Players were fighting for a place in the last 16 on day two of the YONEX Bendigo International 2022.
The mixed doubles opened proceedings, with the top seeds from Canada out in full force as they eased through their first round match. The third seeds from Japan had a slightly more difficult encounter as they were taken to a deciding game, but Sumiya and Minami found a second wind and completely outpaced their opponents.
- Ty Lindeman/Josephine Wu (CAN)[1] vs Julian Lee/Kai Qi Teoh (AUS) 21-12 21-10
- Sumiya Nihei/Minami Asakura (JPN)[3] vs Chung Yu-Kai/Sung Yu-Hsuan (TPE) 21-15 12-21 21-8
From Australia, the sixth seeds Jie Yin and Maureen became one of the first casualties in the mixed doubles draw as they fell at the hands of Fang-Lee and Cheng (Chinese Taipei). Additionally, Oceania’s reigning Continental Champions Kenneth and Gronya faced another first round exit in Bendigo. Despite winning the first game, they slowly lost momentum to give their Japanese opposition the advantage.
- Fang-Jen Lee/Cheng Yu-Pei (TPE) vs Jie Ying Chan/Maureen Wijaya (AUS)[6] 21-12 21-14
- Kazuhiro Ichikawa/Yui Suizu (JPN) vs Kenneth Choo/Gronya Somerville (AUS) 20-22 21-18 21-15
In an exact repeat of last week’s quarterfinal, India’s 17-year-old Lakshay Sharma was pitted against the men’s singles top seed. The youngster showed plenty of promise as he started out strong against the more experienced Olympian, Jason Anthony Ho-Shue. Unlike last week, Lakshay took the lead at one game up. However, Ho-Shue returned to the court with a vengeance and sprinted through the next two games to get through to the last 16.
- Jason Anthony Ho-Shue (CAN)[1] vs Lakshay Sharma (IND) 11-21 21-10 21-9
The fifth seed, Enrico Asuncion, also suffered a scare after being taken to three but lives to tell the tale. Meanwhile, two other seeds in the men’s singles – Australia’s Nathan Tang [12] and Malta’s Matthew Abela [7] – were outplayed by their opponents. Meanwhile, Pit Seng Low struggled to reach double figures against the runner up of the YONEX Sydney International 2022, Jia Wei Joel Koh. This victory for the 14th seeded Singaporean sets up a repeat of Sydney’s final in tomorrow’s round of 16 match.
- Enrico Asuncion (USA)[8] vs We Cheng-En (TPE) 21-19 18-21 21-15
- Keisuke Fujiwara (JPN) vs Nathan Tang (AUS)[12] 21-9 21-7
- Jie Ying Chan (AUS) vs Matthew Abela (MLT)[7] 21-13 21-11
- Jia Wei Joel Koh (SGP)[14] vs Pit Seng Low (AUS) 21-4 21-7
In the women’s doubles, Oceania’s reigning women’s doubles champion (Sylvina Kurniawam) faced an agonizing loss with new partner Poon Lok Yan. The pair looked on track to make a miraculous recovery after a convincing second game win. However, the third and deciding game was anyone’s for the taking, going well into extension where their Chinese Taipei opponents prevailed.
- Liang Ting Yu/Wu Ti Jung (TPE) vs Sylvina Kurniawan/Poon Lok Yan (AUS) 21-19 12-21 26-24
Elsewhere, four of Australia’s women who competed in the recent Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games had a taste of victory this afternoon as both pairs pulled through in two convincing games.
- Kaitlyn Ea/Angela Yu (AUS) vs Marie Christensen/Aimee Hong (NOR) 21-13 21-13
- Hsuan-Yu Wendy Chen/Gronya Somerville (AUS) vs Peng Li Ting/Tung Ciou-Tong (TPE) 21-11 21-18
Oceania’s reigning men’s singles champion, Edward Lau, narrowly missed out on a place in the last 16. Over three games lasting 51 minutes, the New Zealander looked on track to close it down as he led 11-8 and 19-18 in the decider, but Yang Chih Chieh pipped him to the post.
- Yang Chih Chieh (TPE) vs Edward Lau (NZL)[10] 21-16 20-22 21-19
Meanwhile, Oceania’s reigning men’s doubles champions Kenneth Choo and Ming Chuen Lim ended the evening on a high as they reunited for the first time since the Continental Championships (Kenneth was a semifinalist in Sydney with a different partner). Their win will aid their Oceania Tour 2022 campaign, where they narrowly lost the lead following last week’s YONEX Sydney International, as they were overtaken by Lin Ying Xiang and Kai Chen Teoh.
Finally, it was a tough draw for New Zealand’s Jonathan Curtin and Ryan Tong who weren’t able to break through the top seeds and world number 59 duo, Su Ching Heng and Ye Hong Wei, in the first round.
- Kenneth Choo/Ming Chuen Lim (AUS) vs Chang Shih-Chieh/Lu Wei Hsuan (TPE) 21-16 21-17
- Su Ching Heng/Ye Hong Wei (TPE)[1] vs Jonathan Curtin/Ryan Tong (NZL) 21-9 21-14
All of the results from day two are available to view on Tournament Software. Day three starts at 10am local time (AEDT), opening with the mixed doubles.
All matches on courts one and two will be available to watch for free on the live stream (also available after the completion of matches), via Badminton Oceania’s YouTube Channel.
Photos, videos and more content from day one is available to view on Badminton Oceania’s Facebook page. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #BendigoInternational22
