TheStar Jan7th

BASEL: Malaysia are assured of a place in the men's singles final of the Swiss Open badminton championships after Lee Chong Wei and Wong Choong Hann stormed into the semi-finals.

Yesterday, world number three Chong Wei knocked out Dane Niels Christensen Kaldau 15-3, 15-11 before Choong Hann set up an all-Malaysian semi-final clash by taming South Korean Lee Hyun-il 15- 12, 15-7 in less than 40 minutes.

There was also joy in the men's doubles when Chan Chong Ming-Koo Kien Keat booked a place in the semi-finals without raising their racquets after their opponents, Danish pair Thomas Laybourn-Lars Paaske, conceded a walkover due to Laybourn's injury.

Malaysia’s other remaining pair, Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Lin Woon Fui, is playing later last night. On Thursday, Kuan Beng Hong reached the quarter-finals despite suffering from fever.

The 22-year-old Beng Hong was stretched to the limit by unheralded Frenchmen Erwin Kehlhoffner 15-11, 17-14 in the third round.

Beng Hong's heroics earned his a quarter- final meeting against Peter Gade- Christensen of Denmark.

Kaldau and Hyun-il had ended the challenges of two other Malaysian players in the third round. The Dane defeated Sairul Amar Ayob 15-8, 15-7 while the top Korean tamed Yeoh Kay Bin 15-1, 15-5.