Singapore: The Malaysian team has a total of 1 singles and 3 doubles pairs advanced into the 2022 Taipei Open semi-finals.
In men’s singles, World No. 59 Soong Joo Wen needed 54 minutes to beat India’s World No. 40 Parupalli Kashyap of India 21-12, 12-21, 21-17 on Friday.
“Since Kashyap is older than me, I tried to play more shots to make him physically tired. In the third set, after the interval, I upped my tempo, tried to be quicker at the net, and was more aggressive in attacking. The strategy worked well as I was able to score a few points,” said Soong.
Soong will fight World No. 4 Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan on Saturday for a spot in the final.
In men’s doubles, Boon Xin Yuan/Wong Tien Ci of Malaysia will take on Tokyo Olympic champions Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin in the semi-finals, while another men’s pair, Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun will also meet a local pair – Su Ching Heng/Ye Hong Wei for a final berth.
The World No. 24 mixed doubles pair Hoo Pang Ron/Toh Ee Wei has been going strong at the Taipei Open as the unseeded Malaysian pair eliminated the No. 6 seeds from India, Ishaan Bhatnagar/Tanisha Crasto 21-19, 21-12 in the quarter-final action that lasted for 32 minutes.
“We just fought hard and did not think too much at today’s match. We want to make sure we give our best on the court,” said Toh.
Hoo/Toh who also defeated the No. 3 seeds from Taiwan, Lee Jhe Huei/Hsu Ya Ching in the second round, will face off against Lee Chun Hei/Ng Tsz Yau of Hong Kong for the ticket to the finals.
“For the semi-final match, I will discuss with Pang Ron and the coach how we could better prepare to face our opponents,” added Toh.
