All England: M'sian Player Chong Wei Advances Into Second Round

KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 (Bernama) -- As expected, world number one Lee Chong Wei marched into the second round of the All England Badminton Championship after defeating China's Wang Zheming in Birmingham, England early this morning (Malaysian time). It appeared to be an easy match for the 29-year-old Chong Wei when he only took 38 minutes to beat the world number 16th with straight sets 21-16, 21-11. Chong Wei will play Denmark's Hans-Kristian Vittinghus in the second round on Friday. The Malaysian top men's doubles of Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong also reached the second round when they beat Naoki Kawamae/Shoji Sato of Japan in the first round. The Malaysians, who are the world number six pair, beat Naoki/Shoji 21-11, 21-18 in 32 minutes and are expected to play either China's Hong Wei/Shen Ye or Adam Cwalina/Michal Logosz of Poland in the second round, Friday. National number three singles, Liew Daren also advanced into the second round after edging Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand 21-19, 23-21. Liew will meet world number four, Peter Hoeg Gade of Denmark or England's Ouseph Rajiv tomorrow. Another Malaysian men's singles player, Chong Wei Feng also earned a place into the second round after a 21-14, 21-18 win over Pablo Abian of Spain in the first round. However, Wei Feng faces a difficult task as he will take on world number two, Lin Dan of China in the second round. Another national pair of Goh V Shem/Teo Kok Siang, however, bowed out in the first round when they lost to world number two, Jung Jae Sung/Lee Yong Dae of South Korea 10-21, 11-21. Meanwhile, in the mixed doubles, Ong Jian Guo/Lim Yin Loo lost to the Indonesian pair Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir, 21-18 8-21 19-21 in the first round. -- BERNAMA