Congratulations to Wang Shixian for playing so well to win her game today. Wish her all the best in her badminton career.
My pleasure China #3 Tian Houwei shows his inconsistency, downed to Vincent Wong Wing Ki, 18-21 / 10-21.
Shi Yuqi came so close to beating Wei Nan, was leading 18-16 in the third but pipped to the finishing line 19-21 after a one-sided 21-6 equalizer in G2.
Gao Fangjie looks promising, good smash and can run but still green, needs to work on her accuracy and cuts down unforced errors.
Strange , He Bingjiao isn't playing her usual deceptive game and caught at the net several times. Maybe she's trying to adjust and rebalance her game under tournament conditions. Yip Pui Yin, as usual inconsistent and error-prone at the wrong time, or she would've taken the match in two sets. On her day, she can be dangerous, troubling any of the top players, only just.
A nimbler Sun Yu and she improves quite a bit. Hana is an up-and-coming INA WS, just not her day, demolished by a player who is in her element today.
Qiao Bin seems to be in fine form, scoring two comprehensive victories so far, one against Hsu Jen Hao and now Angus Ng Kah Long.
Didn't get to see Wang Shixian play, if she is really attacking, smashing, more, isn't it too late, already missed her ticket to Rio ?
QUARTERFINALS (11.00am, 2 courts) => http://www.tournamentsoftware.com/s...8E8E79-B91A-4FA1-8C34-501F773D9294&d=20160701 *Quarterfinal highlights : - Vincent Wong Wing Ki (HKG) v Chou Tien Chen (TPE) - Wei Nan (HKG) v Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk (THA) - Nichaon Jindapon (THA) v Sun Yu (CHN) - Lee SM/Tsai CH (TPE) v Issara/Puangpuapech (THA) - Huang KX/Zheng SW (CHN) v Goh VS/Tan WK (MAS) - Nuraidah/Pradipta (INA) v Huang DP/Zhong QX (CHN) - Chan PS/Goh LY (MAS) v Zheng SW/Chen QC (CHN) - Tan KM/LAi PJ (MAS) v Reginald Lee/Chau HW (HKG) Home favourite Chou Tien Chen as expected booked quarters slot and he will take on stern test, Vincent Wong Wing Ki for a place in semifinal. Wong WK frustrated one of tournament top contender Tian HW in convincing way, 21-18 / 21-10. Another HKG shuttler at last eight round, Wei Nan experienced scary escape, on the verge of losing he turned the tables to win narrowly against Shi Yuqi. Next, the 8th seed will see the underrated Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk. Qiao Bin will be China last hope in men's singles department is expected to overcome local hurdle Lin Yu Hsien after stunned Angus Ng Ka Long in last sixteen. In the absence of Lee Chong Wei, Malaysia will rely on their number two player, Iskandar Zainuddin to go further in this tournament. Chinese women'singles squad rule the quarterfinal stage with former world number one Wang Shixian and the back-up trio Sun Yu, He Bingjiao, Chen Yufei. The left-handed He BJ battled hard to eliminate HKG veteran Yip PY and gets Thailand rival, Pornpawee Chochuwong, another CHN-THA affair will pit Sun Yu v Nichaon Jindapon while Wang SX will take on her junior compatriot Chen YF. Former champion Tai Tzu Ying passed preliminary rounds without any serious trouble, she's looking good to check into semifinal against Malaysian youngster Ho Yen Mei. Two intriguing ties in men's doubles category will see second seed Goh VS/Tan WK against Huang KX/Zheng SW and local combination Lee SM/Tsai CH have tough test, Issara/Puangpuapech. Former world junior champion Li JH/Liu YC are favoured to advance into next stage against Indonesians Hardianto/Haryanto. Another INA young pair Alfian/Ardianto will face home pair, Chen HL/Wang CL. Women's doubles first seed, Luo twin sisters progressed into last eight without lifting the racket, thanks to first round bye and second round walkover by their opponent. They will start campaign tomorrow, facing Korean new scratch pair Kim HR/Yoo HW, a setback for 4th seed Vivian Hoo/Woon KW here, thwarted by the unheralded Thailand pair Chayanit/Muenwong. Two Chinese pairs at bottom half of draw, Chen QC/Jia YF and Huang DP/Zhong QX may create all Chinese semifinal if they pass Korean Go AR/Yoo HW and Indonesian Nuraidah/Pradipta respectively. In mixed doubles discipline, top-two seeds Chan PS/Goh LY and Reginald Lee CH/Chau HW will find tricky test, future Chinese star Zheng SW/Chen QC and recent MAS Masters runner-up Tan KM/Lai PJ. Two Indonesians pair Faisal/Aulia and the new experimenting pair Widianto/Widjaja have good prospect to continue their journey here.
Chou just now celebrated as if he had won the match until I realized he only saved game points and was ahead on deuce. Then when he lost a deuce point he stayed down on his knees as if he's out when it was leveled by his opponent. But I must say, CTC often appeared to have deep reserves of energy hidden somewhere which he can called upon when in crisis.
He Bingjiao is acting strange so far these three rounds. In today's match with Pornpawee, she seemed unfocused, played loose shots and error-prone half the time, even serving high but short or to the wrong side of the court. Then she would somehow managed to save herself in G2 and ran away with the match in the decider, reasserting her authority - to me, it's like seeing two different HBJs from G1 and transforming mid-way to G3.
Not too surprising, Vincent, after dropping G2 which he should have won, is now being pushed back by CTC in the third.
IMHO, Vincent played better the first two sets, now in the decider he seemed unable to put the G2 loss behind him yet.
