Room for improvement: Aaron Chia (left) and Soh Wooi Yik in action against China’s Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang in the quarter-finals of the Indonesian Masters. — AP
PETALING JAYA: Rexy Mainaky wants the men’s doubles shuttlers to go the extra mile in the Indonesian Open.
At the just concluded Indonesian Masters, none of them went beyond the quarter-finals.
Despite the outcome, the men’s doubles coaching director was reasonably satisfied with world No. 6 Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani’s (No. 12) performances but hopes to see more from them in the Open which starts today at the same venue, the Istora Senayan Stadium.
“Our pairs performed well enough. But to compete to be the best, they need to put in more effort. I hope they can go far this week,” said Rexy.
In the Masters, Aaron-Wooi Yik and Sze Fei-Izzuddin were eliminated in the last eight by eventual finalists Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang from China and Indonesia’s world No. 1 Marcus Fernaldi-Kevin Sanjaya respectively.
Rexy attributed Aaron-Wooi Yik’s loss to the latter’s condition after he was affected by food poisoning adding that Wooi Yik is feeling much better now.
Meanwhile, independent pair Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi (No.10) had a tournament to forget as they did not even make it past the first round after going down to China’s Liu Yuchen-Ou Xuanyi.
They will be looking to make amends and should get past their opening hurdle against Denmark’s unheralded Jeppe Bay-Lasse Molhede.
But they face a tough task in the second round as they are likely to go up against Japan’s reigning world champions Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi.
Hoki-Kobayashi will be fresh and raring to go after skipping the Indonesian Masters.
Meanwhile, there will be no respite for Sze Fei-Izzuddin as they have a mammoth task right from the start against newly crowned Indonesian Masters champions and home pair Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto (No. 7).
Tokyo Olympic bronze medallists Aaron-Wooi Yik will play compatriots Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun in the first round.
A win will most likely see them take on the up-and-coming Christo Popov-Toma Junior Popov (No. 28) of France.
If Aaron-Wooi Yik make the quarter-finals, they could be pitted against either Taiwan’s Olympic gold medallists Lee Yang-Wang Chi-lin or Indonesia’s Asian champions Pramudya Kusumawardana-Yeremia Rambitan.
