After experiencing the high of beating Japan to emerge as the group winner at the Thomas Cup and the low of losing out to eventual champions India in the quarter-finals in a matter of days, post-mortem will have to wait as top Malaysian badminton players shift their focus to the Thailand Open 2022.
Taking place in Bangkok, the scene of jubilation for first-time Thomas Cup winners India, the Thailand Open 2022 is happening from May 17 till 22 where the world’s best will look to outwit each other. Due to the hectic schedule that preceded this tournament – Badminton Asia Championships and Thomas Cup – several stars have decided to take a breather. They include Indonesia’s – the losing finalists in the 2022 Thomas Cup – Anthony Sinisuka Ginting and Jonatan Christie.
Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia will hope to continue his fine form having beaten arch rival Kento Momota with surprising ease recently, as will mixed doubles and men’s doubles representatives, with Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing ending their title drought at the 2022 Korea Open Badminton Championships and Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin clinching the 2022 German Open title.
Who will Malaysian badminton players face at the Thailand Open 2022?
A number of Malaysian players are slugging out in the qualifying rounds, in the hope of making it into the main draws.
In round of 32, national no. 1 men’s singles Lee Zii Jia is seeded sixth where he is set to play the winner of the qualifying rounds. Ng Tze Yong is drawn against Wang Tzu-wei, while Liew Daren vies with Prannoy H. S., who won his decisive match to send India into the Thomas Cup semi-finals, for a spot in round of 16.
In women’s singles, S Kisona challenges Ruselli Hartawan.
Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi have withdrawn from the tournament, leaving Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik the only Malaysians seeded in men’s doubles. The No. 6 seeds are set to meet the winners of the qualifying rounds. Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin face Shyam Prasad-S. Sunjith Jr., while Tan Kian Meng-Tan Wee Kiong are up against Denmark’s No. 7 seeds Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen. Goh V Shem-Low Juan Shen are entrusted to upset Japan’s No. 3 seeds Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi.
In women’s doubles, No. 7 seeds Pearly Tan-M Thinaah face Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma-Amalia Cahaya Pratiwi, while Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien’s opponents for round of 32 are Hsu Ya-ching-Lin Wan-ching. Anna Cheong-Teoh Mei Xing are pitted against Fitriani-Ruselli Hartawan.
In mixed doubles, Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing and Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai seeded fifth and sixth are set to play Jones Ralfy Jansen-Linda Efler and Vinson Chiu-Jennie Gai respectively.
#ThailandOpen2022 Order of Play
Day1️⃣
⏰ 10.00am (MYT)#DemiMalaysia#BadmintonMalaysia pic.twitter.com/oe6vU182Bc
— BAM (@BA_Malaysia) May 16, 2022
May 17 (round of 32)
Men’s doubles: Kim Astrup-Anders Rasmussen defeated Tan Kian Meng-Tan Wee Kiong 21-8, 21-16; Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin defeated Shyam Prasad-S.Sunjith Jr. 21-7, 21-15; Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi defeated Goh V Shem-Low Juan Shen 18-21, 21-12, 21-11.
Women’s doubles: Pearly Tan-M Thinaah defeated Febriana Kusuma-Amalia Pratiwi 21-18, 21-19; Anna Cheong-Teoh Mei Xing defeated Fitriani-Ruselli Hartawan 21-5, 21-18; Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien defeated Hsu Ya Ching-Lin Wa Ching 16-21, 21-16, 21-16.
#ThailandOpen2022 Order of Play
Day2️⃣
⏰ 10.00am (MYT)#DemiMalaysia#BadmintonMalaysia pic.twitter.com/JNnlNZUsTL
— BAM (@BA_Malaysia) May 17, 2022
May 18 (round of 32)
Women’s singles: Ruselli Hartawan defeated S Kisona 14-21, 21-18, 21-19.
Mixed doubles: Jones Jansen-Linda Efler defeated Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing 21-17, 16-21, 21-13; Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai defeated Vinson Chiu-Jennie Gai 21-13, 21-12.
Men’s singles: Lee Zii Jia defeated Ade Dwicahyo 21-19, 21-9; Wang Tzu Wei defeated Ng Tze Yong 21-12, 13-21, 21-19; Liew Daren defeated Prannoy H.S 21-17, 15-21, 21-15.
Men’s doubles: Jeppe Bay-Lasse Molhede defeated Azryin Ayub-Lim Khim Wah 21-15, 21-14; Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik defeated Weeraphat Phakjarung-Wongsathorn Thongkham 13-21, 21-12, 21-9.
#ThailandOpen2022 Order of Play
Day3️⃣
⏰ 2.00pm (MYT)#DemiMalaysia#BadmintonMalaysia pic.twitter.com/Xc3m12w2s4
— BAM (@BA_Malaysia) May 18, 2022
May 19 (round of 16)
Men’s singles: Lee Zii Jia defeated Kai Schaffer 21-7, 21-11; Liew Daren defeated Koki Watanabe 16-21, 22-20, 21-11.
Mixed doubles: Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai defeated Ishaan Bhatnagar-Tanisha Crasto 21-19, 22-20.
Women’s doubles: Pearly Tan-M Thinaah defeated Liu Xuan Xuan-Xia Yu Ting 21-17, 21-11; Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota defeated Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien 21-9, 21-8; Baek Ha Na-Lee Yu Lim defeated Anna Cheong-Teoh Mei Xing 19-21, 21-11, 21-11.
Men’s doubles: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik defeated Lee Jhe Huei-Yang Po Hsuan 21-18, 21-16; Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin defeated Christo Popov-Toma Junior Popov 21-16, 21-11.
#ThailandOpen2022 Order of Play
QF
⏰ 2.00pm (MYT)#DemiMalaysia#BadmintonMalaysia pic.twitter.com/RxifBeHqID
— BAM (@BA_Malaysia) May 19, 2022
May 20 (quarter-finals)
Mixed doubles: Yuta Watanabe-Arisa Higashino defeated Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai 21-18, 21-17.
Men’s singles: Liew Daren defeated Zhao Jun Peng 21-10, 19-21, 21-19; Lee Zii Jia defeated Sheshar Rhustavito 21-10, 14-21, 21-16.
Men’s doubles: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik defeated Wang Chi Lin-Lee Yang 21-17, 21-10; Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi defeated Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin 23-21, 21-15.
Women’s doubles: Pearly Tan-M Thinaah defeated Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota 24-22, 21-12.
#ThailandOpen2022 Order of Play
SF
⏰ 1.00pm (MYT)#DemiMalaysia#BadmintonMalaysia pic.twitter.com/R7gLq7JWAp
— BAM (@BA_Malaysia) May 20, 2022
May 21 (semi-finals)
Men’s singles: Lee Zii Jia defeated Liew Daren 21-16, 13-21, 21-14.
Women’s doubles: Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida defeated Pearly Tan-M Thinaah 21-17, 21-17.
Men’s doubles: Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto defeated Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik 21-19, 21-14.
#ThailandOpen2022 Order of Play
FINAL
⏰ 1.00pm (MYT)#DemiMalaysia#BadmintonMalaysia pic.twitter.com/doGOUc8hhQ
— BAM (@BA_Malaysia) May 21, 2022
May 22 (finals)
Men’s singles: Lee Zii Jia defeated Li Shi Feng 17-21, 21-11, 23-21.
Lee Zii Jia becomes only the third Malaysian to win the Thailand Open men’s singles title after Yong Hock Kin (2001) and Hafiz Hashim (2005).
Justin Ng
Digital Content Director, Kuala Lumpur
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