In today’s quarterfinal matches, both Jun Hao and Shun Yang earned their semifinal tickets after they overcame Jewel Angelo Ablo of the Philippines and Thailand’s Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul, respectively.
The results mean the bronze medal will surely be in their hands, should both players lose in the semifinals tomorrow.
Jun Hao, seeded third, beat unseeded Ablo, 21-14, 23-21, to sail through to the semifinals and will meet either second-seeded Christian Adinata of Indonesia or Vietnam’s Nguyen Hai Dang.
The world No 64 said he was relieved to kill the match in the second game.
“Towards the end he changed his game and went on an all-out attack, I was quite shocked because in the beginning he did not play like that. Only closer to the end did he begin chasing points,” he told reporters after the match.
He was also pleased to know that Shun Yang made the cut to the next round, which would surely lift the burden off his shoulders as Malaysia now have two players in the men’s singles semifinals.
Despite losing the opening game, 18-21, fourth-seeded Shun Yang staged a magnificent comeback to see off Teeraratsakul, 21-19, 21-17, to book his place in the semifinals.
Shun Yang, who was delighted by the victory, admitted that today’s performance was his best game in Cambodia so far after a poor start at the Games where he lost two earlier matches in the men’s team event.
The 21-year-old suffered defeats to Vietnam’s Le Duc Phat in the quarterfinal, 13-21, 21-16, 7-21 and to Adinata, 17-21, 9-21, when Malaysia went down 1-3 to Indonesia in the men’s team final.
A tricky journey awaits the Penangite en route to the final as he will take on top seed, Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo of Indonesia, who prevailed against Duc Phat, 21-6, 21-18.
Shun Yang said he will ask for tips from Jun Hao on how to get the better of Chico after the latter squeezed past the Indonesian in the first match of the men’s team final, 21-16, 21-13.
Meanwhile, it was a stroll in the park for national mixed doubles pair, Yap Roy King-Cheng Su Yin as they blitzed home duo, Vannthou Vath-Kimloung Lim in just 16 minutes, 21-5, 21-3.
Roy King-Su Yin will meet Pakkapon Teeraratsakul-Phataimas Muenwong after the Thai pair defeated Alvin Morada-Alyssa Ysabel Leonardo of the Philippines, 21-11, 21-14, in the other quarterfinal match.
However, another mixed doubles pair, Choong Hon Jian-Yap Ling’s journey in the biennial Games were halted by Ratchapol Makkasasithorn-Chasinee Korepap as they went down to the Thai duo, 14-21, 18-21.