PETALING JAYA: Veteran shuttler Tan Wee Kiong showed he still has plenty to offer after combining with Nur Azriyn Ayub to stun former world No. 1 pair Kim Astrup–Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark in the second round of the Japan Open on Thursday (July 17).
Wee Kiong, who won silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics, has yet to rediscover his best form since teaming up with Azriyn, but the duo stepped up when it mattered against the fourth seeds.
They pushed Astrup-Rasmussen all the way in a thrilling match that went the distance and eventually sealed a hard-fought 21-16, 15-21, 21-19 victory in 63 minutes to reach their first quarter-final of the year.
Wee Kiong-Azriyn will face either China’s Chen Boyang–Liu Yi or Taiwan’s Liu Kuang-heng-Yang Po-han in the last eight on Friday (June 18).
Also through to the quarter-finals are compatriots Teo Ee Yi–Ong Yew Sin, who battled past the United States’ Chen Zhi Yi-Presley Smith 19-21, 21-14, 21-19.
Like Wee Kiong-Azriyn, this is also their first quarter-final appearance of the year. They will face fifth seeds Liang Weikeng–Wang Chang of China on Friday.
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