Hong Kong mixed doubles pair Tang Chun-man and Tse Ying-suet advanced to the quarterfinals of the Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships with a straight games victory on Thursday at Hung Hom Coliseum.
The local favorites defeated Denmark's Mads Vestergaard and Christine Busch 2-0 (21-16, 21-19) in their round of 16 match. The first game saw both pairs trading points early before Tang and Tse established a 17-12 lead and closed it out 21-16. The second game remained equally competitive, with the Hong Kong duo maintaining a narrow 11-10 advantage before securing the match 21-19.
After their victory, the pair acknowledged the home crowd's support by throwing gifts to spectators. Tse commented: "My form was much better today than yesterday. Although not yet at my best, the pent-up emotions have been released and my performance improved." She acknowledged ongoing adjustments with their new coaching team: "The coaches have brought many new concepts, but our skills and abilities haven't fully met the requirements yet. We're somewhat lost in our playing style."
Tang expressed gratitude to the home fans: "More supporters are coming to cheer us on each day. We'll try our best and hope to play through to Sunday's final." The pair will face world number 33 Indonesian duo Adnan Maulana and Indah Cahya Sari Jamil in the quarterfinals.
