Hendra Wijaya and Hendri Saputra prevent wipe out for hosts Singapore

Story by Jan Lin/Red Sports. Photos by Lai Jun Wei, Marvin Lowe and Vanessa Lim/Red Sports.

Singapore Indoor Stadium, Thursday, June 11, 2009 - Singapore's top women's singles, doubles and mixed doubles shuttlers have bowed out against the crème de la crop from China, Indonesia and Thailand on the third day of the Singapore Badminton Open, but the top pair of Hendri Kurniawan Saputra and Hendra Wijaya progressed into the men's doubles quarter-finals to prevent a day of complete annihilation for the hosts.

Ranked world number 75, Singapore's top mixed doubles pair of Danny Bawa Chrisnanta and Yao Lei were beaten 21-17, 21-9 by Thailand's world number 6 pair of Sudket Prapakamol and Saralee Thoungthongkam.

Seeded 8th in Singapore, the experienced Thai pair was also the runners-up at the 2007 edition of the annual championship. Saralee will be turning 30 in Singapore this Saturday.

Singapore's 2008 Olympic women's singles representative Xing Aiying then fell to China's Wang Yihan who is recently crowned the new badminton queen of China. In the crowded pool of women's singles talents in China, the 21-year-old Wang is currently the highest ranked Chinese women's singles player and has been appearing on many advertisements, making her the face of China's badminton.

Xing put up a resilient fight before going down in 3 games with scores of 21-16, 8-21, 21-7.

"I had no idea what to do in the third game," admitted Xing, who was beaten 21-13, 21-16 by the 2006 World Junior champion in their previous encounter in the 2006 Asian Junior Championship’s team event.

"I think I played better this time," Xing continued, "though I think she couldn't control the shuttle well in the second game because of the wind and this is her first time playing in Singapore, so she may not be as used to the stadium as I am. Still, her game is definitely of a much higher level."

Singapore's women's doubles pairs were also no match against their foreign counterparts. Mok Jing Qiong and Samantha Neo were ousted 21-12, 21-6 by Chinese 2nd seeded pair of Cheng Shu and Zhao Yunlei in just 20 minutes, while Yao Lei and Shinta Sari Mulia were defeated 21-12, 21-17 by Indonesia's world number 20 pair of Nitya Krishinda Maheswari and Greysia Polii.

Just when annihilation appeared imminent, Singapore's world number 53 men's doubles pair of Hendra Wijaya and Hendri Kurniawan Saputra rose to the occasion to trump their world number 11 Malaysian opponents, Chew Choon Eng and Chan Chong Ming, in straight sets scores of 21-19, 21-16.

"The guys played according to the strategy," said Singapore’s men's doubles coach, Eng Hian. "We had to be more patient than we were in the first match because Chew and Chan have more solid defense and attacks than the previous Malaysian pair. Patience was the key for this victory."

Singapore's sole survivors will take on the top seed and reigning Olympic men's doubles champion, Hendra Setiawan and Markis Kido, in the quarter-final.

"I am familiar with Markis’ and Hendra's game and we have already prepared the strategy for the match against them," said Eng Hian, who was a team mate of the world number 1 Indonesian pair before arriving in Singapore last year.

"I am professional,” Eng Hian added to erase any concerns about the conflict he may face coaching against Indonesia. “I believe that friendship outside the court should be separated from the professionalism inside the court."

N.B. The event is also known as the Aviva Open Singapore

Related Stories
Nguyen Tien Minh dumps defending champion Lee Chong Wei out of Singapore Badminton Open
Hendra Wijaya and Hendri Saputra prevent wipe out for hosts Singapore
A new tomorrow for Fu Mingtian
China’s Xie Xingfang through to quarters after victory over Japan’s Ai Goto
Fourth seed Chen Jin qualifies for quarter-final with win over England's Ragiv Ouseph
Thailand’s Boonsak Ponsana thrashes sixth seed Simon Santoso of Indonesia
Singapore Badminton Open – A picture story of our local shuttlers
Singapore doubles pairs humble seeded shuttlers
Top seed Lee Chong Wei sweeps aside English top ace Andrew Smith in Singapore Badminton Open
Xing Aiying beats Danish Nanna Brosolat Jensen in Singapore Badminton Open
Singapore's Fu Mingtian conquers China's great wall
China's Xie Xingfang enters next round after beating Hong Kong's Yip Pui Yin in Singapore Badminton Open
France's Pi Hongyan deposed by Bulgaria's Petya Nedelcheva in Round One of Singapore Badminton Open
Singapore shuttlers secure 4 more qualification berths on home soil
Fu Mingtian and Zhang Beiwen to face off China's fortress in first round of Singapore Badminton Open
Local shuttler Thng Ting Ting falls to Nguyen Nhung Le Ngoc in Singapore Badminton Open

More photos in the gallery.