KUALA LUMPUR: It was a day that aspiring women’s singles shuttler Lee Ying Ying will cherish for a long time – she dumped top seed Chen Jiayuan of Singapore to reach the quarter-finals of the Malaysia International Challenge in Kuching.
Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) student Ying Ying, who flopped with a poor showing at her debut World Junior Championships in Bangkok last month, made a good account of herself on Thursday when she dug deep to beat the China-born Jiayuan 21-16, 20-22, 21-17 in a 52-minute second-round match.
On Friday, she will take on Pai Yu-po of Taiwan for a place in the semi-finals.
SEA Games-bound Yang Li Lian and Lim Chiew Sien also kept the flag flying high in the women’s singles when they checked into the quarter-finals.
Li Lian lived up to expectations by beating Cheng Yu-chieh of Taiwan 23-21, 21-16 to set up a meeting with Lee Chia-hsin while Chiew Sien knocked out Sung Shou-yun 11-21, 21-18, 21-15 to cross swords with another Taiwanese Hung Shih-han.
In the men’s doubles, three new pairs – Lim Khim Wah-Ow Yao Han, Chooi Kah Ming-Teo Ee Yi and Goh V Shem-Teo Kok Siang – did well to reach the quarter-finals after beating their opponents in straight games.
