Ricky Tang has waited years for a win like this. On day two of the YONEX South Australia International, it arrived in emphatic fashion: a 21-8, 21-15 victory over top seed and fellow Australian Ephraim Stephen Sam, sending Tang into the men’s singles quarterfinals.
Tang started the day with a tricky opener against compatriot Jayden Lim. “I expected it to be a tough match against Jayden,” he said. “He has a really strong attack, so I was definitely wary of that.”
His round of 16 draw was even tougher, but Tang came out firing from the first serve. “Starting off the game, I wanted to be really aggressive. He’s really known for his defense, so I wanted to see if I could crack it.”
He did, and the result meant more than just a place in the last eight. “I haven’t had a good win like this in years. Ever since I won the national championships, I haven’t had a breakthrough until today,” Tang said. “When I played I was so nervous. I never felt like I was in control, even when I was leading. I never really knew if I could close out the game. I was doubting myself, so to finish that match with a win was a huge relief.”
Dhand’s marathon day ends in the last 16
It was a punishing day for reigning Oceania men’s singles champion Shrey Dhand, whose two matches both went the distance against tough opposition.
He first faced Aniketh Reddy Kura and dropped the opening game before finding his form, winning 14-21, 21-14, 21-12. After a few hours to recover from that 50-minute match, the Australian returned to face Korea’s Yoon Ho Seong.
Yoon surged to an early lead, but Dhand is never one to count out. The second game was a classic: never more than three points separated the pair, and they traded 11 game points across a 58-point epic. Dhand held his nerve to win it 30-28 and force a decider.
Just two minutes later, it was clear how much that game had cost him. Yoon moved the shuttle around the court, and Dhand couldn’t keep up. After 94 minutes, Yoon booked his place in the men’s singles quarterfinals.
Gao survives a scare
In the women’s singles, top seed Rui Gao was pushed hard by 14-year-old Hamsini Chadaram of India. Gao’s experience made the difference in the critical moments, steadying her enough to take the win.
Other Oceania players into the quarterfinals
- Women’s Singles: Lim Tin En Tiffany won 21-7, 21-6 over Finland’s Emma Lybeck.
- Men’s Singles:
- Karono Karono dominated Satvik Shankar (USA) 21-14, 21-7.
- Kai Chen Teoh worked for every point to beat France’s Rafael Gavois 13-21, 21-15, 21-19.
- Mixed Doubles: Michael Owen/Nozomi Shimizu once again showed their class, winning against Chinese Taipei’s Fu Hung Chiu/Chia Shan Chein 22-20, 21-13.
