Chan Peng Soon (back) and Goh Liu Ying in action against Koreans Kim Ki-jung-Jung Kyung-eun during the World Championships in Guangzhou.
KUALA LUMPUR: Mixed doubles specialists Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying’s world ranking has dropped three notches to No. 6 in the world due to a lack of outstanding results in recent times.
But Liu Ying is bent on stopping the slide by giving a strong performances at the Japan Open from Sept 17-22 in Tokyo, where Liu Ying and Peng Soon are the defending champions.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) are only sending Liu Ying-Peng Soon and men’s singles defending champion and world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei for the Japan Open, which is the eighth leg of the Super Series.
The national body have withdrawn the others from the tournament as BAM president Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff wants the coaches to justify their players’ inclusion.
BAM are also not sending any players to the seventh leg of the Super Series – the China Masters – from Sept 10-15.
Liu Ying admitted that it would be a huge challenge for them to defend the title.
“Last year, not many top players featured in the Japan Open. It was just after the Olympic Games (in London) and some – especially those from China – decided to skip it. Fortunately, we lived up to our top billing,” said Liu Ying.
“This time the field will be more competitive. We want the top players to turn up as it will be the perfect platform for us to prove ourselves and regain some valuable world ranking points.”
Liu Ying-Peng Soon are seeded fourth this time behind world No. 1 Xu Chen-Ma Jin of China, Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei of China and Denmark’s Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen.
In the absence of reigning world champions Ahmad Tantowi-Lilyana Natsir, Indonesia will be banking on fifth seeds Mohd Rijal-Debby Susanto, seventh seeds Markis Kido-Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth and eighth seeds Riky Widianto-Puspita Richi Dili for honours.
Liu Ying, who crashed out in the second round with Peng Soon at the World Championships in Guangzhou last month due to an injury to her hand, still have a chance to qualify for the BWF’s World Super Series Finals in Kuala Lumpur from Dec 11-15.
After six legs of the Tour, they are in sixth position. They have to stay within the top eight when the 12-leg Tour ends in November to earn a berth.
“We are unsure of many things right now. The Super Series Finals clash with the SEA Games. Peng Soon and I have also been entered for the Games in Myanmar. We’ll let BAM decide,” said Liu Ying.
“Peng Soon and I are certain of going for the Japan Open ... that much we know. We will focus on this and try to regain our form and hope for better results.”
Their best result so far this year was making the final of the Malaysian Open in Bukit Jalil in January.
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