Malaysia On Course For Asian Championships Double In Taiwan

There will be Malaysian interest in all four semi-finals in the 13th Asian Championships in Chinese Taipei after Mohd Azlan Iskandar and Sharon Wee, together with title-holders Ong Beng Hee and Nicol David, successfully negotiated today's quarter-finals at the Taipei Arena in Taiwan.

Iskandar, seeded to win the prestigious regional title for the first time, beat Pakistan's eighth seed Majid Khan 9-3, 9-1, 9-7, while domestic rival Ong Beng Hee - whom he beat in last week's KL Open final in Malaysia - also overcame a Pakistani, surprise opponent Farhan Mehboob. Second seed Beng Hee beat the 9/16 seed 4-9, 9-0, 9-6, 10-8.

Both Malaysians will again face Pakistanis in the semi-finals, Iskandar the third seed Mansoor Zaman, and Beng Hee his cousin Shahid Zaman, the No4 seed.

Favourite Nicol David is in line to win her fifth successive women's title since 1998. The 22-year-old world champion from Penang beat Japan's unseeded Mami Nishio 9-2, 9-4, 9-2, and will now face Hong Kong's Christina Mak for a place in the final. The sixth seed upset Malaysia's Tricia Chuah, the fourth seed, 9-5, 9-1, 7-9, 9-2.

Third seed Sharon Wee will lead Malaysian interest in the other women's semi-final after beating compatriot Delia Arnold 9-2, 9-0, 9-7. Wee takes on Hong Kong's Rebecca Chiu, the second seed who defeated India's Joshna Chinappa 9-5, 9-1, 9-0.

Men's quarter-finals:
[1] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt [8] Majid Khan (PAK) 9-3, 9-1, 9-7
[4] Mansoor Zaman (PAK) bt [5] Ritwik Bhattacharya (IND) 9-1, 9-2, 9-3
[3] Shahid Zaman (PAK) bt [6] Saurav Ghosal (IND) 10-8, 5-9, 9-7, 9-2
[2] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt [9/16] Farhan Mehboob (PAK) 4-9, 9-0, 9-6, 10-8

Women's quarter-finals:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt Mami Nishio (JPN) 9-2, 9-4, 9-2
[6] Christina Mak (HKG) bt [4] Tricia Chuah (MAS) 9-5, 9-1, 7-9, 9-2
[3] Sharon Wee (MAS) bt [5] Delia Arnold (MAS) 9-2, 9-0, 9-7
[2] Rebecca Chiu (HKG) bt [8] Joshna Chinappa (IND) 9-5, 9-1, 9-0