Malaysian duo Chan Peng Soon and Tan Kian Meng overcame four match points to beat Alexander Dunn/Adam Hall and enter the quarterfinals of the Commonwealth Games.
Chan and Tan have rarely played men’s doubles in recent years, and are more familiar as top mixed doubles players. The duo lost a close first game to their Scottish opponents and were on the brink of defeat in the second, but survived after saving four match points, before taking the match 18-21 25-23 21-15.
Scotland didn’t have much luck on the day. Grimley brothers Christopher and Matthew had earlier fallen to another Malaysian pair, Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik, in straight games. Other Scottish casualties included Callum Smith (to Toby Penty in men’s singles), Christopher Grimley/Eleanor O’Donnell (to Terry Hee/Tan Wei Han in mixed doubles), and Julie Macpherson/Ciara Torrance (to Rachel Honderich/Kristen Tsai in women’s doubles).
Kirsty Gilmour of Scotland.
However, Kirsty Gilmour and Adam Hall/Julie Macpherson expectedly won their matches in straight games, against Jessica Li (Isle of Man) and Friday Attama/Sharifah Wanyana (Uganda) respectively.
Australia’s Wendy Chen, playing women’s doubles alongside Gronya Somerville apart from her regular women’s singles, enjoyed wins in both categories.
“It’s going to be fun playing in two quarterfinals. I just need to look which game is coming first and prepare my mindset for the interesting matches ahead,” said Chen.
Highlights
Sachin Dias (right) and Thilini Hendahewa of Sri Lanka.
♦ Sri Lanka’s Sachin Dias won both his matches in straight games – with Thilini Hendahewa in mixed doubles and Buwaneka Goonethilleka in men’s doubles.
♦ England’s Ben Lane/Sean Vendy overcame Canadians Adam Dong/Nyl Yakura 21-13 21-19.
♦ Malaysia’s Goh Jin Wei received a walkover from Barbados’ Tamisha Williams.
BWF Newsletter
