Two Doubles Pairs Bite The Dust, Vivian-Cheng Wen Advance

By Mohd Shukri Ishak JAKARTA, July 3 (Bernama) -- Two Malaysian doubles pairs crashed out in the first round of the Indonesian Open badminton championship which got underway at the Istora Senayan Stadium here Tuesday. Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong lost to eighth seeded Danish pair Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen 21-17, 19-21, 21-15 while mixed doubles pair Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing were defeated by top seeded Indonesian pair Tontowi Ahmad-Liliyana Natsir in 21-11, 21-14. However, women's doubles pair Vivian Hoo-Yap Cheng Wen advanced to the second round after edging Indonesian pair Yulfira Barkah-Nitya Krishinda Maheswari 21-18, 21-19. They will be up against Japan's Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota who beat Della Destiara Haris-Rizki Amelia Pradipta of Indonesia 21-16, 21-18 in the first round . The championship which ends on Juy 8 offers overall prize money of US$1.2 million. Wednesday, Malaysian badminton superstar Lee Chong Wei will start his campaign in the men's singles against Angus Ng Ka Long of Hong Kong. Women's doubles pair Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean will be meeting Indonesian pair Keshya Nurvita Hanadia while the mixed doubles pairs of Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying and Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Jemie Lai will also be seeing first round action. Men's doubles Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi are also scheduled to play Indonesia's Wahyu Nayaka Arya Pangkaruanira-Ade Yusuf Santoso. -- BERNAMA