Muhammad Ikhwan Ramli and Cheah Liek Hou have stormed into the finals of the Spanish Para Badminton International in Cartegana.
Ikhwan continued his giant-killing ways in the men’s singles WH1 Classification, when he romped past second seed and world number three Lee Samseop of Korea in the semi-finals.
Ikhwan, who had beaten world number six David Toupe of France in the quarter-finals, took just 35 minutes to carve out an impressive 21-15, 21-17 win over Samseop.
The 25-year-old Malaysian, who had won the Dubai Para Badminton International last month defeating Toupe in the final, has been drawn to play top seeded Lee Dongseop in what would his second major final appearance.
Ikwan, ranked at number 12 in the world, has met the Korean world number two only once before this, at the group stages of the Peru Para Badminton International last year. He lost the Group tie 5-21, 19-21 and would be hoping to up the ante when they meet in the final tomorrow.
Dongseop, who won the title in Peru, upended world number five Thomas Wandschneider of German 21-16, 21-16 in his semi-final tie.
The top seeded Liek Hou was also in imposing mode as he dispatched world number six Meril Loquette of France 21-8, 21-8 in the men’s singles semi-final of the SU5 Classification. The Dubai Para Badminton International champion took just 21 minutes to tame Loquette.
The 33-year-old Malaysian ace, looking bag his second title of the year, will be up against Japan’s Taiyo Imai in the final tomorrow.
Imai upset second seed Bartlomiej Mroz of Poland, ranked one rung above him at world number four, 23-21, 21-10 in his semi-final match-up.
If past records can be used to gauge the outcome, Liek Hou will be the odds on favourite to lift the title tomorrow. Imai has been unable to steal even a game from Liek Hou in their four previous meetings including at the quarter-finals of the Brazil Para Badminton International last year.
SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
MEN’S SINGLES SU5: Cheah Liek Hou (Mas) bt Meril Loquette (Fra) 21-8, 21-8; Taiyo Imai (Jpn) bt Bartlomiej Mroz (Pol) 23-21, 21-10
MEN’S SINGLES SH6: Jack Shepard (Eng) bt Charles Noakes (Fra) 21-12, 21-14; Krysten Coombs (Eng) bt Isaak Dalglish (Eng) 21-12, 21-18
MEN’S SINGLES WH1: Lee Deongseop (Kor) bt Thomas Wandschneider (Ger) 21-16, 21-16; Muhammad Ikhwan Ramli (Mas) bt Lee Samseop (Kor) 21-15, 21-17
MIXED DOUBLES SL3-SU5: Lucas Mazur-Faustine Noel (Fra) bt Pavel Kulikov-Lenaig Morin (Rus-Fra) 21-13, 21-14; Daisuke Fujihara-Akiko Sugino (Jpn) bt Jan Niklas Pott-Katrin Seibert (Ger) 21-19, 21-12
MIXED DOUBLES WH 1 – WH 2: Kim Kyunghoon-Kang Jungkum (Kor) bt Marc Elmer-Cynthia Mathez (Sui) 21-17, 21-13; Yuri Ferrigno-Pilar Jauregui Cancino (Ita-Per) 21-17, 23-21, 21-14;
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