KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 — The country’s challenge in the 2018 Japan Open Badminton Tournament has ended after the only pair left standing, Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying lost in the semi-finals in the mixed doubles event in Tokyo today.
The 2016 Rio Olympics silver medallists, however, put up a stiff competition against the top seeds, Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong of China before losing in 16-21, 21-17 and 14-21 in a 59-minute battle at the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza, according to the Badminton World Federation (BWF) website;www.bwfbadminton.com.
The Chinese pair who are also the world number one will take on fellow compatriots, Wang Yilyu-Huang Dongping in the final, tomorrow after the second seeded pair defeated Yuta Watanabe-Arisa Higashino of Japan;winning in 21-15 and 21-17 in the other semi-final tie
Malaysia’s interest in two other events – men’s doubles and women’s singles – fizzled out in the preliminary round after the players were beaten by their respective opponents.
Malaysia did not send any representatives in the men’s singles and also the women’s doubles in the BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament. — Bernama
