KOTA KINABALU (Malaysia), Sept 4: All the favourites sailed through the third round of the men’s singles in the Malaysia Open Thursday, with top seed Chen Hong needing only 44 minutes to book his place in the quarterfinals.

Chen, from China, brushed aside a tame challenge by Germany’s Bjoern Joppien, winning 15-9, 15-7 to take on Malaysia’s giantkiller Yeoh Kay Bin Friday.

The Malaysian was given a walkover in the second round, when his Netherlands challenger Dicky Palyama withdrew because of a fever, and went on to beat compatriot Kuan Beng Hong 5-15, 15-7 15-4 in the third round.

Said Chen after his match: “The heat and humidity here makes the competition all the more tougher, but I am taking one match at a time.

“I will be playing Kay Bin for the first time and I reckon it will be a tough match as the Malaysian has home ground advantage and tremendous crowd support. He also looks like he is on a roll.”

Kay Bin, who ousted fifth seed Anders Boessen from Denmark on the first day, said he looked forward to the tie against the Chinese ace, hoping to create another upset.

Second seed Kenneth Jonassen of Denmark was given an early scare when his Indian opponent Chetan Anand won the first set 15-11, but the Dane rallied back to win the next two sets 15-9, 15-4 to set up a quarterfinal tie with Korean, Lee Hyun-Il.

Lee beat his Hong Kong opponent Ng Wei 15-10, 15-7.

Birmingham World Championships silver medallist Wong Choong Hann from Malaysia beat All-England champion and compatriot Mohammad Hafiz Hashim 15-7, 15-4 in 38 minutes and afterwards declared that this four-star tournament is all about stamina.

“The players here are all tired after having played back to back championships in Singapore and Indonesia,” said Choong Hann who is tipped to win the title here provided he gets past his next opponent, Indonesian Sony Dwi Kuncoro.

If passes that hurdle, he could meet Chen Hong in the semifinals on Saturday. “I’ve played Sony before and he is exceptionally good in defence. He can also make a quick switch to attack,” said Choong Hann.

Sony beat another Malaysian Sairul Anuar Ayob 15-6, 15-13.

Earlier in the day, former champion, Malaysian Ong Ewe Hock was shown the exit after losing 6-15, 3-15 to Chetan.

In the women’s singles top seeded Zhang Ning of Chinabeat Germany’s Jualiane Schenk 11-4, 11-1 while compatriot Gong Ruina, the second seed, beat Aparna Popat of India 11-5, 11-3 to move into the quarterfinals.

Earlier in the day in the first round, Zhang beat Judith Meulendijks of Holland 11-2, 11-6 while Ruina beat South Korea’s Jun Jae Youn 11-8, 11-1.

Open badminton results

Men’s singles:Third round:

Cheng Hong (CHN) bt Bjoern Joppien (GER) 15-9, 15-7; Yeoh Kay Bin (MAS) bt Kuan Beng Hong (MAS) 5-15, 15-7 15-4; Wong Choong Hann (MAS) bt Muhammad Hafiz Hashim (MAS) 15-7, 15-4; Sony Dwi Kuncoro (INA) bt Sairul Amar Ayob (MAS) 15-6, 15-13; Lee Chong Wei (MAS) bt Niels Christian Kaldau (DEN) 15-7, 15-3; Bao Chunlai (CHN) bt Xia Xuanze (CHN) 17-14, 15-12; Lee Hyun Il (KOR) bt Ng Wei (HKG) 15-10, 15-7; Kenneth Jonassen (DEN) bt Chetan Anand (IND) 11-15, 15-9, 15-4.

Second Round: Cheng Hong (CHN) bt Wu Yunyong (CHN) 15-6, 15-10; Bjoern Joppien (GER) bt Boonsak Polsana (THA) 5-15, 15-11, 15-10; Yeoh Kay Bin (MAS) bt Dicky Palyama (NED) (Walk over); Kuan Beng Hong (MAS) bt Simon Santoso (INA) 11-15, 15-6, 15-4; Wong Choong Hann (MAS) bt Andrew Smith (ENG) 15-10, 15-0; Muhammad Hafiz Hashim (MAS) bt Yohan H. Wiratama (HKG) 15-7, 17-14; Sony Dwi Kuncoro (INA) bt Lin Dan (CHN) 15-11, 15-7; Sairul Amar Ayob (MAS) bt Abhinn Shyam Gupta (IND) 15-9, 15-9; Lee Chong Wei (MAS) bt Mohd Roslin Hashim (MAS) 13-15, 15-9, 17-15; Niels Christian Kaldau (DEN) bt Pei Wei Chung (MAS) 15-7, 15-1; Bao Chunlai (CHN) bt Chen Yu (CHN) 6-15, 15-2, 15-8; Xia Xuanze (CHN) bt Shinya Ohtsuka (JPN) 15-9, 15-4; Lee Hyun-Il (KOR) bt Park Sung-Hwan (KOR) 15-2, 15-3; Ng Wei (HKG) bt Taufiq Akbar Hidayat (INA) 15-9, 15-11; Chetan Anand (IND) bt Ong Ewe Hock (MAS) 15-6, 15-3; Kenneth Jonassen (DEN) bt Sergio Llopis (ESP) 15-2, 15-10;

Women’s singles: Second Round:

Zhang Ning (CHN) bt Juliane Schenk (GER) 11-4, 11-1; Juliane Schenk (GER) bt Yuki Shimada (JPN) 11-4, 9-11, 11-5; Xie Xingfang (CHN) bt Anu Weckstrom (FIN) 11-0, 11-2; Silvi Antarini (INA) bt Seo Yoon Hee (KOR) 11-4, 8-11, 11-9; Zhou Mi (CHN) bt Miho Tanaka (JPN) 7-11, 11-3, 11-3; Camilla Martin (DEN) bt Maria Kristin (INA) 11-0, 11-3; Wang Chen (HKG) bt Kelly Morgan (WAL) 11-6, 11-6; Pi Hongyan (FRA) bt Yao Jie (NED) 11-3, 11-6; Gong Ruina (CHN) bt Aparna Popat (IND) 11-5, 11-3;

First Round: Zhang Ning (CHN) bt Judith Meulendijks (NED) 11-2, 11-6; Juliane Schenk (GER) bt Yuki Shimada (JPN) 11-4, 9-11, 11-5; Xie Xingfang (CHN) bt Petra Overzier (GER) 11-0, 11-2; Anu Weckstrom (FIN) bt Agnese Allegrini (ITA) 13-10, 11-0; Silvi Antarini (INA) bt Mia Audina Tjiptawan (NED) 11-9, 9-2 (ret); Seo Yoon-Hee (KOR) bt Kaori Mori (JPN) 6-11, 11-5, 11-5; Zhou Mi (CHN) bt Tracey Hallam (ENG) 11-3, 11-1; Miho Tanaka (JPN) bt Petya Nedeltcheva (BUL) 11-2, 13-10; Maria Kristin (INA) bt Charmaine Reid (CAN) 11-1, 11-4; Camilla Martin (DEN) bt Julia Mann (ENG) 11-0, 11-2; Kelly Morgan (WAL) bt Dolores Marco (ESP) 11-0, 11-0; Wang Chen (HKG) bt Karina De Wit (NED) 3-11, 11-1, 11-4; Yao Jie (NED) bt Kanako Yonekura (JPN) 11-7, 11-5; Pi Hongyan (FRA) bt Tine Rasmussen (DEN) 7-11, 11-8, 11-5; Aparna Popat (IND) bt Nicole Grether (GER) 11-5, 8-11, 11-0; Gong Ruina (CHN) bt Jun Jae Youn (KOR) 11-8, 11-1.—AFP