Fairuzizuan-Zakry to clash with Olympic champs

PETALING JAYA: Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif set up an intriguing quarter-final clash against Olympic champions Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan after taking down Germans Michael Fuchs-Ingo Kindervater in the second round of the French Open in Paris yesterday.

The Malaysians, who were eliminated in the second round in the Denmark Open last week, won the match 21-18, 21-18 in 34 minutes.

Denmark Open champions Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong also kept the Malaysian interest going strong when they brushed aside England’s Marcus Ellis-Peter Mills 21-11, 21-17. The second seeds will take on either Kiwi pair Oliver Leydon-Davis-Henry Tam or seventh seeds Anthony Clark-Nathan Robertson of England today for a place in the semi-finals.

The spotlight on the men’s doubles quarter-finals should be on the match between Fairuzizuan-Zakry and Markis-Hendra.

National doubles head coach Rexy Mainaky is hoping to see a stronger performance from Fairuzizuan-Zakry in their bid to beat the Indonesian pair for the first time.

“They were disappointed after the early exit in the Denmark Open and I believe they are determined to do something here,” said Rexy in a telephone interview.

“Today was a crucial win and set them up nicely to play against Markis-Setiawan.

“If Fairuz can control his emotions, I think they have a chance to turn the tables on the Indonesians.

“But Markis-Hendra know our pair’s weaknesses and know how to make them edgy.”

Malaysia’s interest in the men’s singles ended yesterday after Mohd Hafiz Hashim was eliminated by former world and Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia, who won the second-round match 21-12, 21-17 in 32 minutes.

In the mixed doubles, Kien Keat and Wong Pei Tty made the quarter-finals with a 17-21, 21-8, 21-15 win in 39 minutes over Belgium’s Wouter Claes-Nathalie Descamps.

The duo, who resumed a partnership in the Denmark Open, will take on eighth seeds Tao Jiaming-Zhang Yawen of China for a place in the semi-finals. - THE STAR

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