Japan Open: Men's Doubles Sizzle, Women's Doubles Crumble

KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 (Bernama) -- Professional men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani began their Japan Open title defence in style at the Super 750 tournament held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Tokyo today.

The world number one Malaysians powered their way to a 21-13, 21-15 first-round win over Canada's Kevin Lee-Ty Alexander Lindeman in their first-ever meeting.

Sze Fei-Izzuddin will next be up against either home pair Hiroki Midorikawa-Kyohei Yamashita or Taiwan’s Chiu Hsiang Chieh-Wang Chi-Lin.

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Also through to the second round are fellow Malaysian professionals and world number 26 Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub-Tan Wee Kiong, who came from behind to upset world number 18 Christo Popov-Toma Junior Popov of France 13-21, 21-17, 21-19 in 58 minutes.

Nur Mohd Azriyn-Wee Kiong will next play the winner of the all-Danish clash between fourth seeds Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen and Daniel Lundgaard-Mads Vestergaard.

Meanwhile, Malaysia's Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting fell short in their bid to upset home pair and sixth seeds Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi in women's doubles.

The unseeded Xin Yee-Carmen won the first game but ran out of gas to go down 21-17, 8-21, 8-21 in 56 minutes.

In the meantime, another national women's doubles pair, Go Pei Kee-Teoh Mei Xing, saw their journey in the Japan Open come to an end as they were shown the exit by South Korean Baek Ha Na-Lee So Hee.

The fourth-seeded Ha Na-So Hee needed just 40 minutes to secure their second consecutive victory over Pei Kee-Mei Xing, 21-9, 21-19.

-- BERNAMA