Chong Wei makes slow but winning start

PETALING JAYA: World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei was slow off the starting blocks but was still good enough to reach the second round of the India Open in New Delhi yesterday.

Chong Wei fended off a fiesty Ajay Jayaram of India, winning 21-19, 21-18 in 37 minutes to set up a meeting with Lee Hyun-il of South Korea.

Hyun-il, who is making a comeback after quitting the sport in 2008, also faced strong resistance in a 21-16, 21-19 win over Indonesian Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka.

Coach Teh Seu Bock said: “Chong Wei’s condition is fine. He was just taking some time to get the tournament feeling. He did quite a lot of mistakes and credit must be given to Ajay for playing well. Chong Wei will pick up pace.”

It was a good day for Malaysia in the men’s and women’s doubles events when all four pairs – Chan Peng Soon-Tan Wee Kiong, Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-Hoon Thien How, Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty and Sabrina Chong-Goh Liu Ying – cleared the first-round hurdles.

In second round men’s doubles matches today, Peng Soon-Wee Kiong will take on sixth seeds Shoji Sato-Naoki Kawamae of Japan while Zakry-Thien How can expect a tough time against third seeded Indonesians Alven Yulianto-Hendra Gunawan.

Eei Hui-Pei Tty will play against home favourites Jwala Gutta-Ashwini Ponnappa while Sabrina-Liu Ying received a free ride into the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles following the withdrawal of Singaporeans Shinta Mulia Sari-Yao Lei.

Malaysia’s challenge in the mixed doubles was reduced to only one pair when Ong Jien Guo-Sabrina crashed out 20-22, 16-21 to Thailand’s Maneepong Jongjit-Savitree Amitrapai.

Fifth seeds Peng Soon-Liu Ying have a match against India’s Akshay Dewalkar-Pradnya Gadre for a place in the quarter-finals.

Posted by Lucas Liau on 5:22 PM. Filed under Latest News . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0