Liew Daren pulled off the shock of the Korea Open first round after beating five-time world champion Lin Dan in straight games 21-19, 21-14 on Wednesday.
"I am just happy to get through. I played to my own ability and it worked out well for me today," he said after his first win over the Chinese ace.
The Malaysian’s reward is a second-round contest against India’s Kashyap Parupalli on Thursday.
"It will be tough, for sure. I lost to him the last time we met, but I will go in with the same game plan," he added.
He lost the last two outings against the Indian, with the last defeat coming at the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
But victory over Lin Dan should give the 32-year-old a huge boost.
Since clinching bronze at last year’s World Championships, Liew's form was inconsistent and his best result this year was reaching the semi-finals of the Malaysia Masters.
Promising youngster Lee Zii Jia accompanied Liew to the second round after he packed away Thailand’s Suppanyu Avihingsanon 21-7, 21-15.
Lee will have to be at his best in the second round as he faces Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen.
In the men’s doubles, Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong overcame compatriots Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi 16-21, 21-13, 21-16 to set up another meeting with top seeds Marcus Fernaldi-Kevin Sanjaya.
Goh-Tan lost in straight games to the Indonesians at the China Open quarter-finals last week.
They were also defeated by the pair in the Malaysia Masters semifinals in January.
Meanwhile, it was the end of the road for Vivian Hoo-Yap Cheng Wen and Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean (women’s doubles), Arif Latiff-Nur Azriyn and Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Sik (men’s doubles), and Soniia Cheah (women’s singles).
Nicolas Anil
Wed Sep 25 2019
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