Sze Fei-Izzuddin advance to last 16 at Japan Open

 The world No 5 pair defeated China’s Hu Ke Yuan-Lin Xiang Yi in straight games in their opening match.

Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani are in the hunt for their third title this year after winning the Indonesia Masters in January and Indonesia Open last month. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Malaysia’s men doubles shuttlers Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani defeated a Chinese pair in straight games to book their spot in the last 16 of the Japan Open in Tokyo.

The world No 6 pair were put to the test by 30th-ranked Hu Ke Yuan-Lin Xiang Yi before prevailing 22-20, 21-18 in a match lasting 36 minutes at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.

This was the first encounter between the two pairs.

Sze Fei-Izzuddin, who won the Indonesian Masters in January and Indonesia Open last month, will play either Keiichiro Matsui-Kenya Mitsuhashi of Japan or Denmark’s Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen in the second round on Thursday.

Earlier, Malaysian women’s doubles pair Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting lost to South Korean duo Baek Ha Na-Lee So Hee 12-21, 18-21 in 40 minutes.

Prior to that, Pearly Tan-M Thinaah were also bundled out of the championships, which means no Malaysian women’s doubles pairs are left in the tournament.

Besides Sze Fei-Izzuddin, the only other Malaysian representative who made it to the second round today was men’s singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao. - FMT