24-05-2025
Duncan denied in Aussie final but duo advance in Auckland
KUALA LUMPUR: Duncan Lee's hopes of winning his sixth title went up in smoke after losing to top seed Muhammad Ashab Irfan of Pakistan in the men's final at the South Australian Open today (May 24).
Duncan, ranked No. 142 in the world, went down 11-8, 12-10, 11-9 in 43 minutes to Ashab (No. 62) in Adelaide.
Reaching the final was nevertheless a positive achievement for the eighth seed. The Sabahan, 22, had earlier beaten Andes Ling of Hong Kong 11-9, 11-9, 11-3 in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile at the Auckland Open, world No. 576 Low Wa Sern upset world No. 276 Jooyoung Na of South Korea 11-7, 11-9, 11-7 to reach the final. Jooyoung was a silver medallist at last year's World Junior Championships.
Wa Sern, 18, will face compatriot Harith Danial (No. 473) for the title tomorrow.
Harith, seeded 12th, came from a game down to upset New Zealand's Benjamin Ratcliffe (No. 196) 8-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-8 in 47th minutes to book his spot in the decider.
National coach Ajaz Azmat said he was impressed by the Malaysian duo's performances
"It is a big boost for Wa Sern to upset Jooyoung in preparation ahead of the World Junior Championships in Cairo, Egypt (July 21-26)," said the Pakistani coach.
