Shuttler Arif in third round after injury to Takeshita

PETALING JAYA: National back-up squad shuttler Mohd Arif Abdul Latif claimed a lucky third-round appearance in the Thailand Open GP Gold tournament in Bangkok yesterday after his opponent was forced to retire due to injury.
Arif was leading 19-17 in a second-round match when Japanese youngster Riichi Takeshita decided to call it quits.
Earlier, the 22-year-old played his heart out to claim the biggest win of his career when he stunned eighth seed and world No. 19 Rajiv Ouseph of England 15-21, 21-16, 21-14.
Arif had hoped for a breakthrough in the Thai Open and he has got it with qualification for the third round, which is his best result thus far in an international tournament this year.
However, national elite shuttler Chong Wei Feng failed to make it to the third round. But he came close to scalping 13th seed Brice Leverdez of France.

Advancing: Mohd Arif Abdul Latif got the lucky break he wanted in the Bangkok Open and made it to the third round by default as injury forced his opponent Riichi Takeshita to concede a walkover Wednesday.

Wei Feng, who defeated compatriot and the nation’s top junior talent Zulfadli Zulkifli in an energy-sapping 53-minute match in the first round, simply ran out steam and was beaten 19-21, 22-20, 19-21 in 63 minutes.
Leverdez will play against top seed Chen Long of China for a place in the quarter-finals.
Three other Malaysians crashed out in the first round. They were Liew Daren, Chan Kwong Beng and Goh Soon Huat.
In mixed doubles, Voutus Indra Mawan-Woon Khe Wei, who barely made it into the main draw, were sent packing – losing to Indonesians Delynugraha Muhammad Rizky-Puspita Richi Dili 20-22, 19-21.
The national No. 2 mixed doubles pair of Ong Jien Guo-Sabrina Chong also failed to make the grade.
They were beaten 15-21, 18-21 by China’s Qiu Zihan-Bao Yixin.
RESULTS
* Matches involving Malaysians
• QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT
Men’s doubles (second round): Liang Jui Wei-Liao Kuan Hao (Tpe) bt Voutus Indra Mawan-Mohd Lufti Zaim 21-10, 21-19.
Women’s singles (third round): Busanan Ongbumrungpan (Tha) bt Sannatasah Saniru 23-21, 19-21, 21-18.
• MAIN DRAW
Men’s singles (first round): Chong Wei Feng bt Zulfadli Zulkifli 13-21, 21-16, 21-12; Mohd Arif Abdul Latif bt Rajiv Ouseph (Eng) 15-21, 21-16, 21-14; Riichi Takeshita (Jpn) bt Liew Daren 21-18, 21-13; Sukamta Evert (Ina) bt Goh Soon Huat 21-19, 16-21, 21-19; Mohd Hafiz Hashim bt Shon Wan-ho (Kor) 18-21, 24-22, 21-19; Kuan Beng Hong bt Hsuan Lin-chia (Tpe) 21-11, 21-15; Wong Choong Hann bt Viktor Axelsen (Den) 21- 18, 21-12; Chun Shih Kuei (Tpe) bt Beryno Wong 18-21, 21-12, 21-14; Wen Kai (Chn) bt Lok Chong Chieh 21-12, 21-14.
Mixed doubles (first round): Delynugraha Muhammad Rizky-PuspitaRichi Dili (Ina) bt Voutus Indra Mawan-Woon Khe Wei 22-20, 21-19; Qiu Zihan-Bao Yixin (Chn) bt Ong Jien Guo- Sabrina Chong 21-15, 21-18; Kim Ki-jung-Jung Kyung-eun bt Mohd Razif Abdul Latif-Amelia Alicia Anscelly 21-16, 21-16.
Men’s singles (second round): Arif bt Riichi Takeshita (Jpn) 19-17, rtd; Brice Leverdez (Fra) bt Chong Wei Feng 21-19, 20- 22, 21-19.