KUALA LUMPUR – Independent mixed doubles shuttler, Lai Pei Jing, overcame personal challenges to advance to the quarter-finals of the Indonesia Open for the first time in three years.
Pei Jing and her partner Tan Kian Meng fought hard against the Danish pair, Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Bøje, securing a comeback victory with scores of 15-21, 23-21, 21-14 in a 60-minute match.
Their last quarter-final appearance at the Indonesia Open was in 2021, where their journey ended in the semi-finals against Thailand’s top pair, Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai.
Despite not being their best performance, the victory was especially meaningful for Pei Jing, who recently faced a personal crisis after falling victim to a scam that almost wiped out her savings.
“It’s very meaningful and a very special feeling for me. This win isn’t just about my badminton career but also my personal journey.
“I’m happy I managed to fight through it and deal with my personal problem today.
“It was very difficult. It took me a few days to deal with it, and finally, today I did it. Hopefully, tomorrow I can keep the momentum going and perform my best,” Pei Jing told the Badminton World Federation (BWF) in a post-match interview today.
National women’s doubles pair, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, also advanced to the quarter-finals by defeating Indonesian favourites Apriyani Rahayu and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti.
Despite the deafening support from the Indonesian crowd at the Istora Senayan, Pearly and Thinaah maintained their composure, exhibiting remarkable agility and finesse to clinch a hard-fought victory of 21-18, 21-19.
Their journey now intensifies as they brace themselves ahead of facing the world’s number one women’s doubles duo, Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan from China.
While Malaysia’s top men’s doubles pair, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, faced a setback, the success of other representatives lifted the nation’s spirits.
Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin Rumsani dominated their Indonesian opponents, Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin, with a scoreline of 16-21, 21-16, 21-12.
They will face the tournament’s second seeds, Liang Weikang and Wang Chang, in the next round.
Additionally, Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun continued their impressive run by defeating the Danish pair, Rasmus Kjaer and Frederik Sogaard, with a hard-fought victory of 21-18, 19-21, 21-12.
They will now have the chance to avenge Aaron and Wooi Yik’s defeat by facing the Chinese Taipei duo, Yang Po Han and Lu Ching Yau, tomorrow. – June 6, 2024