PETALING JAYA: National men’s doubles shuttlers Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun suffered a shock first-round exit at the Kumamoto Masters in Japan today.
The world No 5 pair were defeated by the 30th-ranked home pair of Hiroki Midorikawa-Kyohei Yamashita in straight games of 19-21, 18-21 in a 35-minute match.
In the second round, the Japanese shuttlers will meet the winners of the match between Malaysia’s Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi and Taiwan’s Chen Zhi Ray-Lin Yu Chieh.
Today’s defeat means that Wei Chong-Kai Wun must wait a little longer to know whether they qualify for the lucrative World Tour Finals next month. They are currently ranked fifth in the list of qualifiers.
Only two representatives from each country can qualify for the championship.
Malaysia’s top men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik have already booked a berth in the tournament.