The national number one, ranked 34 in the world, carved out a hard-earned 9-11, 11-5, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7 win over the Frenchman to progress past the second round in the tournament for the first time.
Malaysia’s representatives in the women’s competition, Rachel Arnold and Low Wee Wern, however, failed to make it past their opening round matches. Both players battled hard against their opponents, only to suffer heartbreaking defeats.
Wee Wern was beaten 4-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-8, 9-11 defeat to England’s Julianne Courtice while Rachel also stretched Egyptian Nada Abbas to five games before bowing out 12-10, 8-11, 11-7, 4-11, 4-11 in her opening match.
Eain Yow got off to the better start as he raced into an 8-2 lead, but Castagnet was soon able to peg the young Malaysian back with the experienced Frenchman making the most of a lapse in concentration to close out the first game.
Bristol-based Eain Yow came back strongly in the second and third, however, to get back to the game plan that served him well in the opening minutes as he took a 2-1 lead before Castagnet once again rallied back in the fourth to push the match to a deciding fifth.
It continued to be tight between the two players with both trading points before Eain Yow was able to sneak ahead and eventually close out a 9-11, 11-5, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7 win in 71 minutes under the chandeliers in the Vanderbilt Hall.
Eain Yow will face Egypt’s world number three Tarek Momen in the last 16. Eain Yow last met the Egyptian in the opening round of the world championships in 2017. The Malaysian would be hoping for a better showing this time, having lost to Momen in straight games in that match.
“I started off really well and then sort of let the pace off a little bit,” said 21-year-old Eain Yow on his match against Castagnet.
“I let him back into the game, but there will still positives for me in that game. Even though I lost it, I didn’t want to be too harsh on myself, I knew I was doing the right things to get to 8-2 so I just tried to focus on that. Luckily I had Ivan (Yuen) and Wee Wern on my side who kept me calm and kept my game plan going. I’m happy it worked out in the end.
“I thought it was a really fair match. If you hit a loose shot then you get punished, I’m just trying to do everything I can to get the ball and it’s not easy when you have two adult guys in a small court but I thought it was a really good game and a fair and clean match.
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