KUALA LUMPUR: Apart from several expected first-round casualties, it was a good day at the office for the Malaysian men's doubles camp on the first day of the Super 500 Malaysia Masters on Tuesday.
Tokyo Olympic bronze medal winners and world No 6 Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik got their campaign off to a much-needed win when they saw off Japan's Akira Koga-Taichi Saito 21-16, 21-19.
Admitting they have yet to fully recover from last week's semi-final defeat at the Malaysia Open, Aaron-Wooi Yik have vowed to make amends as they once again begin their quest for a maiden Open title.
"The game today was not our best, because we haven't really gotten over our semi-final defeat from last week. We're playing in the same hall, in the same conditions, the lingering feeling is still there," said Aaron, who together with Wooi Yik will face Kim Gi Jung-Kim Sa Rang of South Korea next on Thursday.
"The Koreans are a strong pair, we used to follow them closely and recently played them in Indonesia (Indonesia Open). It wasn't an easy match because it was stretched to the decider.
"It's an important match, and we hope to shake off our past to play better," added Aaron.
Wooi Yik also pointed out that the tight tournament schedule was no excuse for their poor performance in recent times.
"It's a rule that all top pairs and players need to play in higher tier tournaments. We cannot use this as an excuse because other players are also affected by this.
"We have to better ourselves because we have our own targets – to improve our world ranking or to be world champions," Wooi Yik said.
Goh V Shem-Low Juan Shen clawed back from a game down to dismantle reigning All England champions Muhammad Shohibul Fikri-Bagas Maulana of Indonesia 15-21, 21-14, 21-19. V Shem-Juan Shen face a tall order next when they take on newly crowned Malaysia Open champions Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi of Japan.
Also reaching the second round were Syed Modi International champions Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun and Chang Yee Jun-Yap Roy King, who were promoted from the qualifying rounds.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun downed compatriots Nur Azriyn Ayub-Lim Khim Wah 21-13, 21-14, while Yee Jun-Roy King defeated Ireland's Joshua Magee-Paul Reynolds 21-14, 22-20.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun will face the winner of tomorrow's all-Malaysian first-round match between Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Haikal Nazri and Boon Xin Yuan-Wong Tien Ci, while Yee Jun-Roy King will take on either China's He Ji Ting-Zhou Hao Dong or Taiwan's Chang Ko Chi-Po Li Wei next.
It was, however, the same old script for German Open champions, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, who suffered a second consecutive defeat in as many days to world No 5 Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Ardianto of Indonesia, this time succumbing 21-14, 22-20.
On Saturday, the world No 12 were knocked out in the semi-finals of the Malaysia Open by the Indonesia Masters champions, who now have a 7-1 head to head record over Sze Fei-Izzuddin.
The high flying Fajar-Rian will face Thailand's Supak Jomkoh-Kittinupong Kedren for a place in the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile in the women's doubles, world No 10 Pearly Tan-M.Thinaah, lived up to their billing as they made easy work of India's Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand Pullela 21-14, 21-14.
The Malaysians, who have yet to taste success on the Super 500 stage, will take on fourth seeds Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota of Japan next.
The second half of the first round matches will commence tomorrow.
RESULTS
(Malaysia unless stated)
FIRST ROUND
Men's doubles: Chang Yee Jun-Yap Roy King bt Joshua Magee-Paul Reynolds (Ire) 21-14, 22-20; Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun bt Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub-Lim Khim Wah 21-13, 21-14; Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Ardianto (Ina) bt Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani 21-14, 22-20; Goh V Shem-Low Juan Shen bt Muhammad Shobihul Fikri-Bagas Maulana (Ina) 15-21, 21-14, 21-19; Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik bt Akira Koga-Taichi Saito (Jpn) 21-16, 21-19; Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan (Ina) bt Tan Kian Meng-Tan Wee Kiong 21-18, 21-13.
Women's doubles: Febby Gani-Ribka Sugiarto (Ina) bt Low Yeen Yuan-Valeree Siow 21-12, 21-17; Chen Qing Chen-Jia Yi Fan (Chn) bt Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien 21-17, 23-21; Anna Cheong-Teoh Mei Xing bt Benyapa Aimsaard-Nuntakarn Aimsaard 21-19, 21-17; Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah bt Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand Pullela (Ind) 21-14, 21-14; Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota (Jpn) bt Ashwini K. Bhat-Shikha Gautam (Ind) 21-7, 21-10.
QUALIFYING
Men's singles
First round: Leong Jun Hao bt Cheam June Wei 16-21, 21-15, 21-16; Ng Tze Yong bt Yeoh Seng Zoe 21-12, 21-13; Soong Joo Veen bt Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin 14-21, 21-14, 21-16.
Final round: Soong Joo Ven bt Victor Svendsen (Den) 21-9, 16-21, 21-10; Ng Tze Yong bt Lee Dong Keun (Kor) 21-8, 21-12; Leong Jun Hao bt Weng Hong Yang (Chn) 5-21, 21-17, 21-13.
Women's singles
Final round: Goh Jin Wei bt Malvika Bansod (Ind) 21-10, 21-17.
Men's doubles
Final round: Liang Weng Kang-Wang Chang (Chn) bt Chia Wei Jie-Low Hang Yee 21-16, 21-15.
Women's doubles
Final round: Supissara Paewsampran-Puttita Supajirakul (Tha) bt Yap Rui Chen-Yap Yee 21-16, 21-8.