Changzhou: The pair of Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi ensured Malaysia has two representatives in the men’s doubles semifinals of the 2024 China Open after defeating Indonesia’s World No. 6 pair Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto on Friday.
In the match at the Changzhou Olympic Sports Center, Ong/Teo had to work hard and required three sets to secure the win.
Highlights of Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi vs. Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto in the semifinal of the 2024 China Open:
The world number 16 pair had to come from behind after losing the first set 14-21 before winning the next two sets 21-17, 21-14 in a match lasting 58 minutes.
Commenting on the victory, Ong said that defeating the world number six pair was crucial for them.
“This is an important win for us, especially for our ranking, confidence, gameplay, and many other aspects,” Ong told the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
Teo Ee Yi, on the other hand, admitted that he wasn’t focused too much on the win but rather on giving his best performance. “I just recovered from an injury,” said Teo Ee Yi.
“We weren’t thinking too much about winning; we just did what we practiced, and the important thing was to give our best,” Teo added.
Ong/Teo will play World No. 7 He Ji Ting/Ren Xiang Yu next.
In addition to Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi, Nur Izzuddin and Goh Sze Fei once again made their ‘junior’ counterparts the victims before securing their semifinal spot.
Goh and Izzuddin, seeded seventh in the tournament, defeated fellow countrymen Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun 21-19, 21-18.
The loss ended the impressive run of Wei Chong and Wun Tee, who had earlier managed to knock out the world champions from South Korea, Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae, to advance to the quarterfinals.
This marks the second official meeting between Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin, ranked 12th in the world, and Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun.
According to the latest Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings, Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun are currently ranked 13th in the world.
The last time these two pairs met was at the German Open in 2022, where Goh/Izzuddin claimed victory with a score of 21-13, 21-17, a result that was nearly repeated on Friday at the Changzhou Olympic Sports Center.
Goh/Izzuddin will take on Muhammad Shohibul Fikri/Daniel Marthin of Indonesia on Saturday.
In mixed doubles, Malaysia’s World No. 12 Goh Soon Huat/Shevon Lai, left the Changzhou Olympic Sports Center almost ‘silent,’ by beating the World No. 2 home pair Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin with the straight-set victory of 23-21, 21-16
“When I stepped onto the court, I told myself I needed to overcome this fear because I had never beaten them before, and it became a psychological game for me to conquer that fear.”
“And today, we both did well,” said Shevon Lai after the match.
Goh/Lai will face World No. 22 Cheng Xing/Zhang Chi for a spot in the final.
