By : K.M. Boopathy
ZAKRY Latif and Fairuzizuan Tazari lived dangerously before snatching a quarter-final berth while Beijing Olympics-bound Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui also slugged their way through in the Indonesia Open in Jakarta yesterday.
Zakry-Fairuz, who won the Singapore Open on Sunday, overcame a poor first game to notch a 14-21, 23-21, 21-15, win over South Korea's Cho Gun Woo-Yoo Yeon Seong in 52 minutes to stay in the hunt.
However, Zakry-Fairuz were staring at an early exit after losing the first game 14-21 and trailed 18-17 in the second before clawing their way against the Koreans whom they beat in straight games in the semi-finals of the Singapore Open.
The victory pits Zakry-Fairuz, ranked World No 13, against unseeded Indonesians Muhammad Ahsan-Bona Septano in the last eight today.
Pei Tty-Eei Hui made life difficult for themselves before securing a 21-11, 18-21, 21-16 win over Russsia's Valeri Sorokina-Nina Vislova in 56 minutes in the second round. They will meet Indonesians Vita Marissa-Lilyana Natsir today.
Hoon Thien How-Ong Soon Hock, a new combination playing only in their second tournament, were the second national pair to reach the men's doubles quarter-finals after beating fourth seeds Shuichi Sakamoto-Shintaro Ikeda of Japan 25-23, 21-23, 21-19 in 71 minutes.
They will play seventh seeds Mathias Boe-Carsten Morgensen of Denmark, who defeated another Malaysian pair Khoo Chung Chiat-Tan Bin Shen 21-9, 24-21, 21-19, in the last eight.
World Champions Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia were also forced to work hard by Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng, who are currently the sparring partners to national men's doubles squad, before securing a 21-12, 17-21, 21-16 win.
In the men's singles, Lee Tsuen Seng advanced to the quarter-finals after beating Singapore's Kendrick Lee 21-15, 22-20 in 37 minutes.
The KLRC Bhd shuttler will now meet Indonesia's Simon Santoso, the Singapore Open runner-up, next.
Sairul Amar Ayub, also attached to KLRC Bhd, lost to Przemyslaw Wacha of Poland 20-22 21-17 21-17.
