TheStar BANGKOK: Shuttler Mohd Hafiz Hashim put up a splendid performance to march into the semi-finals of the Thailand Open men’s singles event but his elder brother, Roslin, crashed out after a marathon match here yesterday. The 23-year-old Hafiz, who is aiming for his second title after winning the Swiss Open just two weeks ago, took only 35 minutes to blow away Germany’s Bjoern Joppien 15-9, 15-8 in the quarter-finals. He will take on surprise semi-finalist Ronald Susilo of Singapore today. Susilo, the Athens Olympic Games quarter-finalist, toiled for 80 minutes to shock world champion and second seed Xia Xuanze of China for a 10-15, 15-10, 15-6 win. On paper, the tie between Hafiz and Susilo is expected to tilt in the Singaporean’s favour. Hafiz has never beaten Susilo, who was last year's Japan Open champion, in their last three meetings. In fact, at the 2003 Thailand Open, Susilo beat Hafiz in the semi-finals. Yesterday, veteran Roslin failed to join his younger brother in the semi-finals when he lost to defending champion Boonsak Ponsana in a one hour and 40 minutes battle. Roslin lost 8-15, 15-11, 9-15. Boonsak will take on top seed Kenneth Jonassen of Denmark in the last four. The Malaysian men’s doubles enjoyed a good run in the US$80,000 Thailand Open when two pairs - Gan Teik Chai-Mohd zakry Abdul Latif and Choong Tan Fook-Chew Choon Eng - romped into the semi-finals yesterday. Teik Chai-Zakry created the biggest upset when they stunned fourth seeds Thomas Laybourn-Peter Steffensen of Denmark 17-14, 15-7 in the second round. Later in the quarter-finals, they produced another upset when they defeated South Korea’s formidable scratch pair of Ha Tae-kwon-Han Sang-hoon 15-12, 17-14. Tan Fook-Choon Eng reached the semi-finals with a convincing 15-13, 15-11 win over Indonesian-born Tony Gunawan and Howard Bach of the United States. Two other Malaysian pairs - Chan Chong Ming-Koo Kien Keat and Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Lin Woon Fui crashed out in the quarter-finals yesterday. Fairuzizuan-Woon Fui lost 7-15, 10-15 to top seeds Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen of Denmark while Chong Ming-Kien Keat went down fighting 14-17, 13-15 to the lethal South Korean combination of Jung Jae-sung-Lee Jae-jin. In today’s doubles semi-finals, Teik Chai-Zakry will take on Paaske-Rasmussen while Tan Fook-Choon Eng will face Jae-sung-Jae-jin. Meanwhile, Gan Teik Chai-Fong Chew Yen’s challenge ended in the mixed doubles event. They went down 5-15, 11-15 to Danes Thomas Laybourn-Kamilla Rytter Juhl. SMASHING FORM: Mohd Hafiz Hashim turned in a polished display to defeat Bjoern Joppien of Germany 15-9, 15-8 in the men’s singles quarter-finals at the Thailand Open badminton championships in Bangkok.
