KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 — Two national mixed doubles pairs, Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing and Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai, came through their first-round ties unscathed in the 2019 New Zealand Open badminton championships at the Eventfinda Stadium in Auckland today.

While Kian Meng-Pei Jing defeated sixth seeds Rinov Rivaldy-Pitha Haningtyas Mentari 21-18, 21-14; Soon Huat-Shevon downed Singapore’s Danny Bawa Chrisnanta-Tan Wei Han 21-11, 21-17.

Kian Meng-Pei Jing, who suffered a first-round loss in the Badminton Asia Championships (BAC) in Wuhan, China last week, will have to cross another Indonesian hurdle in the form of Akbar Bintang Cahyono-Annisa Saufika in the second round tomorrow.

"We prepared well because we lost to this pair (Rinov-Pitha) in the German Open this year. It wasn’t easy but we played well,” said Pei Jing.

Meanwhile, third seeds Soon Huat-Shevon, who had to pull out of the BAC due to the former’s health problem, will face Taiwan’s Lee Jhe Huei-Hsu Ya Ching in the second round.

Malaysia’s third national mixed doubles pair of Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying, who are also the second seeds, will begin their campaign against Indonesia’s Henriko Kho Wibowo-Yulia Yosephin Susanto tomorrow. 

The other Malaysians scheduled to take to the court tomorrow include men’s singles players Chong Wei Feng (vs Indonesia’s Ihsan Mualana Mustofa); Soong Joo Ven (vs South Korea’s Lee Hyun Il); and Lee Zii Jia (vs fourth seed Kenta Nishimoto of Japan). Women’s singles ace Soniia Cheah will take on Zhang Beiwan of the United States.

In women’s doubles, Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean will face Japan’s Mayu Matsumoto-Wakana Nagahara while Vivian Hoo-Yap Cheng Wen will meet Indonesia’s Yulfira Barkah-Jauza Fadhila Sugiarto.

In men’s doubles, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani will face Akira Koga-Taichi Saito of Japan; Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik will take on Simon Leung Wing Hang-Mitchell Wheller of Australia; Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi will square off against Taiwan’s Liao Min Chun-Su Ching Heng; while Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong will clash with Mark Lamsfuss-Marvin Seidel of Germany. — Bernama