KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s young pair, Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun, should hold their heads high despite falling short of ending Malaysia’s 16-year drought for the Indonesia Open men’s doubles title today.
The world number two pair, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang of China, brought the Malaysian pair back to reality after winning 21-19, 16-21, 12-21 in a thrilling final at the Istora Senayan.
“At the end, we felt like we didn’t give our best to win the game. In the second set, despite starting strong, our opponents stayed calm, found their rhythm again, and we couldn’t keep up.
“I think their mentality is very strong and we need to learn more about that,” said Kai Wun in a post-match interview with the Badminton World Federation.
Despite being runners-up, Wei Chong and Kai Wun can take pride in their performance in this tournament, considering they had never progressed beyond the first round in any Super 1000-level tournament before.
Moreover, they shocked several top-ranked pairs along the way to the final.
They started with a stunning victory over the world champions, Seo Seungjae and Kang Minhyuk, in the opening round, followed by a hard-fought win against Denmark’s 15th-ranked pair, Rasmus Kjaer and Frederik Sogaard.
While many of their teammates faltered, the pair remained focused and composed, advancing to the semi-finals after defeating Chinese Taipei pair Lu Chin Yao-Yang Po Han, and subsequently silencing the Indonesian fans at the Istora Senayan by defeating the home pair, Sabar Karyaman Gutama-Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani.
“We gained a lot of experience and confidence in this tournament, but we know tomorrow we need to train harder and prepare better for future ones,” added Wei Chong.
The last time Malaysia’s men’s doubles team conquered the Indonesia Open was with the pair of Zakry Abdul Latif-Fairuzizuan Tazari in 2008. – June 9, 2024