KUALA LUMPUR - Liew Daren opened Malaysia's accounts in the men's singles in the Malaysia Open 2023 at the Axiata Arena today with a hard-fought victory over France's Toma Junior Popov, but might be forced to pull out of a mouthwatering second round encounter with defending champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark due to a nagging calf injury.
The world number 31 took 59 minutes to overcome the unknown Frenchman 21-15, 14-21, 21-17, but announced after the match that he was considering pulling out of the tournament, admitting that the calf injury had been threatening his progress since a month ago.
The 2018 World Championships bronze medallist said he would work on recovery and make a final decision on whether he would be fit enough to face reigning World and Olympic champion Axelsen in the second round in front of an expectant home crowd on Thursday.
"It has been a month since I have been in full training due to my right calf being injured while doing some running exercises. There is a possibility I might pull out, but we haven't made that decision yet. We will have a look at how the recovery goes. It might be more painful tomorrow," said Daren, 36.
"If even walking hurts tomorrow and on Thursday, then there is no use continuing because my movement is severely hampered. Even during the match earlier, I was hurting. I was using one leg to jump," he told journalists.
The draw schedule's a second round meeting between Daren and world number 1 Axelsen or his compatriot Rasmus Gemke (world number 21), who face-off in the first round later today.
Daren also did not discount the fact that this could be his final appearance at the Malaysia Open, before announcing his retirement from the sport.
Results - Men - Singles: Kenta Nishimoto (JPN) bt Srikanth Kidambi (IND) 21-19, 21-14; LIEW DAREN (MAS) Bt Toma Junior Popov (FRA) 21-15, 14-21, 21-17;
Women - Singles: Gregoria Mariska Tunjung (INA) bt He Bing Jiao 21-11, 21-17; Tai Tzu Ying (TPE) bt Clara Azurmendi (ESP) 21-10, 21-10; Busanan Ongbamrungphan (THA) bt Kirsty Gilmour (SCO) 21-17, 21-8; Wen Chi Hsu (TPE) bt Aakarshi Kashyap (IND) 21-10, 21-8; Han Yue (CHN) bt Saina Nehwal (IND) 21-12, 17-21, 21-12.
Doubles: Chen Qing Chen-Jia Yi Fan (CHN) bt Debora Jille-Cheryl Seinen (NED) 21-11, 21-14; Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma- Amalia Cahaya Pratiwi (INA) bt Margot Lambert-Anne Tran (FRA) 21-16, 21-15.
Mixed Doubles: Wang Yi Lyu-Huang Dong Ping (CHN) bt Mark Lamsfuss-Isabel Lohau 21-17, 23-21; Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet (HKG) bt Adam Hall-Julie Macpherson (SCO) 21-18, 19-21, 21-19; Zheng Si Wei-Huang Ya Qiong (CHN) bt Yang Po Hsuan-Hu Ling Fang (TPE) 21-8, 21-14; Mathias Christiansen-Alexandra Boje (DEN) bt Kim Won Ho-Jeong Na Eun (KOR) 22-20, 21-19; Dejan Ferdinansyah-Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja (INA) bt Robin Tabeling-Selena Piek (NED) 21-16, 21-14.
-- BERNAMA