Marco Leung, a UPA Asia Trailblazer (the tour's development-contract program), beat the second seed 11-9 in the third. His win set the tone for a main-draw opening day at the Panas Malaysia Cup that also saw Ben Johns and Christian Alshon survive their first match as partners.
MARCO LEUNG✓
GRAYSON GOLDINThursday's results
Leung (MAC) beat second seed Grayson Goldin (USA) 11-9, 10-12, 11-9 in Men's Singles. Hsiang Wen Huang (TPE) outlasted fourth seed Hannah Blatt (CAN) 10-12, 12-10, 13-11 in a match that swung both ways.
Sahra Dennehy (AUS) was the day's biggest winner, reaching all three of her quarterfinals. She came from a game down to beat third seed Liz Truluck (USA) 7-11, 11-9, 11-6, then teamed with Santhosh Narayanan (USA) to knock out the North American pair of Blatt and Goldin in Mixed Doubles, 8-11, 11-7, 11-3. Johns and Alshon (USA) needed three games in their first match together, getting past Hien Truong (VIE) and Quan Do (USA) 11-0, 9-11, 11-8 as the crowd got behind the underdogs. Johns had an easier time in Mixed Doubles with Anna Bright (USA), winning in straight games.
For the Malaysians, Syed Uzair Sufi (MAS) pushed Vanshik Kapadia (IND) to 12-10, 11-8 in the Men's Singles round of 32, while Jimmy Liong (MAS) lost to Thomas Yu (CHN). Liong and Leander Lazaro (PHI) had a better day in Men's Doubles, beating Aaron Kwek and Charles Yong 11-9, 11-0 and then Kenta Miyoshi (JPN) and Lucas Pascoe (AUS) 11-5, 11-3 to reach the quarterfinals. Athilla Miasara (MAS) and Mayu Ito (JPN) won a Women's Doubles round of 32 match 11-5, 11-1 before running into Roos van Reek and Bright.
Friday order of play
Quarterfinals across all events start at 8am. Vietnam holds four of the eight remaining Men's Singles places and Chinese Taipei three of the eight in Women's Singles. The Men's Singles quarterfinal between Hong Kong Open champion Hong Kit Wong (HKG) and MB Vietnam Open champion Phuc Huynh (VIE) is their third meeting on tour; Huynh has won both, despite being seeded fifth to Wong's third.
Yufei Long (CHN) and Hoang Nam Ly (VIE) continue their Mixed Doubles run after surprising fifth seeds Zane Navratil (USA) and van Reek (NED) on Thursday. Their reward is a quarterfinal against second seeds Alshon and Kaitlyn Christian (USA). Alshon plays three Championship Court matches on Friday as he pushes for a triple crown. Lazaro and Liong face Eunggwon Kim (KOR) and Wong in the Men's Doubles quarterfinals.
Next on the tour
Semifinals Saturday, Championship Sunday to follow, then the MB Vietnam Cup in Da Nang from September 30 to October 4. Schedules are on events.thepicklebase.com.