Zakry and Thien How beat 2005 world champs in their opening match

SHUTTLERS Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-Hoon Thien How got off to a splendid start by dumping 2005 world champions Tony Gunawan-Howard Bach of United States in the opening round of the World Championships yesterday.

The unseeded Zakry-Thien How combined well to beat their more experienced opponents 21-17, 21-14 despite facing a strong resistance in the opening game.

Today, Zakry-Thien How will take on Taiwan’s Fang Chieh-min-Lee Sheng-mu.

Debutant Thien How was happy that they cleared the opening round after losing many times in the same stage in other international tournaments over the last one year.

“We feel thrilled to clear the first round by beating the former world champions. It is all credit to our great game plan,” said Thien How.

Thien How-Zakry started well, keeping the shuttle low, forcing Tony-Bach to lift the shuttle, which often ended up being hammered down by the powerful Thien How.

The crafty Zakry was exceptionally good at the front, lunging at every shots coming over the net.

Zakry is hoping that they can keep up with the momentum in their bid to go far as possible in the tournament.

“The second round against the Taiwanese will be more challenging. We have beaten them once at the All-England this year. They possess good speed and power and we will be ready to counter them,” said Zakry.

It was a day of mixed fortune for Chan Peng Soon on the opening day when he crashed out in the men’s doubles event but made it up with a superb win in the mixed doubles.

In the men’s doubles, he teamed up with debutant Lim Khim Wah but the duo failed to get their game going and went down tamely 13-21, 19-21 to Poland’s Adam Cwalina-Michal Logosz.

In the mixed doubles Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying when they blew away Mexicans Lino Munoz-Cynthia Gonzalez 21-9, 21-5 in 16 minutes.

“It was a good warm-up for us. They were not a match for us. But our real challenge will start tomorrow (today),” said Peng Soon.

Peng Soon-Liu Ying will take on England’s favourites Nathan Robert­son-Jenny Wallwork for a place in the third round.

“They will have the fans here rooting for them. We will not let them intimidate us. We have beaten them once at the China Open a few years ago and hopefully, we will be able to do the same here,” he said.

Results

·Men’s singles

First round: Kevin Cordon (Gua) bt Chen Long (Chn) 21-19, 8-21, 27-25; Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk (Tha) 21-15, 21-17; Pabli Abian (Spa) bt Tan Yuhan (Bel) 16-21, 21-17, 21-15; Vladimir Ivanov (Rus) bt Michal Matejka (Svk) 21-12, 21-6; Taufik Hidayat (Ina) bt Rodrigo Pacheco Carrilla (Per) 21-10, 21-14; Ajay Jayaram (Ind) bt Tago Kenichi (Jpn) 21-12,21-19; Marc Zwiebler (Ger) bt Valeriy Atrashchenkov (Rus) 21-19,21-10; Ville Lang (Fin) bt Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka (Ina) 21-17, 21-18; Hans-Kristian Vittinghus (Den) bt Hu Yun (Hkg) 24-22, 21-18; Chen Jin (Chn) bt Raul Must (Est) 21-8, 21-10.

·Men’s doubles

First round: Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-Hoon Thien How (Mas) bt Howard; Bach-Tony Gunawan (US) 21-17, 21-14; Ross Smith-Glenn Warfe (US) bt Martin Campbell-Angus Gilmour (Sco) 21-13, 21-17; Pablo Abian(Spa) bt Yuhan Tan (Bel) 16-21, 21-17, 21-15; Vladimir Ivanov (Rus) bt Michal; Matejka (Pol) 21-10, 21-6; Ruud Bosch-Koen Ridder (Ned) bt Sameera Gunatileka-Vincent Nguy (Sri) 21-8, 21-7; Rupesh Kumar-Sanave Thomas (Ind) bt Michael Fuchs-Oliver Roth (Ger) 9-21, 21-18, 21-17; Anthony Clark-Chris Langridge (Eng) bt Yoshiteru Hirobe-Kenta Kazuno (Jpn) 21-15, 21-17; Adam Cwalina-Michal Logosz (Pol) bt Chan Peng Soon-Lim Khim Wah 21-13, 21-19.

·Women’s singles

First round: Olga Konon (Ger) bt Ying Tai Tzu (Tpe) w.o; Fu Mingtian (Sin) bt Larisa Griga (Ukr) 21-10, 21-10; Chan Ka Tsz (Hkg) bt Jeanine Cicognini (Swi) 20-22, 21-19, 21-13; Lindaweni Fanetri (Ina) bt Tatjana Bibik (Rus) 21-11, 21-9; Lianne Tan (Bel) bt Charmaine Reid (Can) 21-9, 21-19; Chloe Magee (Irl) bt Adrianti Firdasari (Ina) 13-21, 24-22, 21-13; Elizabeth Cann (Eng) bt Michelle Chan Ky (Nzl) 16-21, 21-13, 21-11.

* Matches involving Malaysians in other events

·Women’s doubles

First round: Ng Hui Lin-Ng Hui Ern bt Anna Kobceva-Elena Prus (Ukr) 21-14, 22-20;

·Mixed doubles

First round: Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying bt Lino Munoz-Cynthia Gonzalez (Mex) 21-9, 21-5.

Posted by Lucas Liau on 9:57 AM. Filed under Top News . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0