KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian men's doubles shuttlers can expect the road to get more perilous from the quarter-finals onwards at the Thailand Open.
World No. 64 Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King could run into India's top seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty or China's Xie Hao Nan-Zeng Wei Han in the last eight tomorrow.
Wan Arif-Roy King continued their fine run at the Nimibutr Stadium in Bangkok by ousting Danes Daniel Lundgaard-Mads Vestergaard 21-14, 21-13 in the second round today.
Another Malaysian doubles, world No. 28 Choong Hon Jian-Haikal Nazri outclassed No. 42 Pharanyu Kaosamaang-Worrapol Thongsa-nga of Thailand 21-17, 21-10.
Their next opponents are No. 80 Lu Ming Che-Tang Kai Wei. The Taiwanese advanced after upstaging South Korea's No. 57 Kim Young Hyuk-Wang Chan 23-21,18-21, 21-14.
In the men's singles, Leong Jun Hao put up a commendable fight against Thailand's former world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn before going down 22-20, 14-21, 21-23.
"It was a tough match. I played well and there was consistency in my game, I had match points but couldn't clinch it. I didn't have luck. I have done what I could.
"I think I can play against higher-ranked opponents. I will go home and prepare (for the Malaysian Masters), there's only a few days more," said Jun Hao.
Roy King-Valeree Siow lost 21-11, 21-16 to Thailand's top seed Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai in the mixed doubles second round. Another Malaysian mixed pair, Hon Jian-Go Pei Kee were eliminated 21-15, 21-15 by Indonesia's seventh seed Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto-Lisa Ayu Kusumawati in the second round.