Pemain perseorangan negara, Datuk Lee Chong Wei, mara ke suku akhir selepas mudah menewaskan pemain muda Taiwan, Wang Tzu Wei, dalam pusingan kedua Kejohanan Seluruh England, sebentar tadi.
Chong Wei menewaskan Tzu Wei 21-18, 21-18, dalam tempoh 39 minit selepas mengalahkan pemain Perancis, Brice Leverdez, dalam perlawanan pertama, awal pagi tadi.
Pada set pertama, Tzu Wei jelas tidak terdaya untuk menyaingi rentak Chong Wei apabila sering dikelirukan walaupun satu ketika kedua-dua pemain terikat 8-8.
Tzu Wei, bagaimanapun, sekali lagi merapatkan kedudukan 13-14 sebelum Chong Wei menjauhkan jurang sehingga memenangi set pertama 21-18.
Selepas itu, Chong Wei nampak begitu bersahaja dalam perlawanan kedua sehingga membenarkan pemain muda itu beberapa kali mengatasi matanya.
Sedar perlu menamatkan permainan dengan segera, Chong Wei memastikan kedudukan 13-13 terikat buat kali terakhir, kemudian memenangi set kedua sekali lagi dengan 21-18.
"Ini adalah perlawanan pertama saya bertemu dengannya (Tzu Wei), mungkin ada beberapa pukulan yang membuatkan saya terkejut," kata Chong Wei.
"Sebelum ini, saya ada menyaksikan perlawanan dia tetapi apabila masuk gelanggang, permainannya berbeza. Yang penting saya sudah menang. Saya fokus untuk perlawanan esok."
Pemain nombor satu dunia itu diramal bertemu pemain China, Tian Houwei, dalam peringkat suku akhir esok.
Tian Houwei akan bertemu pemain India, Prannoy Kumar, dalam pusingan kedua pada tengah malam nanti.
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Thu Mar 09 2017
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