Australian Open: Taiwan's Liu/Chen Upset Seniors to Advance to Top 16

(CNA, by reporter Li Chien-chung, Taipei, 9th) In the men's doubles event of the BWF Super 500 Australian Badminton Open today, the new Taiwanese pair Liu Kuang-heng and Chen Cheng-kuan defeated their 'elder brothers' Wang Chi-lin and Chiu Hsiang-chieh in straight sets, 21-19, 21-17, to successfully advance to the top 16.

Liu Kuang-heng and Chen Cheng-kuan only officially paired up since the Thailand Open in May this year, thus they are ranked only 174th by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). Today was their first time facing Wang Chi-lin and Chiu Hsiang-chieh, ranked 13th in the world.

After the first game started, the two sides exchanged blows, but Liu Kuang-heng and Chen Cheng-kuan gradually gained an advantage after a 4-4 tie. They once led Wang and Chiu 16-11 in the latter part of the game. Although the gap narrowed to just one point at the end, Liu and Chen still managed to take the first game with their superior play in the first three shots.

Having built momentum, Liu Kuang-heng and Chen Cheng-kuan continued their fierce attack in the second game. They performed exceptionally well in the flat drives, hardly ever lifting the shuttlecock high to give their opponents an opportunity to attack, and successfully established a 12-6 lead midway through the game.

Although Wang Chi-lin and Chiu Hsiang-chieh once closed the gap to 11-12, a one-point difference, they subsequently made too many unforced errors, allowing Liu Kuang-heng and Chen Cheng-kuan to pull off a 5-2 run, securing a crucial 17-13 lead and winning the match in straight sets as hoped.

Liu Kuang-heng told a CNA reporter, 'Because we are from the same club, the match was played in a more 'peaceful' manner. The key to winning today was being more focused and a bit more aggressive in the preparation for the first five shots, trying to take the offensive initiative in the early rallies to not give the opponents too many chances to attack.'

This is the fifth tournament for Liu Kuang-heng and Chen Cheng-kuan as a pair. He mentioned, 'At the beginning, it was a bit like I was playing singles. Although the price was losing, we later found the experience and methods to win from it, so it's an area where we are making progress.'

Liu Kuang-heng said with a laugh, 'Cheng-kuan and I are the same age, so talking and communicating is very smooth. On the court, I tend to talk more, and Cheng-kuan is able to listen.'

This Australian Open is the fifth tournament for Liu Kuang-heng and Chen Cheng-kuan's partnership. In the previous four, they were eliminated in the first round twice and stopped at the round of 16 twice. Their next opponents in the round of 16 will be the Malaysian pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150609