5 M’sian doubles pairs power into French Open quarter-finals

Malaysian doubles shuttlers across all categories continued to shine at the French Open with five pairs storming into the quarter-finals of the World Tour Super 750 championships.

Men’s doubles pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun defeated 13th-ranked Japanese pair Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi in straight games 25-23, 21-14 in 41 minutes at the Arena Grand Paris early this morning.

The world No 11 duo, who were first-round casualties at the Denmark Open last week, will clash with world No 4 compatriots Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, who advanced to the quarter-finals after a walkover from their Thai opponents, Peeratchai Sukphun-Pakkapon Teeraratsakul.

This assures Malaysia of a semi-final spot at the prestigious championships.

World No 5 Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani took 50 minutes to overcome 12th ranked Danish pair Daniel Lundgaard-Mads Vestergaard 21-6, 14-21, 21-18 in their second-round clash.

Sze Fei-Izzuddin have now won four of their eight encounters so far.

In the quarter-finals, they will face South Korea’s world No 1 pair Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae, who defeated Aaron Tai-Yap Roy King 21-14, 21-16 in 33 minutes in their second-round tie.

World No 4 women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M Thinaah booked their last-eight berth after defeating compatriots Carmen Ting-Ong Xin Yee 21-14, 22-20 in a hard-fought match lasting 46 minutes.

Pearly-Thinaah, who won the Denmark Open last week, will face world No 9 Bulgarian sisters Gabriela Stoeva-Stefani Stoeva in their last-eight match today. The Malaysian pair have beaten Gabriela-Stefani in four of their five encounters so far.

Mixed doubles shuttlers Hoo Pang Ron-Lai Pei Jing have also booked their spot in the quarter-finals, where they will meet Germany’s giant-killers Marvin Seidel-Thuc Phuong Nguyen.

The 27th-ranked German duo beat world No 2 Chinese pair Jiang Zhen Bang-Wei Ya Xin and Malaysia’s ninth-ranked pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie in their first two rounds.