MEN'S doubles Zakry Latif-Hoon Thien How got off to a decent start in the All England but compatriots Fairuzizuan Tazari-Ong Soon Hock suffered an early exit at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham yesterday.

Zakry-Thien How, who played in the qualifying rounds on Tuesday, defeated seventh seeds Fang Chieh Min-Lee Sheng Mu of Taiwan 21-14, 21-19 in 27 minutes yesterday.

They will meet either compatriots Mak Hee Chun-Tan Wee Kiong or Japan's Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa, who were involved in a late first round tie last night, in the second round.

Fairuz-Soon Hock found the going tough against Indonesia No 2 Muhammad Ahsan-Bona Septano and suffered a 21-10, 19-21, 21-14 defeat in the first round.

Top national pair Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong played a late first round match against Russians Vitalij Durkin-Alexandr Nikolaenko.

Back-up pair Chan Peng Soon-Lim Khim Wah faced a tough encounter with Olympic champions Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia while Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen met India's Rupesh Kumar-Sanave Thomas.

Defending champion Lee Chong Wei was involved in a late opening match against Brice Leverdez of France while his nemesis Lin Dan of China played veteran Wong Choong Hann.

In other matches, Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand got the better of Simon Santoso of Indonesia with a 21-19, 21-15 win while Bao Chunlai of China easily outplayed an injured Sony Dwi Kuncoro of Indonesia 21-10, 21-6 to reach the second round.

Women's singles Wong Mew Choo suffered her fifth consecutive defeat to Wang Xin of China who secured a 21-16, 21-16 win in 34 minutes.

Mixed doubles Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying also crashed out in the opening round after they lost 21-12, 7-21, 21-19 to Ahmad Tantowi-Liliyana Natsir of Indonesia.

RESULTS, FIRST ROUND -- Men's Singles: Bao Chunlai (Chn) bt Sony Dwi Kuncoro (Ina) 21-10, 21-6; Boonsak Ponsana (Tha) bt Simon Santoso (Ina) 21-19, 21-15; Lee Hyun Il (Kor) bt Joachim Persson (Den) 21-13, 21-13.

Doubles: Zakry Latif-Hoon Thien How bt Fang Chieh Min-Lee Sheng Mu (Tai) 21-14, 21-19; Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen (Den) bt Hong Wei-Shen Yi (Chn) 18-21, 21-9, 21-12; Muhammad Ahsan-Bona Septano (Ina) bt Fairuzizuan Tazari-Ong Soon Hock 21-10, 19-21, 21-14; Mads Condrads Petersen-Jonas Rasmussen (Den) bt Marcus Ellis-Peter Mills (Eng) 21-6, 21-10; Jung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae (Kor) bt Chris Adcock-Andrew Ellis (Eng) 24-22, 13-21, 21-13.

Women's Singles: Wang Xin (Chn) bt Wong Mew Choo 21-16, 21-16.

Mixed Doubles: Ahmad Tantowi-Liliyana Natsir (Ina) bt Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying 21-12, 7-21, 21-19.

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MALAYSIA edged closer to the semi-finals of the mixed team WSF World Cup in Chennai, India after a 3-0 win over South Africa in a Group A clash yesterday.

Having disposed of Sri Lanka 3-0 the previous day, the team, led by Nicol David, must beat France in a winner-take-all tie today to secure second spot in the group behind Egypt.

Favourites Egypt became the first team to clinch a semi-final berth and were joined in the last four by Australia and England from Group B.

Asyraf Azan led the way, despite nearly squandering a two-game lead against Stephen Coppinger, winning 13-11, 14-12, 8-11, 2-11, 12-10 in 77 minutes to put Malaysia 1-0 up.

World No 1 Nicol then sealed the win with a comfortable 11-9, 11-4, 11-3 victory over Tenille Swartz in the women singles.

Kamran Khan edged Clinton Leeuw 11-9, 10-12, 12-10, 7-11, 11-9 in 55 minutes to complete the win.

"Close matches with South Africa but managed to win 3-0. France tomorrow (today) on the glass court at the Express Avenue mall," said Nicol on her Twitter account.

On Tuesday night, Malaysia trounced Sri Lanka 3-0 for the team's first win in Chennai.

Asyraf, the highest ranked man in the Malaysian side in the absence of top trio Azlan Iskandar, Ong Beng Hee and Nafiizwan Adnan, was taken to the distance by unheralded Sri Lankan Navin Samarasinghe before coming through 9-11, 11-5, 11-2, 9-11, 11-7 in 44 minutes.

Low Wee Wern then stepped in to confirm Malaysia's victory by winning the women's singles against Nadindhi Udangawa 11-3, 11-3, 11-2 before Choong Kam Hing wrapped up the proceedings by beating Dilshan Gu nawardena 11-2, 11-4, 11-5.

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