TheStar BANGKOK: Malaysia's Mohd Hafiz Hashim got off to jittery start in a bid to win his second international Grand Prix badminton title when he slogged to reach the men's singles third round of the Thailand Open here. The Swiss Open champion Hafiz needed three games to get past the first two rounds yesterday. In the morning's first round, he recovered from a first game loss to defeat world junior runner-up Gong Weijie of China 8-15, 15-1, 15-1. In the second round last night, Hafiz fought for 65 minutes to edge stubborn Indonesian youngster Wiempie Mahardi 8-15, 15-4, 15-10. Mohd Hafiz Hashim cleared his second round match after edging Indonesian youngster Wiempie Mahardi 8-15, 15-4, 15-10 at the Thailand Open on Wednesday. He will take on compatriot Sairul Amar Ayob who beat Vietnam's Nguyen Quang Minh 15-9, 15-5 in the second round. Earlier, Sairul also needed three games to pull through his opening match by defeating South Korean Lee Cheol-ho 8-15, 15- 9, 15-7. Joining them in the third round are Hafiz’s brother Roslin, Kuan Beng Hong and Ismail Saman. Six other Malaysians singles shuttlers had to pack their bags early. Four of them - Yeoh Kay Bin, K. Yogendran, Hazwan Jamaluddin and Mohd Nazree Latifi - were stopped in the first round with Kay Bin the biggest letdown in the 6-15, 6-15 loss to Denmark's Anders Boesen. Lee Tsuen Seng and Salim Sameon lost in the second round with Tsuen Seng going down 8-15, 13-15 to world champion and second seed Xia Xuanze of China. In the mixed doubles, Gan Teik Chai-Fong Chew Ten, who defeated Australians Travis Denney-Kellie Lucas 15-4, 15-12, are the only Malaysian pair left standing after two other pairs crashed out. Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-See Phui Leng were beaten 3-15, 9-15 by the Philippines' Kennevic Asuncion- Kennie Ascuncion while Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-How Chiou Hwee lost 4-15, 15-6, 4-15 to Hong Kong's Liu Kwok Wa-Koon Wai Chee. Three other events - men's doubles, women's singles and doubles - will begin today.
