Only Koo/Tan Make It To Semis Of 2015 Thailand Open

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 (Bernama) -- Former 2011 World Championship runners-up, Koo Kien Kiat/Tan Boon Heong were the only Malaysians to make to the semifinals of the 2015 Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold Badminton Tournament which is taking place at Thunderdome, Muangthong Thani, Thailand. The unseeded men's pair who are gunning for their third title after making a comeback to the international stage in May, defeated compatriots Chooi Kah Ming/Ow Yao Han 21-17, 21-11 in the quarter-finals Friday, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) website www.bwfbadminton.org reported. Koo/Tan who secured back-to-back titles, winning the Sri Lankan International Challenge and Russian International Challenge in June and July respectively, however, face a mammoth task against second seeded Angga Pratama/Ricky Karanda Suwardi of Indonesia in the semi-finals Saturday. Angga/Ricky secured their berth in the last four after defeating Takuto Inoue/Yuki Kaneko of Japan 21-15, 21-7. National top women's singles player, Tee Jing Yi failed to march further after losing 11-21, 11-21 to second seed, Sung Ji Hyun of South Korea in another quarter-final match. Second seed, Vivian Hoo Kah Mun/Woon Khe Wei were Malaysia's biggest casualty in the last eight after they were stunned by eight seeded Go Ah Ra/Yoo Hae Won of South Korea, losing 21-19, 11-21, 16-21 in the women's doubles event. Sixth seeded Amelia Alicia Anscelly/Soong Fie Cho also suffered the same fate after they lost 20-22, 18-21 to the unseeded South Korean pair of Chang Ye Na/Lee So Hee. Malaysia had no representatives in both the men's singles and mixed doubles as they has been eliminated in the preliminary round of the US$120,000 tournament. -- BERNAMA