KUALA LUMPUR – Mental strength is set to be a decisive factor for Malaysia’s women’s doubles shuttlers who have all been handed tough first-round draws at the upcoming Malaysia Open.
Rio Olympics silver-medallist Goh Liu Ying said being on top form was important to prevail in the highly competitive environment at a Super 1000 event like the Malaysia Open, which will be held at the Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil from January 9 to 14.
She added that it was normal for any shuttlers to confront top-eight opponents in the first or second round when they were not seeded.
“Of course having the right tactics also makes the game effective,” Liu Ying, who partnered Goh Soon Huat to win silver at Rio 2016, told Scoop when contacted.
For context, Malaysia’s top women’s pair, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, face a tough challenge against the eighth-seeded Chinese duo Liu Shengshu-Tan Ning.
Despite holding a 2-0 record against their opponents, the 12th-ranked Malaysians faced injuries and a dip in form at the back end of last season, while Shengshu and Ning recently finished third at the BWF World Tour Finals.
Another Malaysian pair, world number 37s Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien, were drawn against 16th-ranked Li Wenmei and Liu Xuanxuan from China, while Anna Cheong and Teoh Mei Xing were handed the toughest draw, going up against tournament number-two seeds Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee from South Korea.
Former national player and two-time Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Wong Pei Tty believes playing in front of a home crowd would provide a boost to the local players.
“I think they can handle the situation well here, (coaching director) Rexy Mainaky and the team will prepare the players physically and mentally.
“I know our pairs always get excited when they have support behind them. There is nothing you can do about the draw, you just have to accept the challenge and fight for victory.
“Our pairs need to focus on their strength and have a flexible strategy on the court as they might need to switch things up depending on the situation,” she said when contacted by Scoop.
She added the country’s pairings need to enjoy their matches as stressing over their opponents may hurt their chances of winning. – January 1, 2024