TheStar KUALA LUMPUR: An aggressive Mohd Hafiz Hashim showed world champion Xia Xuanze of China the exit from the Proton Malaysian Open in the most painful way at the Kuala Lumpur Badminton (KLBA) Stadium yesterday. Yesterday, the 22-year-old Hafiz gave an astounding performance to beat the 2003 world champion Xuanze 15-12, 15-0 in just 40 minutes in the first round. It was Hafiz's first win over the Chinese. “It really feels weird to beat the world champion 15-0 (in the second game) to win the match. I anticipated that it would be a tough encounter,” said Hafiz,who crashed out in the third round to Ng Wei in last week's Singapore Open. “It was tough in the first game but surprisingly he was slower than his usual self in the second. Xuanze is a person who goes for every shot but his lack of fitness was evident today,” said Hafiz. “It feels good to beat the world champion just before the World Championships,” he added. Unlike Hafiz, Xuanze will not get to defend his title in the world meet, which will be played at Anaheim, California, from Aug 15-21. He was dropped from the Chinese squad and failed to win a wild card from the International Badminton Federation (IBF). Hafiz will take on Nguyen Tien Minh – Vietnam's first representative in the world meet – in the second round. If he wins, he is set to meet Athens Olympic Games silver medallist Shon Seung-mo of South Korea in the third round, which will also be played today. Said coach Misbun Sidek: “Hafiz was calm today and played a good tactical game. As long as Hafiz does not let his mood swing affect him, he can challenge for the honours here. “ Besides Hafiz, seven other Malaysians also advanced to the second round. They are Lee Chong Wei, Wong Choong Hann, Kuan Beng Hong, Yeoh Kay Bin, Mohd Roslin Hashim, K. Yogendran and Sairul Amar Ayob. Defending champion Chong Wei nearly got himself into trouble for taking his opponent lightly but prevailed to beat South Korean Lee Cheol-ho 15-6, 17-15. His next opponent is Hong Kong's Agus Hariyanto. Kay Bin pulled off the only upset win when he tamed the 16th seed Bjoern Joppien of Germany 15-8, 15-2 to set-up a match against Denmark's Joachim Persson. The Malaysian casualties yesterday were Lee Tsuen Seng, Lim Kenn, Law Yew Thien, K. Yogendran and Pei Wei Chung. Tsuen Seng however, should be given the credit for stretching Denmark's Peter Gade-Christensen to the limit before bowing out 15-7, 10-15, 15-8. “It was a tough first round win for me. Tsuen Seng really played well and the strong drought did not help either,” said Gade-Christensen. “I will be playing against Roslin in the next round. It is going to be a long rally match and I have to brace myself for another tough encounter. If I win that, I will probably play Choong Hann. So many Malaysians in my path but I always love to play here and I plan to take one match at a time,” added Gade-Christensen. Top seeds Lin Dan of China and Singapore Open champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia checked into the second round with ease. Lin Dan took 30 minutes to beat Erwin Kehlhoffner of France 15-7, 15-6 while Taufik needed 35 minutes to beat Simon Mounoury of France 15-6, 15-9. FIRST ROUND RESULTS Malaysians unless stated MEN’S SINGLES: Lin Dan (Chn) bt Erwin Kehhoffner (Fra) 5-7, 15-6; Ronald Susilo (Sin) bt Eric Pang (Ned) 15-10, 15-11; Ng Wei (Hkg) bt Bobby Milroy (Can) 15-11, 17-14; Chen Yu (Chn) bt Anders Boesen (Den) 15-7, 15-4; Chen Hong (Chn) bt Sasaki Sho (Jpn) 15-9, 10-15, 15-4; Sairul Amar Ayob bt Arvind Bhat (Ind) 15-6, 15-13; Kuan Beng Hong bt Jung Hoon-min 15-1, 15-3; Sony Dwi Kuncoro (Ina) bt Jens-Kristian Leth (Den) 15-3, 15-5; Peter Gade-Christensen (Den) bt Lee Tsuen Seng 15-7, 10-15, 15-8; Mohd Roslin Hashim bt Michael Christensen (Den) 15-3, 15-6; Wong Choong Hann bt Peter Mikkelsen (Den) 15-5, 15-2; Gong Weijie (Chn) bt Liao Sheng-shiun (Tpe) 15-9, 15-6; Mohd Hafiz Hashim bt Xia Xuanze (Chn) 15-12, 15-0; Nguyen Tien Minh (Vie) bt Pei Wei Chung 15-8, 15-3; Jeffer Rosobin (Ina) bt Shoji Sato (Jpn) 15-5, 12-15, 17-15; Shon Seung-mo (Kor) bt Nakanishi Yousuke (Jpn) 15-7, 15-10; Kendrick Lee (Sin) Andrew Smith (Eng) 15-17, 17-14, 15-8; Ville Lang (Fin) bt Niels Christian Kaldau (Den) w.o.; Hidetaka Yamada (Jpn) bt Martyn Lewis (Wal) 15-7, 15-11; Taufik Hidayat (Ina) bt Simon Maunoury (Fra) 15-6, 15-9;Ahn Hyun-suk (Kor) bt Salim Sameon 15-3, 15-8; Dicky Palyama (Ned) bt George Rimarodi (Swe) 15-6, 15-9; Agus Hariyanto (Hkg) bt Nikhil Kanetkar (Ind) 15-0, 15-5; Lee Chong Wei bt Lee Cheol-ho (Kor) 15-6, 17-15; Joachim Persson (Den) bt Lee Chen-yen (Tpe) 15-12, 15-10; Yeoh Kay Bin bt Bjoern Joppien (Ger) 15-8, 15-2; Simon Santoso (Ina) bt Lim Kenn 15-3, 15-8; Bao Chunlai (Chn) bt Lee Hyun-il (Kor) 15-1, 15-7; Chen Jin (Chn) bt Johan Hadikusumo Wiratama (Hkg) 15-4, 15-13; Poonpat Sapkulchanart (Tha) bt Jang Young-soo (Kor) 15-11, 15-10; K. Yogendran bt Andrew Dabeka (Can) 11-15, 15-8, 15-3; Kenneth Jonassen (Den) bt Law Yew Thien 15-5, 15-7. MEN’S DOUBLES: Luluk Hadiyanto-Alven Yulianto (Ina) bt Gan Teik Chai-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif 15-8, 11-15, 17-15; Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah bt Flandi Limpele-Eng Hian (Ina) 17-16, 15-12; Chan Chong Ming-Koo Kien Keat bt Rasmus Mangor Andersen-Michael Lamp (Den) 15-1, 15-6; Hendra A Gunawan-Joko Riyadi (Ina) bt Tadashi Ohtsuka-Keita Masuda (Jpn); Fu Haifeng-Cai Yun (Chn) bt Hwang Ji-man-Han Sang-hoon (Kor) 15-11, 4-15, 15-6; Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Lin Woon Fui bt Ruben Gordown Khosadalina-Aji Basuki Sindoro (Ina) 15-11, 15-5. WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Yang Wei-Zhang Jiewen (Chn) bt Elodie Eymard-Weny Rahmawati (Fra) 15-1, 15-1; Jiang Yanmei-Li Yujia (Sin) bt Jun Woul-sik-Jung Youn-kyung (Kor) 17-14, 15-9; Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui bt A. Duang-Anong-W. Kulchala (Tha) 15-12, 15-0; Miyuki Maeda-Satoko Suetsuna (Jpn) bt Chou Chia-chi-Ku Pei-ting (Tpe) 12-15, 15-9, 15-8; Lee Kyung-won-Lee Hyo-jung (Kor) bt Jo Novita-Lita Nurlita (Ina) 15-8, 15-9; Gail Emms-Donna (Eng) bt Norsyahliza Baharom-Anita Kaur Raj 15-1, 15-6; Zhang Dan-Zhang Yawen (Chn) bt Aki Akao-Tomomi Matsuda (Jpn) 15-0, 15-10; Helle Nielsen-Pernille Harder (Den) bt Julia Wong-Haw Chiou Hwee 15-1, 15-3; Kumiko-Reiko Shiota (Jpn) bt Petya Nedeltcheva-Yuan Wemyss (Aut) 15-3, 15-5; T. Saralee-C. Sathinee (Tha) bt Charmaine Reid-Helen Nichol (Can) 15-3, 15-1; Fong Chew Yen-See Phui Leng bt Li Wing Mui-Wong Man Ching (Hkg) 15-9, 15-7 ; Gao Ling-Huang Sui (Chn) bt Chien Yu-chin-Cheng Wen-hsing (Tpe) 15-7, 15-2; Mette Scholdager-Britta Andersen (Den) bt Rachel van Cutsen-Paulien van Doormalen (Ned) 15-7, 15-2; Ella Tripp-Joanne Wright (Eng) bt Kamila Augustyn-Nadiezda Kostiuczyk (Pol) 5-15, 15-9, 15-6; Tracey Hallam-Natalie Munt (Eng) bt Ooi Sock Ai-Mooi Hing Yau 15-8, 17-15; Yili-Zhao Tingting (Chn) bt Lena Frier Kristiansen-Kamilla Rytter Juhl (Den) 13-15, 15-7, 15-4. MIXED DOUBLES: Nathan Robertson-Gail Emms (Eng) bt Xie Zhongbo-Zhang Yawen (Chn) 9-15, 15-4, 15-7; Devin Lahardi-Vita Marissa (Ina) bt Jean-Michel Lefort-Weny Rahmawati (Fra) 15-7, 15-6; Thomas Laybourn-Kamilla Rytter Juhl (Den) bt Anggun Nugroho-Yunita Tetty (Ina) 15-1, 10-15, 15-12; Anthony Clark-Donna Kellogg (Eng) bt Koo Kien Keat-Wong Pei Tty 15-7, 15-13; Chen Qiqiu-Zhao Tingting (Chn) bt Martin Lundgaard Hansen-Mette Scholdager (Den) 15-11, 15-4; Lee Yong-dae-Ha Jung-eun (Kor) bt Ong Soon Hock-Mooi Hing Yau 15-2, 15-5; Sudket Prapakamol-Saralee Thungthongkam (Tha) bt Mohd Rizal-Nur Sugianti Endang (Ina) 9-15, 15-11, 15-1; Hendry Kurniawan Saputra-Li Yujia (Sin) bt Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Ooi Sock Ai 15-2, 15-4; Carsten Morgensen-Helle Nielsen (Den) bt Norsyahliza Baharom-Anita Kaur Raj 15-4, 15-3; Lee Jae-jin-Lee Hyo-jung (Kor) bt Keita Masuda-Miyuki Maeda (Jpn) 15-2, 15-10; Peter Steffensen-Lena Frier Kristiansen (Den) bt Tsai Chia-hsin-Cheng Wen-hsing (Tpe) 15-12, 4-15, 15-13; Nova Widianto-Lilyana Natsir (Ina) bt Daniel A Shirley-Sara Runesten-Petersen (Nzl) 15-9, 15-8; Ikeda Shintaro-Suetsuna Satoko (Jpn) bt Hendra Wijaya-Frances Liu Fan (Sin) 17-16, 15-10; Robert Blair-Natalie Munt (Eng) bt Gan Teik Chai-Fong Chew Yen 15-9, 15-4; A. Songpol-W. Kulchala (Tha) bt Julia Wong-Haw Chiou Hwee 15-10, 15-6; Zhang Jun-Gao Ling (Chn) bt Michael Lamp-Pernille Harder (Den) 15-8, 15-6. STORM IN: Malaysia’s Mohd Hafiz Hashim returns a shot to China’s Xia Xuanze during their first round match at the Proton Malaysia Open at the KLBA Stadium in Cheras Wednesday. Hafiz won 15-12, 15-0.
