Kuala lumpur: National mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei have urged Malaysian fans to remain patient and continue backing their fellow shuttlers following their victory over teammates Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin in the second round of the Malaysia Open at Axiata Arena here today. Tang Jie-Ee Wei advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating Pang Ron-Su Yin 21-13, 23-21 in a 41-minute battle.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Tang Jie expressed the difficulty in commenting extensively on their opponents, as both pairs train together and are well aware of each other's strengths and challenges. "We can't really comment much because they are our teammates. They have their own strengths and advantages. I just hope Malaysians can give them more support. As athletes, it's not easy. There are times when performance goes up and down. We train every day, so we know when they are struggling or when they are confident," he added.
When asked whether fans should show more patience, Ee Wei agreed, noting that victory is never guaranteed despite the hard work put in by every player. "Yes, because we can't win all the time. Everyone trains hard to become champions. We always give our best, but the outcome is something we can't fully control," she said.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei are set to face Hong Kong's Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet next, with the Malaysian pair holding a positive head-to-head record, having won two of their three previous meetings.
Meanwhile, a contrasting fate befell national professional mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie, who were knocked out after losing 9-21, 17-21 to United States duo Presley Smith-Jennie Gai. Soon Huat mentioned that his partner had yet to fully recover from food poisoning, which affected their performance on court. "You could see from our performance just now that our condition was not 100 per cent. Furthermore, my partner committed many simple mistakes today," he said.
He added that they will now focus on recovery before competing in the India Open from Jan 13 to 18, followed by the Indonesia Masters from Jan 20 to 25.