Chong Wei and doubles progress, Choong Hann bid farewell

By Tham Choy Lin

BEIJING, Aug 13 (Bernama) -- Lee Chong Wei and Malaysia's young pair of Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong swept into the quarterfinals Tuesday, as veteran Wong Choong Hann bid farewell to the Olympics in defeat.

On a night of mixed fortunes for the country's doubles pairs, Olympic debutantes Kien Keat and Boon Heong claimed their ticket with a delightful return to their aggressive style, but fourth seeded Choong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah were upset by South Korea's unranked Lee Haejin and Hwang Jiman in three games.

This leaves Malaysia with three quarter-final spots. Wong Mew Choo was the first in claiming a stake in the women's singles Monday.

Chong Wei shapes up for his next clash against Indonesia's Sony Dwi Kuncoro, the Athens games bronze medallist, on Thursday, and watching on the sidelines will be Choong Hann who was bundled out of his third Olympics by Taiwan's Hsieh Yu Hsing.

To advance into the semis, Kien Keat and Boon Heong must upstage Indonesian world champions Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan Wednesday night.

Chong Wei, the second seed here behind China's reigning world champion Lin Dan, as expected booked himself into the last eight with an effortless win over Lithuania's Kestutis Navickas 21-5, 21-7 in the third round this morning.

Sony, the only Indonesian left in the tussle after defending champion Taufik Hidayat's ouster yesterday, made his way with a 21-13, 21-18 win over Vladyslav Druzchenko of Ukraine.

Sony made last year's world championship a nightmare for Chong Wei by beating the Malaysian in the second round in Kuala Lumpur.

But in the ensuing Denmark Open and China Open, Chong Wei avenged himself.

"Past records won't count now. Sony is a very tough attacking player.

I know his game well but this may change for the Olympics here, so I have to make sure I am in the best condition to face him," said Chong Wei.

The 26-year-old Chong Wei is getting used to playing in the centre court and the draft inside the Beijing University of Technology gymnasium.

"I have played all my two matches on the same court and I am playing more consistently and making less mistakes," he said.

Sony said Taufik's loss will pressure him to salvage Indonesia's pride.

Allan Budi Kusuma first won the gold medal in Barcelona in 1992, followed by Taufik in Athens, four years ago.

"I don't think of anything else except my own game. Chong Wei is looking in good form here but I am confident. I have my own strength," he said.

The winner of the tie will head for the semi-final in the bottom half of the draw either against China's third seed Bao Chunlai or South Korean darkhorse, Lee Hyunil.

Taiwan's Hsieh Yu Hsing ended Choong Hann's third and final Olympic outing 14-21, 21-17, 21-18, a day after the Malaysian closed the door on Athens games gold medallist Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia who also played his last Olympics.

Kien Keat and Boon Heong were superb in trouncing Shintaro Ikeda and Shuichi Sakamota 21-12, 21-16 in the pre-quarterfinals round.

Tan Fook and Wan Wah fended off their rivals in the first game just barely and the Koreans came back to force a decider with their fast attacking speed to wrap up 20-22, 21-13, 21-16.

-- BERNAMA