Highlights Malaysia Superseries Premier scores and results: Lin Dan, Lee Chong Wei secure semi-finals spot

Tomorrow’s fixtures: SEMI-FINALS

UPDATE: Wong Wing Ki Vincent advances to the semi-finals of the men’s singles after Chen Long decided to pull out of the tie.

See you tomorrow! 😉 

Semifinal at #MalaysiaSSP 💪🏼🇲🇾 thanks for supporting me👏🏻 keep going my lovely fans😊😘
Vamos a por las semis🏸💃🏻 #PuedoPorquePiensoQuePuedo pic.twitter.com/kpV3IIbrxK

— Carolina Marín (@CarolinaMarin) April 7, 2017

Lin Dan secures semis spot: 21-15, 14-21, 21-9

Lin Dan converts and wins the game at 21-9 and the match in three games.

Christie, talented but had Lin Dan on the other side of the net. The Chinese wins 21-15, 14-21, 21-9 and marches into the semi-final.

It’s 17-8 and Lin Dan is running away with the third game. It’s now an hour into the match as the Chinese converts another point for a 18-8 lead.

UNTOUCHABLE!

How good is Lin Dan with those jump smashes? Opens the face of the racquet and perfectly connects it. He leads 16-8

That’s out of the world. Turn around over head smash which Christie never saw coming. It’s 13-6.

Lin Dan’s shot selection in the final stages of the game is doing the trick for him. He looks hungry as ever!

After that passive 2nd game, Lin Dan is opening up his game here, showing more aggression.

It’s 12-4 to Lin Dan. But Christie pulls a point back to 5-12.

A 29-shot rally and Lin Dan leads 10-4. Six points clear. But, what an amazing rally that was! 

That was a lethal smash by Lin Dan to make it 9-3 in the third and final game.

Christie gets a point but Lin Dan gets it back at 7-1.

At 8-1, Christie needs to stem the tide.

Five points ahead already, Lin Dan is showing why is one of the best in the world.

Beautiful net play by Lin Dan as he leads 6-0.

Amazing reflexes by Lin Dan to seal the fourth point of the second game! Christie finding it difficult to match up with Lin’s pace here

Are we likely to see an upset in this quarter-final? With Lin Dan’s experience in pulling out from impossible situations, one can’t put it past the Chinese. But the Indonesian youngster has a great chance here. Lin Dan leads 3-0.

Jonatan Christie wins second game: 21-14

And the game goes to Christie at 21-14. It’s one game all. It’s already 44 minutes into the match.
 

That’s a powerful hit by Christie as he is a point shy of winning the second game. What a performance!

And now it’s 19-12 to Christie. Amazing turnaround for the Indonesian shuttler.

It’s 18-12 to Christie and it seems an error-prone Lin Dan might have to play the third game.

Great jump smash by the 19-year-old Indonesian to make it 17-12 in the second game. Lin Dan is slowly losing his focus here

Which becomes five points at 15-10. Are we seeing Christie take it to the 3rd game?

And it’s a four point lead for the Indonesian 14-10.

Too many errors from Lin Dan. Maybe, it’s the drift but pushes and shots are going past the baseline. But Christie leads 13-10.

Christie leads 11-8 at the interval of the second game. The 19-year-old has shown great physicality to maintain a three-point lead against a player like Lin Dan

An error from Lin Dan makes it 8-7 to Christie in the second game. Lin is playing smartly but the Indonesian’s defence is blocking all the forecourt drives

It’s 6-6 and Lin is still now playing at even his 60 percent capacity. Christie needs to seize the opportunity and push the Chinese wide of the court and create opportunities for himself. It’s 7-6 to Christie.

Equalising at 5-5, Christie gives it away as Lin leads 6-5.

It’s 4-4 and Christie sees an opening here to go a little ahead. 

Lin Dan has now taken the lead 4-2 after starting slowly in the second game. All he needs to worry about his positioning because Christie can be dangerous with his foot movements.

Christie has never won a GP Gold event and it is quite amazing that he was in the semi-final here in Malaysia last year. Christie leads 2-1.

Christie needs to hold him in the 2nd game and not just go for the forehands. Lin Dan leads 1-0.

The second game is underway and Lin Dan needs to focus on his net plays to avoid an upset.

Lin Dan comes from behind to take first game: 21-15

Lin Dan leads by a game. Christie had played him close. But the ‘Master’ showed his class in the second part of the game using the drop, net play and opening up the midcourt.
 

Lin Dan successfully forces Christie to lob the shuttle which allows the Chinese ace to go for the kill. He leads 19-14 now

It’s 17-15 to Lin Dan and now the push for points will happen. It’s 18-14 to Lin Dan.

16-13! Lin Dan raises his level and claims another point with a jump smash. He is very good with rallies as he drains the opponent. Christie is perfectly lifting the cross court shots and drops but is finding difficult to defend Lin’s backhand shots.

Now you see the deception coming into Lin Dan’s game as he leads 14-13 and then picks up another point for 15-13.

Lin Dan gets back to 13-13 with a net winner which was essentially a block.

Back to 13-13 with a net winner which was essentially a block.

Christie wins two consecutive points and leads by 13-12. He is not afraid of the ‘Super Dan’

And that’s a great cross court smash after a lovely rally. Lin leads 12-11.

Both the players want the shuttle changed but the umpire refuses.

Christie picked up Lin Dan’s jump smash brilliantly but smashed one wide! He still leads 11-10 in the first game

The flurry of strokes not yet evident from the Chinese who is playing below his pace. Not yet thinking that he is being pushed. But Christie has the lead at 11-8.

Last eight points have gone to the Indonesian Jonatan Christie. It will be interesting to see if he continues!

And that’s the first intent of the match. Christie jumps high and his smash beats Lin. The Indonesian has the lead at 9-7.

 Lin Dan with too many errors at the net and pushing way over the baseline. 

Another healthy rally but this time Lin Dan goes wide! It’s 7-7 in the first game.

Both have started slow, and slowly the pace will come back. At the moment Lin Dan and Christie are trying to figure out the length. It’s 6-4 to the Chinese.

Both have started slow, and slowly the pace will come back. At the moment Lin Dan and Christie are trying to figure out the length. It’s 6-4 to the Chinese.

A good 30-shot rally to begin with as Lin Dan leads 3-2. Both the shuttlers are settling in here and trying to figure each other’s weaknesses.

Nice touch from the Indonesian as he wins a net point. And then with a drop makes it 2-2.

Lin takes the point and starts off with the lead. Lovely set up followed by a smash. It’s 2-0 already.

What a way to begin the tie! Lin Dan starts off with a superb smash; leads 1-0!

Lin Dan at the moment has a world ranking of 6 compared to Christie’s 22.

Looking at the semi-finals tomorrow, Lin would want to finish off the opposition quickly and get some much needed rest. Malaysian fans want to Lin to win and then see a Lee Chong Wei Vs Lin Dan match-up. 

In the other men’s quarter-final, Malaysian super superstar Chong Wei entered the semi-finals with an easy win over Korea’s J Jeon 21-11, 21-14.

Lin Dan or World Badminton’s ‘Super Dan’ is ready to take on Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie. It should be a straightforward match for the Chinese Super Star. Yet looking at Lin Dan’s fading powers, it’s a great opportunity for the Indonesian youngster to pull off a stunning upset.

Carolina Marin, Sung Ji Hyun, Wong Wing Ki Vincent and Son Wan Ho book their place in the Semis of #MalaysiaSSP. The baddies on a roll! pic.twitter.com/n3EV3Wz3rJ

— Premier Badminton League (@PBLIndiaLive) April 7, 2017

Lee Chong Wei advances to men’s singles semis: 21-11, 21-14

A very comprehensive victory for the 11-time Malaysia Open winner Lee Chong as he beats Korean Jeon Jin in straight-games to book his place in the semi-finals of the men’s singles. Next up, will be Lin Dan vs Jonatan Christie

And the World no. 1 is just two points away from booking his place in the semis of the Malaysia Open!

Lee leads 11-7 at the break of the second game. Jeon is struggling to handle Lee’s pacey shots straight dow the baseline.

A bit of a hesitation for Lee Chong Wei but still he maintains a two-point gap in the second game. 7-5 to the World no. 1!

Lee Chong Wei wins first game: 21-11

Top-seeded Malaysian ace is looking to finish this tie as early as possible and get ready for the semi-final clash tomorrow. He seems quite comfortable with his shots and footwork. 

Lee leads 16-8 at looks set to clinch the first game against the Korean shuttler.

Lee Chong Wei leads 11-6 mid-way through the first game. He looks in perfect shape, his shots near and off the court have been satisfactory so far.

Lee Chong Wei vs Jeon Jin

Top seed Lee Chong is just three rounds away from claiming his 12th Malaysia Open title. But before that, he faces an unseeded Korean Jeon in the quarter-final. Will he win this tie to give home fans something to cheer about?

Lin Dan vs Jonatan Christie

These two shuttlers have a 1-1 head-to-head record against each other. Lin Dan will look to smash his way into the semis whereas Christie will be the undergod in this particular tie.

DOUBLE-TROUBLE! Indonesian duo – Marcus Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya

Marcus/Kevin usai pertandingan menguras adrenalin tadi. 😁 #MalaysiaSSP pic.twitter.com/13z8l4QC8H

— BADMINTON INDONESIA (@INABadminton) April 7, 2017

Marin hasn’t won a title since the Olympic games in 2016 and a win here would take a huge load off her shoulders! 

Yet another semifinal for @caro_marin2. A hard-fought victory against Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon. #MalaysiaSSP

— Premier Badminton League (@PBLIndiaLive) April 7, 2017

For the first time against Intanon, Marin has won a three-game match after losing four times in the past. Carolina Marin is in the Malaysian Open Super Series semi-final.

Carolina Marin cements semis berth: 21-8, 18-21, 21-12

The Spanish ace thoroughly enjoyed taking on defending champ and former World no. 1 Tai Tzu Ying. She attacked the Thai’s mid-court, tramlines and gave her a headache with unexpected drop shots. Intanon, however, tried to bounce back but Marin’s length of her shots proved too much. 

The former champion has beaten the defending champion Intanon. From 4-7 down Marin fought back to wrest the lead and the match.

At 18-9, Marin should close the 3rd game and clinch the match from here. Intanon needs magic! 

13 of the last 15 points have been won by the second-seeded Carolina Marin. She leads 17-9 in the final game

Suddenly it’s all changing for Intanon. Marin leads 15-9.

Four point lead for Marin at 12-8. Suddenly it’s all changing over. Intanon still has a chance if she can get a few points on the roll but Marin is getting stronger now and leads 13-8.

Marin leads 11-8 at the break of the final game against Intanon. #MalaysiaSSP

— Premier Badminton League (@PBLIndiaLive) April 7, 2017

Marin leads 11-8 at the break of the final game against Intanon. #MalaysiaSSP

— Premier Badminton League (@PBLIndiaLive) April 7, 2017

Marin leads 11-8 at the interval of the deciding game. The Spaniard has been successful in making the Thai play more defensive shots as Marin is very good when it comes to net plays. Also, Marin always tries to dominate the final game psychologically

For the first time in the 3rd game, Marin takes the lead at 9-8.

Neck-and-neck in the third and final game as Marin is pushing Intanon towards the basepoint, making her play defensive drives. 8-8 now!

Marin serves at 5-7. And then drops one over the net for 6-7. Just a point lead for Intanon.

Lovely play from the Thai. She gets a court empty to drop in a shot and lead 7-4.

Another error from Marin as her plan to play a cross court drop ends in a wide shot. Intanon leads 7-4

Perfect play from Intanon with a cross court smash. This will be a cracker of a 3rd game. Intanon leads 5-4 after Marin wins a point.

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Intanon leads 3-1 and it will be good to let everybody know that Intanon has never lost a three-game match to Marin.

Intanon draws level to take the second game 21-18 against Marin. Decider awaits! #MalaysiaSSP

— Premier Badminton League (@PBLIndiaLive) April 7, 2017

Ratchanok Intanon wins the second game: 21-18

The Thai ace decided to take the driver’s seat after failing to unsettle Marin in the first game. Intanon was decisive and her shot selection made the difference! 

An error by Marin near the net leaves Intanon just one point away from coming back into the match!

Bad shot from Intanon and from 18-11 it’s down to 18-19.

It’s 17-19 now with a huge smash from Marin. Can Intanon hold off the Spanish?

Interesting stuff here! Only two points now divide both the players – 17-19.

It’s Marin’s turn to send the shuttle over the baseline as Intanon leads 19-13. 

Marin is just two points away from cementing her place in the semis of the Malaysia Open. Absolutely leaving no chance for Intanon to take something out of this game

The high toss serve and Marin sends the shuttle out for the Thai to lead 18-11.

And immediately it’s 17-11. Intanon needs this game to be alive in the match.

Lovely net dribble after Intanon sends Marin in the wrong direction. It’s 17-11.

Marin is proving to be way to quick for seventh seed Intanon at the moment. She needs to change her approach as too many errors are being gifted to the Spaniard. She leads 16-11

Not the way Intanon wanted to play that crosscourt smash. That error makes it 15-10 to Marin

A bad judgment costs Intanon a point as Marin gets closer with 9-12.

Intanon moving the shuttle well and taking a 12-7 lead. The pace in the 2nd game is down.

At the mid point, Intanon, the defending champion has a five point advantage over Marin. The Thai is a game down in the match.

Defending champion Ratchanok Intanon leads 11-6 at the break of the second game. She should keep up her spirit and try to deceive Marin to cause a few problems. That will boost Intanon’s confidence!

That’s very well done. Sending Marin all across the net and then a flat smash to win the point and lead 10-6 for Intanon.

There she is, controlling and covering the court quite comfortably in comparison to the first game. Intanon leads 9-6

Intanon needs to keep the belief, mix up her shots and hit a few through the middle. It’s working slightly as she leads 8-6.

Mistake in judgement by Intanon and the scores are equal at 6-6.

But will she dominate the second game in the same way? 

Carolina Marin shows her dominance against Intanon. Cruises through the first game 21-8. Top class stuff! #MalaysiaSSP

— Premier Badminton League (@PBLIndiaLive) April 7, 2017

That’s the most amazing shot by Intanon. Angled shot that glides over the net and beats Marin’s lunge. It’s 6-3 to the Thai.

Intanon has finally decided to attack from the forecourt and as a result she leads 5-3 in the second game!

It’s 3-3 at the moment. Intanon serving. She is taking her time. Trying to slow down the game. And she leads for the first time in the 2nd game at 4-3.

Intanon needs to control the speed at which Marin is playing. Keep up a rally and win a few points. It’s seems so easy for Marin at the moment.

Four times these two players have played a 3-game match and amazingly, all the four times Intanon has won. So there is light at the end of the tunnel. But in the form that Marin is, it will be tough if not impossible for the Thai.

Carolina Marin dominates the first game: 21-8

From the very first serve, Marin has been dominating the near net and that has created a lot of problems for Intanon. The Thai ace should make some changes in her strategy to make some damage going into the second game

Now that was an unplayable crosscourt shot! Marin leads 19-8 in the first game and looks set to claim it

Now that was an unplayable crosscourt shot! Marin leads 19-8 in the first game and looks set to claim it

Intanon’s push goes over the line and Marin marches on at 18-8.

Can the Thai fight back in this game? or is it too easy for Marin? At 17-7, that’s ten points ahead.

Intanon smashes one to unsettle Marin but she has a lot of work to do here! Trails by 16-7 in the first game

Intanon’s disguised trademark angled shot gives her a breather but Marin doesn’t let go easily and leads 16-6.

At 14-5, the game is fast going out of Intanon’s grip. Not that it was at all in the Thai player’s control at all.

At 14-5, the game is fast going out of Intanon’s grip. Not that it was at all in the Thai player’s control at all.

Beautiful drop at the net. Fell like a piece of cloud descending. Marin stretching Intanon all over the court – baseline to mid court and the net. It’s 13-5 to the Spanish champion.

Marin is targeting Intanon’s right as she looks uncomfortable to pick up drop shots. The Spaniard leads 13-4

At the interval, it’s 11-4 to Marin and she is on a roll. Intanon will have to turn the game around completely if she has to catch up with the Spanish Olympic champion.

Back at the India Open, last week, Intanon had complained of an ankle injury. But she seems strong at the moment. Except that back hand which Marin is going to exploit in this quarter-final. Marin surges ahead 11-4. Fans are also screaming in Marin’s fashion.

Marin is beginning to dominate Intanon by playing some superb backhand drives as she leads 11-4 at the break of the first game!

It’s 7-4 to Marin as she exploits Intanon’s weaker back hand. 

It’s 7-4 to Marin as she exploits Intanon’s weaker back hand. 

Goodness!! Some rally that as Marin picks up the point after a 34 stroke rally.

Carolina ‘scream’ Marin is back. And leading 5-4 at the moment. This is the game to watch! 

Carolina Marin vs Ratchanok Intanon
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Thailand’s Intanon has the edge with a 5-1 lead in the overall head-to-head meetings against Marin. Will that give her the extra confidence today?

Marcus Gideon, Kevin Sanjaya seal semis spot: 7-21, 21-17, 21-17

Just days after winning the India Open, Marcus Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya script an epic comeback to defeat Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen in three games. The Indonesian pair showed great courage and covered the court with ease from the second game to unsettle the opposition

16-16! Sensational stuff by both the pairs as the crowd roars after every point. It’s fast and entertaining at the same time!

Marcus Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya are showing their physical prowess now but still trail by 13-16 in the third and final game.

UPDATE: Carolina Marin will be in action soon against seventh seed Ratchanok Intanon in the quarterfinals clash! Don’t miss out on this

Marcus Gideon, Kevin Sanjaya claim second game: 21-17

After failing to cause any problem in the first game, the Indonesian pair smashed their way into the match with a barrage of crosscourt shots and coordination on the court. Will they win the third game to make a complete turnaround?

Elsewhere in the women’s singles, Nozomi Okuhara wins the first game against compatriot and fourth seed Akane Yamaguchi 21-18.

Misaki Matsumoto and Ayaka Takahashi cruise into semis: 18-21, 21-14, 21-17

In the other semi-final of the women’s doubles, top seed Misaki Matsumoto and Ayaka Takahashi enter the semis after superb fight back in the second game against eighth seed Huang Dongping and Li Yinhui 

It’s 11-11 in the second game! Both pairs are playing an attacking game, holding their nerves near the base position to further deliver smashes on either of the tramlines. The Indonesian pair of Marcus Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya are tipped to be the ’next big thing’ due to their fascinating combination of drives and smashes in recent events. This adds a bit of a pressure

Mens’ doubles: Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen win first game: 21-7

The Chinese pair of Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen take the first game with ease against Indonesian duo and India Open champions Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya. Marcus and Kevin have massive pressure on their shoulders as the Chinese duo are fast and won’t stop delivering body smashes from the forecourt

Chang Ye Na, Lee So Hee enter semis: 12-21, 21-15, 21-14
  
The Korean duo had to make a stunning comeback in order to unsettle the Danish pair of Kamilla Rytter Juhl and Christinna Pedersen in three games to seal their place in Malaysia Open semi-finals

Tai Tzu Ying enters semis; 21-17, 20-22, 24-22

Although Tai Tzu won, the highlight of this match has to be 19-year-old Chen Yufei’s dedication to claw back despite trailing by a huge margin. However, she gave too many points in the second game where she could’ve wrapped up the game early. Coming to the third and deciding game, Tai Tzu was leading by eight points and was on her way to win the tie but she was made to work harder as Yufei fought back to make it 20-20 in no time. Eventually, it was the World no. 1 who had the last laugh! 

20-20! Tai Tzu squandered her eight-point lead in the third game. This match has to be by far the best of the tournament this season!

Extraordinary badminton by the 19-year-old Chen Yufei! From being 17-10 down, she turns the game to level the scores on 17-17 against Tai Tzu. Both the shuttlers have now shown great fight back!

Tai Tzu is just running away with the lead! 17-10 to the Chinese Taipei shuttler

Tai Tzu Ying bounces back to take an 11-6 lead in the final game. Yufei, on the other hand, has turned defensive and is struggling to lob Tai’s drop shots near the right tramline.

Sung Ji Hyun is just a class apart! Dominating victory takes her into the SEMIS of #MalaysiaSSP.

— Premier Badminton League (@PBLIndiaLive) April 7, 2017

Sung Ji Hyun enters semi-finals; beats Sun Yu: 21-11, 21-15

Third seed Sung Ji maintained her rhythm throughout the match, covering the court quite easily which was one of the reasons she defeated Sun Yu in straight games. Off to the semi-finals of the women’s singles

Chen Yufei edges second game: 22-20

What a contest this is! Chen Yufei gets the better of Tai Tzu but squandered her lead from being 11-4 ahead to 21-20. Seems like she lost her focus midway through the second game. Nevertheless, brilliant fight back by the All England winner

Game point for Yufei but as mentioned earlier, Tai Tzu isn’t going to let her win that easily! 20-19 now

18-15! Tai Tzu trails but she is slowly trying to unsettle Yufei by covering the baseline and there is still a chance for a late comeback by the Chinese Taipei ace.

Chen Yufei is not losing her focus against the World no. 1 as she maintains her lead in the second game. She leads 17-11

Sung Ji Hyun leads with the narrowest of margins in the second game. It’s 11-10 to the Korean

Chen Yufei leads 11-4 at the break of the second game. The unseeded Chinese shuttler has clearly taken over the second game and looks in great touch.

Sung Ji Hyun in cruise-control mode. Takes the first game 21-11 against Sun Yu. What a start! #MalaysiaSSP

— Premier Badminton League (@PBLIndiaLive) April 7, 2017

Tai Tzu Ying wins first game: 21-17

Top seed and All England winner Tai Tzu has been an epitome of consistency and yet again she shows great control to take the first game against the unseeded Chen Yufei

Sung Ji Hyun takes the first game: 21-11

Dominant performance from the Korean as she thwarts Sun Yu in the first game. Sung Ji’s recent performances have shown how she is so good near the forecourt.

Elsewhere, Top seed Tai Tzu Ying will be taking on the shuttler who is high on confidence after defeating India Open winner PV Sindhu and Jin Wei Goh en route the quarterfinals.

Both Sung Ji Hyun and Sun Yu have won twice against each other in a BWF tournament overall. Also, there isn’t much to separate the two shuttlers as they are seeded third and fifth at the Malaysia Open

Next up will be Sung Ji Hyun vs Sun Yu and Tai Tzu Ying vs Chen Yufei

Son Wan Ho thumps Jayaram to enter the semis of #MalaysiaSSP. Tough luck, Ajay!

— Premier Badminton League (@PBLIndiaLive) April 7, 2017

Ajay Jayaram loses 18-21, 14-21 to Son Wan Ho to end his #MalaysiaSSP campaign. His win over Axelsen was the highlight of the tournament.

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) April 7, 2017

Son Wan Ho beats Ajay Jayaram: 21-18, 21-14 

And the match goes to Son 21-18, 21-14. Ajay has lost in the quarterfinals of the Malaysian Open. This is Ajay’s 4th consecutive loss to Son Wan Ho. Jayaram, the last Indian hope in the Malaysian Open has crashed out in straight games.

It’s match point for Son at 20-14. Too late, Ajay! 

19-13 to the Korean as Jayaram is trying everything he can to get back into the game!

It’s 18-12. The Korean is on the verge of clinching the game.

It’s 17-11. Six points lead will be too much for Ajay to overcome.

17-9! Son is just running away with the lead in the second game. Expected this to be an attack vs attack tie but Jayaram has been defensive since the start.

Service over to Ajay at 9-14. This could be the Indian’s last ditch effort to bring home some points.

It’s 11-8 to the Korean at the half way mark. Son also looks confident after his tremendous 21-15, 21-15 over Tommy Sugiarto.

Son takes the lead 11-8 at the break of the second game. Yet again, Jayaram finds it difficult to defend backhand drives coming from the other side of the court. Notably, he has also had a problem while dealing with rallies. He needs to cover the baseline now or else watch Son dominate the game again.

There is only a two point lead for the Korean at 10-8. If Ajay can hang in there till the 15 point stage, there is a chance of a late assault on the points.

Son ahead by 8-6. Maybe the trick lies in cutting the pace for Ajay. If it has to happen, this is the game for Ajay to win.

7-4! Looks like the fifth seed Son wants to finish the match as early as possible. He has been brilliant with his crosscourt and drop shots. Huge task for Jayaram here

It’s 4-2 to Ajay. This will be a toughie for the Indian shuttler as Son won’t let the opportunity go by.

What a start!  It’s 3-1. Ajay needs to play fast against Son. The quicker he scores, Son will be under pressure.

Jayaram’s only chance to unsettle Son Wan is to attack with forehand drive near the net or try to deceive the Korean with smashes. Crucial game underway!

Both have played only a single 3-game match which was at the Yonex Australian Open in 2012. Hopefully, Ajay can convert the points in the 2nd game and take the match to a deciding 3rd game.

Son Wan Ho claims first game: 21-18

And the first game goes to Son at 21-18. It was a tremendous fight back for Ajay who was off the course almost 6-7 points back. But he pulled level.

Son Wan Ho clinches the first game 21-18. Well fought, Ajay! #MalaysiaSSP

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) April 7, 2017

But Ajay is not giving up. It’s 18-20 and Ajay serves. He needs a couple of points at this stage to unsettle Son. 

This will be close as Son gets a two point lead. The Korean is ahead 19-17. Will he win this?

Ajay is back in the game at 17-17. Tremendous effort from the Indian. Game on now…

INTERESTING! Ajay Jayaram claws back to make it 16-17. One more point will put Son under pressure!

Ajay is back and riding his luck to cut the margin to 15-17. Just two points off Son. 

The Korean ace surges ahead 17-13, a 4 point lead that could now be crucial in picking up the first game.

This could be close as the scores are now 15-13 for Son. But Ajay is snapping at his heels.

That’s four points off the Korean as Ajay comes back into the match at 12-14. Hopefully, Ajay can maintain the streak.

Jayaram is trying his best to get back into the game as Son Wan is being stretched near the tramline. The Indian trails 10-14 in the first game

At 14-8, Son holds the aces and for Ajay the game plan is simple to reel in a few points and try to play the Korean on the baseline, apparently his weak link.

Ajay trying his best cuts the score to 7-12. He needs to stem the tide before Son has crossed the 15 point mark where it will get difficult for Ajay to keep up.

Son Wan Ho leads 11-6 at the break of the first game against Ajay Jayaram in the men’s quarterfinals. Jayaram needs to show more attacking play and should be focused to dominate the Korean near the forecourt.

It’s 8-4 now for the Korean. Son, on the circuit, is known for his aggression plus his ability to kill the pace and make the opponent play a completely different game. Ajay needs to handle that aspect of the Korean.

But Son, the 5th ranked player in the world is off to an early lead. The Korean at the moment leads 6-4.

This will be an uphill task for Ajay or AJ as most players know him as. But that’s what we thought when AJ played Axelsen. So maybe, if Ajay keeps up the momentum, we might see another upset.

Ajay Jayaram vs Son Wan Ho

These two shuttlers have faced three times in a BWF tournament before where the Korean won all the three clashes against Jayaram. But, after showing good performances in recent games, the tie looks anyone’s at the moment.

Matches to watch out for: 

Ajay Jayaram vs Son Wan Ho

Ratchanok Intanon vs Carolina Marin

Lin Dan vs Jonatan Christie

Tai Tzu Ying vs Chen Yufei 

Lee Chong Wei vs Jeon Hyeok Jin

Sung Ji Hyun vs Sun Yu

Chen Long vs Wong Wing Ji Vincent

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Malaysia Superseries Premier. Stay tuned throughout the day for regular scores and updates.