Sze Fei-Izzuddin, Pearly-Thinaah a match away from medal

Malaysian pairs score straight-game victories over their rivals in the Asian Games badminton to qualify for the quarter-finals.

Both pairs are one step away from securing at least a bronze medal, as all semi-finalists are guaranteed a podium finish.

Sze Fei-Izzuddin, ranked world No 6, overcame Japan’s ninth-ranked pair, Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kabayashi, 21-19, 21-16 in 35 minutes at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium in Aichi, Japan.

The Malaysians will face a tougher test in the quarter-finals tomorrow against China’s world No 3 pair, Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang.

In the women’s doubles, world No 5 pair Pearly-Thinaah needed just 29 minutes to dispatch Thailand’s Napapakorn Tungkasatan-Hathaithip Mijad 21-8, 21-12.

In the semi-finals tomorrow, they will face India’s world No 26 duo Gayatri Gopichand-Treesa Jolly, who shocked Japan’s third-ranked pair Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsumoto in straight games.

Malaysia won a men’s doubles bronze at the last Asian Games in 2022 through Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik.

Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei secured a bronze in the women’s doubles at the 2014 games.

Besides the two doubles pairs, it was a miserable day for Malaysia as all the other national shuttlers were knocked out in the second and third rounds.

Scratch pair Aaron Chia-Tee Kai Wun lost to world No 1 pair and top seeds Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae of South Korea 19-21, 16-21.

Men’s singles player Justin Hoh, who beat unranked Bangladeshi player Gourab Singha 21-7, 21-8 in the second round in the morning, went down to Singaporean Loh Kean Yew 21-14, 21-14 four hours later.

Leong Jun Hao, who beat Mongolia’s Batdavaa Munkhbat 21-11, 21-14 in the second round, fell to Indonesian ace Alwi Farhan 16-21, 11-21 in 41 minutes in a last-16 match.

Malaysia’s run in the women’s singles also ended when Wong Ling Ching lost to India’s Unnati Hooda 14-21, 22-20, 19-21.

Yesterday, K Letshanaa was knocked out in the first round by Taiwanese player Chiu Pin Chian. Mixed doubles pairs Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Jemie Lai and Chen Tang Jie-Cheng Su Yin were also sent packing in the second round.