Macau: Former World No. 2 Kento Momota remained on course for his fifth international title after his ban for illegal gambling was lifted in May. Momota has won Yonex/K&D Graphics International Series in USA, 2017 Belgian International, Czech Open and Dutch Open and finished runner-up at the Canada Open since July this year, but his 21-8, 21-10 semi-final victory over the world No. 25 and the 2017 Denmark Open runner-up Lee Hyun-il of Korea left him just one win away from winning the Macau Open.
Momota will play Indonesia’s Ihsan Maulana Mustofa in the final. Mustofa was handed a walkover in the semifinals after Zulfadli Zulkiffli of Malaysia withdrew due to injury.
Malaysia’s challenge at the Macau Open fizzled out after the eighth seeded mixed doubles pair Chan Peng Soon/Cheah Yee See was sent packing by fifth seeded Chinese pair Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong 12-21, 12-21 in the semi-finals on Saturday.
Zheng/Huang are set to take on No. 6 seeds Seo Seung Jae/Kim Ha Na of Korea in the final.
Huang Yaqiong also earned another chance to win the Macau Open when she and Yu Xiaohan will clash with Baek Ha Na/Lee Yu Rim of Korea in the women’s doubles final encounter.
Meanwhile, Chinese Taipei’s women’s singles player Pai Yu Po overwhelmed her Chinese rival Zhang Yiman to win 20-22, 21-16, 21-11 in the semi-finals held at the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion and will face another Chinese player Cai Yanyan in the final.
