TheStar PETALING JAYA: Malaysia's Choong Tan Fook-Chew Choon Eng continued their gallant run in the US$250,000 (six-star) China Open when they toppled fourth seeds Sang Yang-Zheng Bo of China to reach the men's doubles final in Guangzhou yesterday. The scratch Malaysian pair, seeded fifth, bounced back from a 2-8 deficit in the rubber game to break the hearts of the home supporters in the sensational 17-16, 13-15, 15-13 win in the semi-finals at the Tianhe Gymnasium. The win just came a day after they stunned world champions and second seed Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen of Denmark in the last eight. However, another formidable pair awaits them in the final. Indonesians Candra Wijaya-Sigit Budiarto, world champions in 1999 but reunited only recently, set up a final date by ousting top seeds and All-England champions Jens Eriksen-Martin Lundgaard Hansen 15-6, 15-5 in the other semi-finals. But national doubles chief coach Yap Kim Hock was savouring the moment as his unheralded charges make their first final despite having played together for just two weeks. “Both Tan Fook and Choon Eng played well (yesterday). They were even trailing 2-8 in the rubber game but they did not give up. They fought their way back and led 14-12 before eventually winning it,†said Kim Hock in a telephone interview from China. “It will be tough against Candra-Sigit. The Indonesians are very talented but let us hope for the best from our players,†he added. Meanwhile, two young Chinese stars will vie for the men's singles after top seeds Lin Dan and Bao Chunlai dispatched of their opponents in yesterday's semi-finals. The 21-year-old Chunlai created the biggest upset of the day when he eliminated Athens Olympic Games champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia 10-15, 17-15, 15-12. Lin Dan defeated seventh seed Kenneth Jonassen of Denmark 15-1, 14-17, 15-6. It will also be another all-China final in the women's singles. Fifth seed Xie Xingfang edged China-born Pi Hongyan of France 11-1, 3-11, 11-7 while Wang Chen, from the Chinese autonomous region of Hong Kong, beat Dane Tine Rasmussen 11-9,11-5. In the only final played yesterday, third seed Jens Eriksen-Mette Scholdager of Denmark emerged as the mixed doubles champion when they defeated second seed Chen Qiqiu-Zhao Tingting of China 15-13, 13-15, 15-8.
