KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 – Recently crowned Swiss Open women doubles champions Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah is going great guns in the year of the Golden Ox as the All-England debutants roared into the quarter-finals after knocking out English pair Jessica Hopton-Jenny Moore in the second round on Thursday.
The young Malaysians gave their confidence a big boost in the Super 1000 event in Birmingham with a 21-18, 21-7 win in 32 minutes.
The victory came in the wake of 21-17, 23-21 win over fourth seeds and World No 7 Jongkolphan Kititharakul-Rawinda Prajongjai of Thailand in the first round.
Pearly-Thinaah ranked No 22, also reached the quarter-finals in the Yonex Thailand Open and the Toyota Thailand Open this year.
Malaysian hope in the men’s singles Lee Zii Jia also made the last eight after defeating veteran Denmark’s veteran Hans-Kristian Vittinghus in straight games 21-12, 21-13 in 35 minutes.The under-fire national No 1 earned a mouth-watering clash against World No 1 and top seed Kento Momota of Japan.
The Japanese ace who won the prestigious All-England in 2019, defeated India’s S. Prannoy 21-10, 21-10 and is the hot favorite for the title this year. Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen is the defending champion.
In the mixed doubles, Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying had to ensure two matches on Thursday to reach the last eight. In the morning it was a three-game battle against Danish pair Mathias Thyrri-Mai Surrow before prevailing 21-23, 21-15, 21-12.
The Malaysian professionals had an easier second-round match against Thailand’s Nipitphon Phuangphuapet-Benyapa Aimsaard for a 21-9, 21-8 win.
However, in the men’s doubles, it was the end for professionals Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong and Ong Yew Sin.
V Shem-Wee Kiong fell 19-21, 18-21 to Danes Mathias Christiansen-Niclas Nohr while Yew Sin-Ee Yi crashed to a 21-10, 21-19 defeat to defending champions Yuta Watanabe-Hiroyuki Endo of Japan.
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