Rocky start for Mei Kuan-Meng Yean

TOKYO: National women's doubles pair Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean got their Tokyo Olympics campaign off to a rocky start after losing their opening Group A match against Greysia Polii-Apriyani Rahayu of Indonesia today.

The Indonesian pair defeated Mei Kuan-Meng Yean 21-14, 21-17 in 45 minutes at the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza here.

Both pairs fought neck-and-neck at the start of the first game before Greysia-Apriyani took a slim 11-10 lead at the interval.

Mei Kuan-Meng Yean failed to replicate that form as they quickly lost the momentum after the match resumed and the Indonesian pair took the first game 21-14.

In the second game, Mei Kuan-Meng Yean again showed great fighting spirit initially and even managed to tie the score at 13-13 before the Indonesians stormed away for a commanding 20-15 lead before wrapping up the second game for a 21-17 win.

The two pairs have met five times, with Greysia-Apriyani coming out tops three times.

Hot favourites and top seeds Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota of Japan will take on Great Britain's Chloe Birch-Lauren Smith in another Group A match later this Saturday evening.

Today's loss means Mei Kuan-Meng Yean have no choice but to go for a win against Yuki-Sayaka tomorrow (Sunday) while Greysia-Apriyani will face Chloe-Lauren next.

Meanwhile, two more Malaysian pairs will be in action later on Saturday, with men's doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik taking on South Koreans Choi Solgyu-Seo Seungjae in Group D while Rio 2016 silver medallists Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying will open their mixed doubles Group D campaign against Hong Kong's Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet.

-- BERNAMA