Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin, Zulfadli Zulkiffli and Soong Joo Ven all failed to win their second round matches of the Swiss Open at the St. Jakobshalle Center in Basel yesterday.
Two-time BWF World Junior Championships silver medallist was forced to retire in the second set against Asian compatriot Muhammad Bayu Pangisthu due to an injury. Iskandar Zainuddin lost the first set 17-21, before being unable to continue at 9-17 in the next set.
Zulfadli Zulkiffli did everything he could against second seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei. He won the first set 21-17 but was failed to carry his momentum forward after losing 12-21, 12-21 in the second and third set respectively in a match that lasted for an hour.
Unlike Zulfadli Zulkiffli, Soong Joo Ven pulled a set back after going down 19-21 in the first set, but ultimately suffered a 13-21 loss in the deciding set of the second round match.
Women’s singles player Tee Jing Yi was unable to overcome Chinese Taipei player Pai Yu Po despite taking the lead in a 45-minute match where she lost 21-15, 18-21, 10-21.
There was a silver lining at the end of the day after three of our doubles pair advanced to the next round of the Swiss Open with well-deserved wins in less than 25 minutes each.
Vivian Hoo Kah Mun and Woon Khe Wei defeated home favourite Nadia Fankhauser and Malaysian Sannatasah Saniru 21-11, 21-11, whereas Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong managed to bring down Bastian Kersaudy-Gaetan Mittelheisser and Mathias Bonny-Christian Kirchmayr 21-17, 21-8 and 21-16, 21-14 respectively.
The women’s pair will face Heather Oliver and Lauren Smith today. The national pairing of Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong faces Puavaranukroh Dechapol and Kedren Kittinupong.
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