GEORGE TOWN, Jan 20 — National number one men’s singles shuttler, Datuk Lee Chong Wei kicked off his campaign with a winning start in the opening round of the Malaysian Masters Grand Prix Gold (GP Gold) badminton championships at the SPICE Arena, here today.
The national badminton ace, who is vying for his first Grand Prix Gold title of the season, took 31 minutes to sweep aside Fikri Ihsandi Hadmadi of Indonesia, winning in 21-14, 21-15.
Chong Wei, 33, will meet Thailand’s Kantawat Leelavechabutr in the second round later today, in seeking his fourth Malaysian Masters championship title.
The Penang-born shuttler won the Malaysian Masters title in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.
Also making it to the second round is Malaysia’s first men’s singles in the Thomas Cup team, Zulfadli Zulkiffli, who dislodged Zhu Siyuan of China, 24-22, 21-14, in the opening encounter.
“During the first set, I was clumsy and made a lot of mistakes, but I was able to recover quickly and was more confident in the second match,” he said.
The 22-year-old United States-born national player will meet the fifth seeded Hu Yun of Hong Kong who defeated another Malaysia’s qualifier, Ai Wei Jian 21-13, 21-7.
Another men’s singles who survived into the second round was Soo Teck Zhi, who defeated Indonesian Nathaniel Ernestan Sulistyo, 21-13, 21-15.
Other remaining men’s singles players are Soong Joo Ven, Tan Chun Seang, Liew Daren, Mohd Arif Abdul Latif, Goh Soon Huat, Zulhelmi Zulkiffli, Chong Wei Feng, Chong Yee Han, Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin, Shahzan Shah Misfahul, Eizlan Shah Misfahul Muneer, Yeoh Seng Zoe, Goh Giap Chin and Lim Chi Wing. — Bernama
