Denmark Open: Top Pairs Tumble
Four pairs expected to contend for the VICTOR Denmark Open 2023 title could not survive the second round at Jyske Bank Arena on Thursday.
· PREM KUMAR
Chief among the upsets was the takedown of men’s doubles world champions Kang Min Hyuk/Seo Seung Jae in straight games by 2022 All England winners Muhammad Shohibul Fikri/Bagas Maulana. The Indonesians won 21-17 24-22 in 46 minutes.
“We defended extremely well and it frustrated them. They lost their focus due to the building frustration. We hope these types of wins get us back into the momentum that helped us win All England,” said Fikri.
The victory sets them up for a quarterfinal clash against Chinese Taipei’s Lee Jhe-Huei/Yang Po-Hsuan, who ousted Olympic gold-winning teammates, the seventh-seeded Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin 21-13 21-15.