Zakry-Thien How, Kien Keat-Boon Heong in last eight

Posted by Lucas Liau Latest News, Top News 9:33 AM

PETALING JAYA: There was an unexpected double joy for Malaysia when two men’s pairs marched into the quarter-finals of the All-England badminton championships on a day when hot favourites Jung Jae-sung-Lee Yong-dae of South Korea were dumped in Birmingham.
Yesterday, qualifiers Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-Hoon Thien How continued with their gallant run to join former champions and compatriots Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong in the last eight.
Zakry-Thien How fought tooth and nail to overcome gutsy Japanese Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa for a deserving 12-21, 21-14, 21-19 win.

Said Zakry: “This is our second big win in this tournament. We are very motivated to continue with our good run here.”
They will take on Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen next.
Earlier, Kien Keat-Boon Heong lived up to expectations when they defeated Chen Hung-ling-Lin Yu-lang of Taiwan 21-10, 22-20.
The fifth seeds almost paid the price for taking their feet off the pedal while leading 15-10 in the second game. Fortunately, the Malaysians snapped out of their brief slumber to check into the last eight.
If everything goes according to form, they are expected to take on fourth seeds Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan.
National coach Rexy Mainaky said that the day belonged to Zakry-Thien How.
“They played beyond expectations. After their below par performances at the German Open last week, I did not expect them to come this far. It is a pleasant surprise,” said Rexy in a telephone interview.
“Zakry was nervous in the first game and I can understand it. This was the same pair that Zakry had lost to when he partnered Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari at the Thomas Cup Finals last year.
“But he managed to overcome his nerves. He complemented Thiew How and grew confident as the game progressed. It was quite tight in the decider but I am happy that the boys pulled through. I hope they will keep it up.”
Rexy said that Kien Keat-Boon Heong were also in fine form.
“They did well before losing a little focus towards the end of the game. They are fired up and I hope that they will be able to maintain the rhythm.”
However, it was all over for the other Malaysian men’s pairs in the tournament when Chan Peng Soon-Lim Khim Wah, Mak Hee Chun-Tan Wee Kiong and Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen were bundled out in the opening round on Wednesday.
The tournament also suffered its biggest casualty yesterday when 2008 doubles champions Jae-sung-Yong-dae, who were crowned as the German Open winners on Sunday, were surprisingly humbled 21-13, 17-21, 8-21 by China’s Chai Biao-Guo Zhengdong in the second round.
RESULTS
MEN’S SINGLES
First round: Du Pengyu (Chn) bt Jan O Jorgensen (Den) 13-21, 21-11, 21-14; Nguyen Tien Minh (Vie) bt Dicky Palyama (Ned) 15-21, 21-16, 21-15; Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka (Ina) bt Ajay Jayaram (Ind) 21-17, 21-19; Lin Dan (Chn) bt Wong Choong Hann (Mas) 21-14, 21-17; Marc Zwiebler (Ger) bt P. Kashyap (Ind) 21-11, 8-21, 21-17; Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Brice Leverdez (Fra) 21-9, 21-11; Chen Jin (Chn) bt Rajiv Ouseph (Eng) 23-21, 21-12; Kazushi Yamada (Jpn) bt Taufik Hidayat (Ina) 21-10, 21-14.
Second round: Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Bao Chunlai (Chn) 21-16, 21-16; Chen Long (Chn) w.o. Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk (Tha); Nguyen Tien Minh (Vie) bt Du Pengyu (Chn) 21-18, 21-15, Peter Gade-Christensen (Den) bt Kenichi Tago (Jpn) 21-9, 22-20.
MEN’S DOUBLES
First round: Chen Hung-ling-Lin Yu-lang (Tpe) bt Ingo Kindervater-Johannes Schoettler (Ger) 21-17, 21-19; Hirokatsu Hashimoto-Noriyasu Hirata (Jpn) bt A. Songphon-Sudket Prapakamol (Tha) 21-11, 21-16; Adam Cwalina-Michal Logosz (Pol) bt Alven Yulianto-Hendra Gunawan (Ina) 21-16, 21-17.
Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (Mas) bt Vitalij Durkin-Alexandr Nikolaenko (Rus) 21-13, 21-13; Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan (Ina) bt Chan Peng Soon-Lim Khim Wah (Mas) 21-10, 25-23; Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng (Chn) bt Howard Bach-Tony Gunawan (Ina) 12-21, 21-17, 21-17; Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa (Jon) bt Mak Hee Chun-Tan Wee Kiong (Mas) 21-16, 21-18; Rupesh Kumar-Thomas Sanave (Ind) bt Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen (Mas) 21-13, 21-18.
Second round: Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (Mas) bt Chen Hung-ling-Lin Yu-lang (Tpe) 21-10, 22-20; Chai Biao-Guo Zhengong (Chn) bt Jung Jae-sung-Lee Yong-dae (Kor) 13-21, 21-17, 21-8; Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-Hoon Thien How (Mas) bt Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa (Jpn) 12-21, 21-14, 21-19;
Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen (Den) bt Mads Conrad-Petersen-Jonas Rasmussen (Den) 21-11, 21-7; Mohd Ahsan-Bona Septano (Ina) bt Rupesh Kumar-Sanave Thomas (Ind) 21-16, 21-16.