KUALA LUMPUR – National men’s singles shuttler Eogene Ewe is excited to be part of the main draw at the Kuala Lumpur Masters as it will be his first Super Series 100 tournament.
Before defeating 2013 World Championships bronze medallist Nguyen Tien Minh of Vietnam today, Eogene beat Lee Yu-jui from Chinese Taipei 21-11, 21-14.
The Vietnamese ace took control early in their match, but Eogene kept cool to win the clash 21-17, 22-20 in 52 minutes.
“This year, my results have been good and consistent, but I don’t have any titles, and this is my first time in the main draw of a Super Series event.
“Nguyen Thien Minh is my idol; he is in the same generation as Lee Chong Wei, so I’m proud and happy to have defeated him,” said the 18-year-old.
The shuttler will face his fellow Malaysian, 2019 SEA Games silver medallist Soong Joo Ven, in the first round, but Eogene admits the going will be tough in the main draw.
“I am not putting any expectations on myself in the main draw as I just want to try my best. The level in the main draw will be high; there are players from Japan and South Korea, so I know it will be difficult,” he said.
Local fans’ hopes of seeing another Malaysian in the women’s singles main draw were crushed by South Korea’s Park Ga-eun, who defeated Ung Yi Xing 21-13, 21-18.
Earlier, Malaysia’s Sarah Ngu was defeated by Nutnalin Rattanapanuwong of Thailand 21-16, 21-14.
This leaves Siti Nurshuhaini Azman the only Malaysian woman to make it out of the qualifying round after defeating Han Yu-chen of Chinese Taipei 21-18, 21-17.
In the men’s doubles, only one Malaysian pair made it to the main draw after Kang Khai Xing-Aaron Tai defeated their fellow countrymen Wee Young Pui-Owen Ting 19-21, 21-16, 21-15.
The mixed doubles in the qualifying round saw two all-Malaysian clashes – Kang Khai Xing-Carmen Ting beat Aaron Tai-Chan Wen Tse 22-20, 21-13, while Loh Ziheng-Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan defeated Ahmad Redzuan Zulwaqqarizal Ahmad-Nicole Tan 21-17, 13-21, 21-14. – October 31, 2023