[UPDATED] World C’ships: tough road ahead for M’sia after China ousts mixed doubles duo

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s chance of claiming its first World Championship title grows slim as mixed doubles pair Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing were knocked out by China’s Zheng Si Wei-Huang Ya Qiong 21-9, 21-9 today in the quarter-finals. 

At the Metropolitan Gymnasium in Tokyo, Tan-Lai were no match for the world number 2 Chinese pair as Zheng-Huang did not give their opponents breathing room to mount a comeback in the first set. 

It was the same story in the second set as the Malaysians could not keep up with their opponents. They lost the match in a swift 28 minutes. 

Zheng-Huang have won all six of the last competitions they have entered and will be looking to make the World Championships their seventh consecutive win.

It was also disappointing for the other mixed doubles team as Goh Soon Huat-Lai Shevon Jemie exited the competition after losing to Japan’s Yuta Watanabe-Arisa Higashino 21-17, 21-13. 

Although leading until the 11-point interval, the Malaysian pair could not keep the third seed Japanese duo at bay as they overtook and were leading going into the second set. 

It was light work for Watanabe-Higashino in the second set. They led the entirety of it and moved into the semi-finals tomorrow where they will face Mark Lamsfuss-Isabel Lohau from Germany.

Malaysia only have men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik to count on to give the country its first World Championship title. 

They defeated South Korea’s Choi Sol-gyu-Seo Seung-jae 21-18, 21-16 today to enter the semi-finals tomorrow where they will take on India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty. 

At the same time, world number 1 Danish shuttler Viktor Axelsen will meet fourth seed Chou Tien Chen from Taiwan tomorrow in the semi-finals. 

It was an upset for Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew as he would not be able to defend his World Championship title after he lost to Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn 21-12, 17-21, 21-8. – The Vibes, August 26, 2022