KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei, who recently made their Olympic debut, have acknowledged their growth both on and off the court since the Paris Games.
Now, they are focused on better managing their physical conditions.
The world number nine mixed doubles pair comfortably advanced to the second round of the China Open today, defeating India’s K. Sathish Kumar and Aadya Variyath 21-14, 21-11.
The Korea Open champions will next face Indonesia’s Dejan Ferdinansyah and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja for a place in the quarter-finals.
Speaking to the Badminton World Federation (BWF), Tang Jie commented: “The drift here (Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium) is very strong. We’re still adjusting to it.
“In many Asian venues, the climate requires us to use the air-conditioning, which causes strong drifts. We just need to adapt.”
Ee Wei also highlighted the valuable experience they gained at the Olympics, which helped them mature as players.
“The Olympics is the ultimate stage for any athlete, and we definitely learned a lot there.
“We’re more mature now and eager to keep improving,” added Ee Wei, who, along with Tang Jie, reached the quarter-finals in Paris after topping their group.
Tang Jie stressed the importance of managing their physical conditions better, given the demands of the World Tour schedule.
“Since the Olympics, we haven’t had much rest. It’s essential to know how to manage our bodies, especially with back-to-back tournaments.
“Since the Games, we’ve reached the quarter-finals (Japan Open), the final (Korea Open), and the semi-finals (Hong Kong Open). We need to take care of ourselves,” said Tang Jie.
Also advancing to the second round today were Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin, as well as the independent duo Tan Kian Meng and Lai Pei Jing.
Pang Ron and Su Yin caused an upset by defeating Chinese Taipei’s Yang Po-hsuan and Hu Ling-fang 21-17, 21-16, while Kian Meng and Pei Jing overcame India’s B. Sumeeth Reddy and Sikki Reddy 21-10, 21-16.
Pang Ron and Su Yin will now face fellow Malaysians Yap Roy King and Valeree Siow, who received a first-round bye, while Kian Meng and Pei Jing will take on Denmark’s Jesper Toft and Amalie Magelund tomorrow.
In the men’s doubles, independents Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi pulled off a surprise by defeating sixth seeds Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan of Chinese Taipei 13-21, 21-16, 21-15.
They will next face the winners of the match between Indonesia’s Sabar Karyaman Gautama and Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani, and another Chinese Taipei pair Lee Fang-chih and Lee Fang-jen.
However, it was the end of the road for national duo Choong Hon Jian and Haikal Nazri, who lost 21-10, 21-18 to reigning world champions Kang Min-hyuk and Seo Seung-jae of South Korea. – September 18, 2024