Sze Fei-Izzuddin, Pearly-Thinaah a match away from medal

 Malaysian pairs score straight-game victories over their rivals in the Asian Games badminton to qualify for the quarter-finals.

Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani will receive at least a bronze medal, replicating the achievement of Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik in 2022, if they win their quarter-final match tomorrow. (EPA Images pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and Pearly Tan-M Thinaah are in the Asian Games badminton quarter-finals after scoring convincing wins over their Japanese and Thai opponents in the last-16 today.

Both pairs are one step away from securing at least a bronze medal, as all semi-finalists are guaranteed a podium finish.

Sze Fei-Izzuddin, ranked world No 6, overcame Japan’s ninth-ranked pair, Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kabayashi, 21-19, 21-16 in 35 minutes at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium in Aichi, Japan.

The Malaysians will face a tougher test in the quarter-finals tomorrow against China’s world No 3 pair, Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang.

In the women’s doubles, world No 5 pair Pearly-Thinaah needed just 29 minutes to dispatch Thailand’s Napapakorn Tungkasatan-Hathaithip Mijad 21-8, 21-12.

In the semi-finals tomorrow, they will face India’s world No 26 duo Gayatri Gopichand-Treesa Jolly, who shocked Japan’s third-ranked pair Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsumoto in straight games.

Malaysia won a men’s doubles bronze at the last Asian Games in 2022 through Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik.

Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei secured a bronze in the women’s doubles at the 2014 games. - FMT