt Kim Ki-jung-Jung Kyung-eun (Kor) 21-7, 21-18; Songphon Anugritayawon-V. Kunchala (Tha) bt Ong Jien Guo-Sabrina Chong 21-13, 21-15; Tantowi Ahmad-Lilyana Natsir (Ina) bt Tan Aik Quan-Lai Pei Jing 21-13, 21-13.
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