M'sian Badminton Players Daren, Chong Secure Slots In All England Main Draw

KUALA LUMPUR, March 7 (Bernama) -- National men's singles badminton players Liew Daren and Chong Wei Feng managed to secure main-draw slots in the All England championship in Birmingham early this morning. Unfortunately Muhammad Hafiz Hashim failed in the second qualifying round. Daren had a spectacular 21-19, 19-21, 21-19 win over Taiwanese Hsueh Hsuan Yi while Chong defeated R.M.V. Gurusaidutt of India 21-16, 20-22, 21-8. But Hafiz lost 21-11, 15-21, 12-21 to his Chou Tien Chien of Taiwan. Daren, ranked 43rd in the world, is scheduled to meet Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand for the first round of the main draw tonight and Chong is up against Pablo Abian of Spain. National men's doubles players Goh V Shem/Teo Kok Siang are also listed in the main draw of the championship after they defeated team mates Gan Teik Chai/Tan Bin Shen 19-21, 21-13, 22-20 but face the challenging second ranked duo of Jung Jae Sung/Lee Yong Dae in the first round Wednesday night. Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif/Mohd Fairuzizuan Tazari paired up for a swift win over Danish doubles players Rasmus Bonde/Anders Kristiansen 21-15, 21-17 in 36 minutes. The pair are set to meet 24th ranked Germans Micheal Fuchs/Oliver Roth tonight. Meanwhile, national women's doubles Goh Liu Ying/Lim Yin Loo and Ng Hui Ern/Ng Hui Lin maintained their excellent performance by being listed for the main draw as well. Goh/Lim disposed off their opponents Iris Wang/Rena Wang of the United States 21-16, 21-16 in 31 minutes while the Ng sisters (Hui Ern/Hui Lin) emerged 21-18, 22-20 winners over Canadians Nicole Grether/Charmaine Reid in 39 minutes. Goh/Lim are set to meet seventh-ranked Danish doubles Christina Pedersen/Kamilla Rytter Juhl in the first round tonight. National mixed doubles Ong Jiang Guo/Lim Yin Loo bagged a slot in the All England main draw earlier last night when the Singapore and South Korean mixed doubles match did not take place. They will meet Indonesians Ahmad Tontowi/Liliyana Natsir tonight. Meanwhile, world number one Lee Chong Wei will start his third All England championship mission against China's Wang Zheming. Sixth-ranked doubles Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong will meet Japan's Naoki Kawamae/Shoji Sato early Thursday morning (Malaysian time). -- BERNAMA