Malaysia Suffers Disastrous First Day at All England Badminton Championships
PETALING JAYA:
Malaysia’s badminton team suffered a dismal start at the All England Badminton Championships in Birmingham, with most of its players being eliminated in the opening round of the prestigious BWF Super 1000 event.
First-Round Casualties
The first-round casualties were top men’s singles players Lee Zii Jia and Leong Jun Hao, men’s doubles pairs Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi, and Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King, as well as mixed doubles pairs Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin and Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing.
Lee Zii Jia’s Loss
Zii Jia, seeded seventh, lost to Hong Kong’s Angus Ng Ka Long 21-19, 16-21, 12-21 in a 62-minute battle. He had suffered an injury to his right ankle at the BWF World Tour Finals last December, which saw him retiring in the final group match. Yesterday, he was seen limping at times after executing smashes. It was his second tournament this year, the first being last week’s Orleans Masters.
Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik’s Loss
Aaron-Wooi Yik, finalists last year, were beaten by a much lower-ranked Danish pair, Rasmus Kjaer-Frederik Sogaard. They lost 16-21, 21-16, 18-21 in a 63-minute match.
Other Results
Men’s doubles pair Yew Sin-Ee Yi were defeated by England’s Ben Lane-Sean Vendy in straight games, going down 18-21, 19-21 in 45 minutes. Kian Meng-Pei Jing put up a good fight but lost 18-21, 20-22 in 42 minutes to Taiwan’s Chen Cheng Kuan-Hsu Yin Hui. Jun Hao, Arif-Roy King, and Pang Ron-Su Yin were also shown the door in the first round.
Top Seeds’ Success
Only top seeds Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Jemie Lai made it to the second round after beating Thai pair Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran 22-20, 9-21, 21-18.
Remaining Matches
Other Malaysians playing first-round matches later today are men’s doubles pairs Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, women’s doubles duo Pearly Tan-M Thinaah, and mixed doubles pairs Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei and Wong Tien Ci-Lim Chiew Sien.
Conclusion
Malaysia’s badminton team faces a tough task ahead, with many players facing elimination in the first round. The team will need to regroup and refocus to turn their fortunes around in the upcoming matches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who were the first-round casualties for Malaysia?
A: Top men’s singles players Lee Zii Jia and Leong Jun Hao, men’s doubles pairs Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi, and Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King, as well as mixed doubles pairs Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin and Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing.
Q: Who won the match between Lee Zii Jia and Angus Ng Ka Long?
A: Lee Zii Jia lost to Hong Kong’s Angus Ng Ka Long 21-19, 16-21, 12-21 in a 62-minute battle.
Q: How did Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik’s match against Rasmus Kjaer-Frederik Sogaard end?
A: They lost 16-21, 21-16, 18-21 in a 63-minute match.