Malaysia's Ong Ewe Hock is one step closer to retaining his Proton-EON Malaysiamen's singles crown, after a straight games victory over Europe's lone soldier, Peter Rasmussen, at the Penang International Sports Arena last night.

The 30-year-old Penangite has so far failed to drop a game en-route to the quarter-finals, where he will join teammates Wong Choong Hann, James Chua and Lee Tsuen Seng.

Ong, who captained Malaysia's silver medal-winning Thomas Cup squad in Guangzhou last month, brushed aside the former world champion Rasmussen 15/11, 15/8 and will now have to overcome China's young gun Lin Dan - the tournament's second seed - if he's to continue his title defence.

In contrast to the Malaysian veteran (pictured here after his 2001 win), Lin has struggled in all three of his matches so far. Having risen to glory under the experimental 7-point system, the 19-year-old has been pushed to a deciding third game in all three of his matches so far, and may find Ong's experience prevails under 15-point game being used in Penang.

Top seed Xia Xuanze enjoyed a comfortable 15/5, 15/2 win over Hong Kong's Agus Hariyanto to book his place in the last eight, where he will meet home hero Lee Tsuen Seng, 23, who came through a tough bout with Singapore's Indra Wijaya 15/12, 15/9.

The hosts are assured of at least one face in the final four, as the third seeded Commonwealth champion Wong Choong Hann is up against teammate James Chua, runner-up at the Swissback in March.

Singapore's Ronald Susilo will take on Bao Chunlai to complete the quarter-finals line-up.

Jens Eriksen may have had a shock exit in the mixed doubles, but he and partner Martin Lundgaard Hansen are still going strong in the men's doubles event, where they have reached the quarter-finals without dropping a game.

The top seeded Danes are up against England's Nathan Robertson and Anthony Clark (pictured) in rematch of the European Championship final. Malaysia's second seeded pair Chew Choon Eng and Chan Chong Ming have a tricky task on their hands if they're to reach the semis - they're up against China's Liu Yong and Chen Qiqiu after breezing past Thailand's Sudket Prapakamol and Jakrapan Thanathiratham 15/6, 15/9.

England are assured of at least one place in the semis, as Julian Robertson and Peter Jeffrey face Olympic mixed doubles bronze medallist Simon Archer - keen to make a strong impact ahead of the Commonwealth Games next month - and partner James Anderson.

The host's Choong Tan Fook and stand-in partner Chang Kim Wai have also reached the last eight, and will play Denmark's Michael Sogaard and Michael Lamp in a bid to make it two Malaysian pairs in the semi-finals.

In the women's singles, top seed Camilla Martin (pictured) was stretched to three games against China's Zeng Yaqiong before finishing the job 9/11, 11/6, 11/9. Her quarter-finals opponent, SEA Games champion Sujitra Ekmongkolpaisarn, had something of an easier ride in her match against Hong Kong's Wan Ting Ling, cruising through 11/1, 11/2.

Four Chinese girls are still left in contention - Xie Xingfang was little troubled by England's Julia Mann, qualifiers Yu Jin and Wei Yan will play each other for a place in the semis, while Hu Tong takes on Hong Kong's second seed Chen Wang.

Denmark's expected success in the mixed doubles is over - things got off to a bad start with Eriksen/Schjoldager's first round loss, but second seeds Michael Sogaard and Rikke Olsen, and fourth seeds Michael Lamp and Ann-Lou Jorgensen have also missed out on the semi-finals.

Sogaard and Olsen lost at the hands of Simon Archer and Joanne Goode in a re-run of their Olympic bronze medal play-off - and it was almost as close as their match in Sydney, with the English pair turning around a deficit to win in three 8/11, 11/9, 11/5.

Archer and Goode will take on European silver medallists and compatriots Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms for a place in the final, after the young pair ended Thai hopes by beating Khunakorn Sudhisodhi and Saralee Thungthongkam 3/11, 13/12, 11/5.

Vying for the other finals place are Indonesia's Alven/Novita and Wang Wei and Zhang Yawen of China.

Top seeds Huang Nanyan and Yang Wei remain on course for the women's doubles title, and will face Japan's Kumiko Ogura and Reiko Shiota for a place in the semi-finals, while second seeds Pernille Harder and Mette Schjoldager will have a more difficult task when they take on China's Zhang Yawen and Zhao Tingting in their quarter-finals match.

Draws and results...

Men's Singles
Women's Singles
Men's Doubles
Women's Doubles
Mixed Doubles

additional photography by Raphael Sachetat