Pang Ron-Pei Jing and Soon Huat-Shevon reach China Masters quarter-finals

Hoo Pang Ron and Lai Pei Jing secured a place in the China Masters quarter-finals by defeating the world’s No. 9 mixed doubles pair, Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi, in Guangdong, China.

The Malaysian pair, who have played together for only a few months, won 24-22, 21-19 in 48 minutes. The result levelled their head-to-head record with Cheng and Zhang at 1-1. They will face Taiwan’s world No. 48 pair, Liu Kuang Heng and Hsu Yin Hui, in the quarter-finals.

Fellow Malaysians Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai also progressed. The world No. 11 married pair beat Japan’s world No. 21 combination, Akira Koga and Natsu Saito, 21-14, 19-21, 21-10 in 58 minutes. Their next opponents will be either China’s world No. 4 pair, Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin, or the world No. 29 combination of Gao Jian Xuan and Wu Meng Ying.

Malaysia’s women’s doubles pairs had a different outcome. World No. 5 Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah lost to Thailand’s Benyapa Aimsaard and Nuntakarn Aimsaard 16-21, 21-17, 19-21 in 67 minutes. The report described the defeat as particularly disappointing, noting that the pair have continued to struggle for form since Pearly returned from injury.

Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan and Low Zi Yu also exited after losing 13-21, 16-21 to China’s world No. 4 pairing, Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian, in 39 minutes.