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Chong Wei Dumps Hyun Il To Make Indian Open Quarter Finals

By P. Vijian

NEW DELHI, April 28 (Bernama) -- World number one Datuk Lee Chong Wei will face India's rising star Sourabh Verma in the quarter finals of the India Open Super Series at the Siri Fort Sports Complex after his impressive win Thursday.

After a rusty start in his opening match yesterday, Chong Wei, the top seed, weaved his magic on court against South Korea's Lee Hyun Il today, easily outplaying the latter to signal his intention of winning the elusive Indian Open title.

Chong Wei trapped a jaded Hyun IL with his neat net play and excellent drop shorts that left his rival in disarray in both sets, and needed only 31 minutes to wrap up the match 21-13, 21-17.

"There was no pressure from my opponent today. I am enjoying the Indian Open. I am preparing myself for the World Championship (in August in London)," Chong Wei told Bernama after his match here Thursday.

The All England champion who had been bogged by food poisoning and injuries during previous campaigns, will next face Sourabh, the 20-year-old Indian shuttler, who created two major upsets by dumping former Olympic bronze medallist Sony Dwi Kuncoro from Indonesia (21-18, 21-19) on Wednesday and seventh seeded Japan's Kenichi Tago 21-19, 18-21, 21-11 Thursday.

"He (Sourabh) is playing well and I am looking forward to playing against him tomorrow," added Chong Wei who won two gold medals (men's singles and team event) in the Delhi Commonwealth Games last October.

In another men's singles match today, Danish veteran Peter Hoeg Gade defeated Japan's Shao Sasaki 21-12, 21-17 to advance to the quarter finals while Indonesia's Taufik Hidayat beat India's P. Kashyap 21-17, 21-19 to book his berth.

In an earlier game, Malaysia's mixed double team, Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying overpowered Indian pair Akshay Dewalkar-Pradnya Gadre 21-18, 22-24, 21-12.

The Indian Open that has become a Super Series event, offers US$200,000 (RM600,000) in prize money.

-- BERNAMA

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