Jakarta
Top Malaysian shuttler Lee Chong Wei inched closer to his seventh Indonesia Open men’s singles crown after booking his spot in the semi-finals in Jakarta.
Chong Wei brushed aside Thai youngster Kantaphon Wangcharoen in a 43-minute quarter-final contest at the Istora Senayan Stadium yesterday.
Clearly a crowd favourite, the world No. 4 ranked Chong Wei caught up from 13-16 down in the second game to remain on course for back-to-back title following his Malaysian Open triumph in Bukit Jalil last Sunday.
Chong Wei will take on Japan’s Kento Momota for the second time in as many weeks.
The Japanese challenger beat Indonesian hope Tommy Sugiarto 21-11, 21-15 in an earlier last eight clash.
Chong Wei ended Momota’s 21-match winning streak by lifting his 12th Malaysian Open crown a week ago and will be looking to score another timely psychological boost ahead of the World Badminton Championships in Nanjing, China next month.
Chong Wei holds a 2-1 record against Momota, who is now ranked eighth in the world.
Chong Wei has tipped Momota and Denmark’s reigning world champion Viktor Axelsen to rule the world of badminton in the near future.
