The stage is set for the main draw of the Badminton Asian Championships 2022 after the qualification group stages of both the men’s and women’s singles events were concluded, Tuesday afternoon at Muntinlupa Sports Complex in Muntinlupa City.
Weng Hong Yang of China comfortably won his two qualifying matches in Group B to enter the tournament proper. He earlier took down Maldives’ Hussein Zayan Shaheed, 21-11, 21-9, before sweeping the group with a win over Myanmar’s Phone Pyae Naing of Myanmar, 21-13, 21-8. Naing won over Shaheed in the other match, 21-13, 21-8.
Joining him in the main draw is compatriot Lei Lan Xi, who swept Group D after winning past Jewel Angelo Albo of the Philippines, 21-17, 21-15, and Hong Kong’s Yin Chak Chan, 21-16, 13-21, 21-11. Chan outplayed Albo in the other contest, 21-8, 21-10.
The last man to qualify was Kazakhstan’s Dmitriy Panarin, who survived an early challenge by Filipino veteran Ros Pedrosa, but eventually wrapped up the contest, 21-14, 21-8. The 22-year-old Kazakh earlier defeated Adnan Ebrahim, 21-12, 21-14. Pedrosa clinched the Philippines’ first win of the tournament over Ebrahim, 21-19, 21-8.
On the women’s side, Indonesians Stephanie Widjaja and Komang Ayu Cahya Dewi topped their respective groups to book their places in the main bracket.
Widjaja swept Group B with wins over hometown bet Jaja Andres, 21-10, 21-8, and Maldives’ Fatimath Nabaaha Abdul Razzaq, 21-4, 21-8. Dewi, on the other hand, paced Group D with victories over Mohd Kjairul Miyisha, 21-18, 21-9, and Mikaela De Guzman of the Philippines, 25-23, 21-8.
Tan Zhing Yi of Malaysia also entered the knockouts with her win over Jordan’s Domou Amro, 21-8, 21-15, while Lee Seo-jin of South Korea took her two wins over Siti Nurshuhaini of Malaysia, 21-13, 21-17, and Hong Kong’s Saloni Samirbhai Mehta, 21-17, 21-17.
As of publishing, the main draw matches of the men’s doubles and mixed doubles events are taking place.
