KUALA LUMPUR: National mixed doubles pair, Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin, got off to a positive start by advancing to the second round of the Kumamoto Badminton Masters in Japan on Wednesday.
In the opening round held at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium, the world No. 20 pair had to work hard before edging out the Taiwanese duo, Wu Hsuan-Yi and Yang Chu Yun, 21-18, 18-21, 21-19.
Awaiting them in the second round is the Thai pair, Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran.
Also progressing was women’s singles player, K. Letshanaa, who defeated Azerbaijan’s Keisha Fatimah Azzahra 25-23, 21-8, and will face Taiwan’s Chiu Pin-Chian in the next round.
Meanwhile, two other national mixed doubles pairs were eliminated in the first round.
Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai Jemie lost to the host pair, Yuichi Shimogami and Sayaka Hobara, 17-21, 13-21, while Wong Tien Ci and Lim Chiew Sien were defeated by the Taiwanese duo, Liu Kuang Heng and Jheng Yu Chieh, 15-21, 16-21.
Men’s singles player, Justin Hoh, was also knocked out, losing to Japan’s Shogo Ogawa 14-21, 9-21. – BERNAMA
