VW Bega Open RD2: Unseeded Quartet Make Last Eight

The surprises kept coming at the Volkswagen Bega Open on Thursday afternoon, with fur unseeded players making it through to the quarter finals of the Challenger 10 level tournament at the Bega Country Club in New South Wales, Australia.

Hong Kong’s Ching Hei Fung caused one of those upsets, as she defeated home favourite, and the women’s No.4 seed, Sarah Cardwell, in a four-game battle. The Aussie won the first 11-7, but Fung fought back to take the second on a tie-break, before then carrying the momentum through the contest to reach the quarter finals with a surprise victory, 3-1.

She will now face another unseeded player in the last eight, in Malaysia’s Ainaa Amani, after the 20-year-old got the better of another Australian, in Alex Haydon. The young Malaysian was in complete control against the tournament’s No.5 seed, winning in straight games in 26 minutes, to seal her spot in the quarters

Elsewhere, England’s No.2 seed Grace Gear scraped her way through, as she had to go the distance to defeat young Malaysian star Aira Azman. Gear had to come from behind twice to stay in the contest, before eventually going on to win the fifth and move through to the quarter finals.

There were also a couple of surprises in the men’s results in terms of seeding in the second round, with Japan’s Ryunosuke Tsukue and Aussie Rex Hedrick making it through. Tsukue got the better of Switzerland’s No.8 seed Yannick Wilhelmi, while the home hope downed New Zealand’s Lwamba Chileshe to advance.

The quarter finals of the Volkswagen Bega Open will take place on Friday, September 2, with the last eight in both draws doing battle to try and reach the semifinals of the Challenger 10 level tournament.

Men’s Second Round Results: Volkswagen Bega Open
[1] Muhammad Asim Khan (PAK) bt Chung Yat Long (HKG) 3-0: 11-4, 1-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-9 (49m)
Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt [5] Lwamba Chileshe (NZL) 3-0: 11-6, 11-5, 11-4 (29m)
Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) bt [8] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) 3-0: 11-7, 11-2, 11-5 (35m)
[4] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) bt Rhys Dowling (AUS) 3-2: 9-11, 3-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-7 (59m)
[3] Mohammad Syafiq Kamal (MAS) bt Tang Ming Hong (HKG) 3-1: 11-7, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9 (48m)
[4] Darren Rahul Pragasam (MAS) bt Temwa Chileshe (NZL) 3-2: 7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9 (66m)
[6] Chi Him Wong (HKG) bt Ong Sai Hung (MAS) 3-0: 11-5, 11-2, 11-5 (32m)
[2] Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) bt Robin Gadola (SUI) 3-1: 8-11, 11-3, 11-9, 12-10 (41m)

Men’s Quarter Final Draw: To Be Played Friday, September 2
[1] Muhammad Asim Khan (PAK) v Rex Hedrick (AUS)
Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) v [4] Addeen Idrakie (MAS)
[3] Mohammad Syafiq Kamal (MAS) v [4] Darren Rahul Pragasam (MAS)
[6] Chi Him Wong (HKG) v [2] Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG)

Women’s Second Round Results: Volkswagen Bega Open
[1] Chan Sin Yuk (HKG) bt Celine Walser (SUI) 3-0: 11-5, 12-10, 11-5 (21m)
[7] Cheng Nga Ching (HKG) bt Sehveetrraa Kumar (MAS) 3-1: 3-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-7 (34m)
[6] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) bt Ooi Kah Yan (MAS) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-8 (23m)
[3] Chan Yiwen (MAS) bt Rachael Grinham (AUS) 3-1: 11-6, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6 (36m)
Ching Hei Fung (HKG) bt [4] Sarah Cardwell (AUS) 3-1: 7-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-9 (41m)
Ainaa Amani (MAS) bt [5] Alex Haydon (AUS) 3-0: 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 (26m)
[8] Yee Xin Ying (MAS) bt Akari Midorikawa (JPN) 3-0: 11-7, 11-6, 11-5 (25m)
[2] Grace Gear (ENG) bt Aira Azman (MAS) 3-2: 8-11, 1-6, 5-11, 11-6, 11-7 (47m)

Women’s Quarter Final Draw: To Be Played Friday, September 2
[1] Chan Sin Yuk (HKG) v [7] Cheng Nga Ching (HKG)
[6] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) v [3] Chan Yiwen (MAS)
Ching Hei Fung (HKG) v Ainaa Amani (MAS)
[8] Yee Xin Ying (MAS) v [2] Grace Gear (ENG)