Badminton

Australian Open: Kien Keat-Boon Heong move into quarters

Former badminton poster boys of the nation, Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong have made a remarkable comeback by advancing to the quarter finals of the Australian Open Super Series.

The pair, who bagged a gold in the 2006 Asian Games, managed to down Taiwanese pair Lee Sheng Mu- Tsai Chia Hsin in straight sets.

The former world number one, currently under the guidance of Lee Wan Wah and Chew Choon Eng, booked a slot in the quarters with a win of 21-16 and 21-18, just within 32 minutes.

Anticipating them in the next round are Chinese sixth seeds Liu Xiaolong and Qiu Zihan.

Based on their performance, the duo could stand a chance of qualifying for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

A different outcome was handed to the main Malaysian pair, Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong, as they stumbled in the second round.

They secured the first set 21-19 against Hiroyuki Endo and Kenichi Hayakawa but encountered a rubber set after the Japanese pair won the second one 21-16. The deciding set was ultimately conquered by their opponents with the same score. The match lasted 57 minutes.

Photo credits: The Malay Mail

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