Liew reaches World C'ship semi-final
Published on: Saturday, August 04, 2018
NANJING (China): Independent shuttler Liew Daren continued to prove doubters wrong when he reached the semi-finals of the Badminton World Championship on Friday.Given little hope of progressing far in the tournament, the world ranked 39 defeated Japan's Kanta Tsuneyama 22-20, 21-23, 22-20 in their quarterfinal match to advance to his first semi-final at the world meet.His best outing was only a third-round finish after losing to China's Chen Long in Guangzhou in 2013.ADVERTISEMENT Liew has been impressive having claimed the scalps of higher ranked opponents such as India's world No. 5 K. Srikanth and Indonesia's 2017 SEA Games champion Jonatan Cristie on his way to the last four.The Malaysian will face either Kento Momota of Japan or India's S. Praneeth in Saturday's semi-final. The other semi-final will be an all-China affair with Olympic champion Chen Long taking on Lin Dan's conqueror Shi Yuqi. Meanwhile, Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying failed to end a 12-year medal drought in the mixed doubles event at the World Championships when they crashed out in the quarter-finals.ADVERTISEMENT The world No. 9 lost to Hong Kong's Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet 12-21, 21-11, 10-21 on Friday.Liu Ying's movement on the court appeared awkward throughout the match and it was later revealed that she had hurt her left Achilles tendon during the last 16 match on Thursday, reported the Star.
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"I still went on to play. We lost the match but I gave everything I had out there," said Liu Ying.A dejected Peng Soon said they let slip their best-ever chance to win a medal at the world meet.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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"We've competed in many World Championships but for once, I felt that we had a really good chance of winning a medal, if not the title."Malaysia last won a medal – a bronze through Koo Kien Keat-Wong Pei Tty at the world meet in Madrid, Spain, in 2006.