KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 — Japanese shuttler, Kenichi Tago pulled off a major upset in the Malaysian Open Super Series Premier Badminton Championship 2014 by defeating world number two, Chen Long of China in a quarter-final match at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil, here, today.
Tago who was seeded fifth, however, was forced to play in 67 minutes before registering 21-18, 9-21 and 21-10 to set up a clash with world number four, Tommy Sugiarto of Indonesia, tomorrow.
Sugiarto cruised to the semi-finals after brushing aside India’s K. Srikanth 21-10 and 21-15 in another quarter-final match.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Tago said the lanky Chinese (picture) did not give a good fight which gave him more confidence to beat his opponent.
“I don’t want to think about my next opponent tomorrow but I expect it to be a tough battle for me as the tournament has almost reached the pinnacle,” said Tago.
Chen Long, on the other hand, admitted that he did not give a good fight as he felt unwell but looked forward to the next tournament.
“It was a normal game today as I feel unwell but it is not the main factor for my defeat to Tago,” said the Chinese shuttler, who recently bagged the Korean Open title after defeating world number one, Datuk Lee Chong Wei. — Bernama
