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Shirley Chui

Hong Kong’s No 1 shuttler Angus Ng Ka-long continued his comeback with a battling last-16 win at the Indonesia Masters on Thursday, but now faces the toughest possible test of his credentials against world No 1 Viktor Axelsen.
Ng, who returned to the tour this week after months out following a battle with Covid-19, beat his second Chinese opponent in two outings in Jakarta. seeing off Zhao Junpeng in three games.
With “confidence gained”, Ng now heads into a daunting quarter-final clash with the Tokyo Olympic gold medallist, against whom he has lost all of their nine meetings.
“It’s been more than a year since I have faced Viktor,” he said. “I haven’t beaten him before. Hopefully, I can have a tight match with him.”
Getting off to a flying start, Ng took the first game of Thursday’s encounter 21-9 in just 12 minutes

The score was tied seven times in a back-and-forth second game, which Ng eventually lost 21-19, before rallying to defeat former world junior bronze medallist Zhao, taking the decider 21-10.
On Wednesday, the Hongkonger – who turns 28 later this month – beat Korean Open champion Weng Hongyang 21-18, 21-17 in the first round.
“I think I had good prematch mental preparation that contributed to my win [over Zhao],” said Ng. “There is no easy win against Chinese players, so I prepared well for a hard game.
“I hadn’t beaten Chinese players at their level in a long time. It not only gave me confidence, but it also proved that my training is on the right track.”
Ng tested positive for Covid-19 twice at events in March, once after his second-round exit at the All England Open and again after travelling to Basel for another tournament but being forced to withdraw because of a failed test.

He tested positive again on April 2 at Hong Kong International Airport and was quarantined in a hotel for seven days, forcing him to withdraw from the Asian Championships in Manila at the end of that month.
“After two matches, I am relieved to discover that my fitness condition is exactly the same as before, unaffected by Covid-19,” Ng said.
In the mixed doubles, Hong Kong pair Tang Chun-man and Tse Ying-suet battled back from one game down to beat Hoo Pang Ron and Toh Ee Wei of Malaysia 20-22, 21-5, 21-15.
They now face a quarter-final clash against European Championships silver medallists Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue, who took out Thai top seeds Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai in the first round.

Semi-finalists at the Tokyo Olympics last summer, Tang and Tse took a break from their partnership earlier this year, with the Indonesia Masters serving as their second tournament back together, following the Asian Championships in April.
“The fact that the next round’s opponents beat the first-seeded pair shows that they are in good shape,” said Hong Kong coach Tim He Yiming. “Even though our pair has more experience, we still need to prepare well for a hard fight tomorrow.”
In the men’s singles, Lee Cheuk-yiu lost his second-round clash with world No 4 Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan in three games, 11-21, 21-18, 16-21.


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Badminton World Federation (BWF)

Indonesia Masters: Angus Ng Ka-long sets up a daunting quarter-final date with world No 1 Viktor Axelsen

Angus Ng has enjoyed a good start in Jakarta. Photo: Reuters

Victor Axelsen of Denmark eased into the Indonesia Masters quarter-finals with a straight-games win over Taiwan’s Wang Tzu Wei. Photo: AP

Tang Chun-man and Tse Ying-suet have made a good start in Indonesia. Photo: EPA-EFE

Lee Cheuk Yiu lost in three sets to Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan. Photo: EPA-EFE

Indonesia Masters: Hong Kong’s Tang Chun-man and Tse Ying-suet back to winning ways in Jakarta

Tang Chun-man and Tse Ying-suet of Hong Kong at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Photo: Reuters

Lee Cheuk-yiu at the 2022 Asia Championships. Photo: Badminton Asia

Angus Ng hits a shot during the men’s singles group stage match at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Photo: AFP

Angus Ng Ka-long hopes to crack badminton top 10 again after shaking off ‘long Covid’ scare

Fans take pictures of Angus Ng at New Town Plaza. Photo:  Shirley Chui

Angus Ng (right) at the HKSI’s 30th Anniversary Roving Exhibition at New Town Plaza with fellow Hong Kong athletes. Photo: Shirley Chui

Angus Ng is looking forward to playing five tournaments in Southeast Asia. Photo: Shirley Chui

Hong Kong shuttler Lee Cheuk-yiu joins a growing number of city’s top athletes to take their training overseas

Lee Cheuk-yiu in action at the BWF World Championships in Spain. Photo: AP

Lee Cheuk-yiu hopes to improve on his body for the intensive competition schedule. Photo: EPA-EFE

Lee Cheuk-yiu speaking to the media via Zoom. Lee spent a total of three months in quarantine in 2021. 

Dubai calling: gold medal factory’s new recruit revealed on Instagram, and it’s a Hongkonger

Dubai is the destination for badminton stars invited to train with world No 1 Viktor Axelsen. Photo: AFP

Lee Cheuk-yiu hopes to benefit as much as the last few visitors to the camp in Dubai. Photo: Badminton Asia

Indonesia Masters: Hong Kong shuttler Lee Cheuk turns to world No 1 Viktor Axelsen to reverse disappointing start to 2022

Lee Cheuk-yiu is now in Jakarta getting ready for the Indonesian Masters. Photo: EPA-EFE

Hong Kong’s Angus Ng Ka Long returns to competition in the opening round of the Indonesian Masters. Photo: AFP

Sport

Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s top badminton star battles past China’s Zhao Junpeng in three games as comeback continues in Jakarta
‘Hopefully, I can have a tight match with him,’ Ng says of Olympic champ Axelsen, who has beaten him in all nine of their outings


Hong Kong’s top badminton star faces daunting quarter-final against Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen, after battling past China’s Zhao Junpeng in Jakarta.


Chou Tien chen

Tse Ying-suet

Tang Chun-man