Ahead of the rest: Chen Tang Jie (right) and Toh Ee Wei are currently the frontrunners among the mixed pairs to seal an Olympic Games ticket.
PETALING JAYA: Mixed pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei justified their recent climb to the top 10 standings by reaching the second round of the Arctic Open in Finland.
World No. 9 Tang Jie-Ee Wei dumped 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games silver medal winners Marcus Ellis-Lauren Smith of England 21-14, 21-17 to get off to a flying start at the Energia Arena in Vantaa, Finland, on Tuesday.
The national No. 1 are currently the frontrunners to seal an Olympic Games ticket, leaving behind two independent pairs – Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie and Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing – on their trail and a good showing here will help them to expand the gap.
The duo, who reached the last eight in their maiden Asiad, have a tricky task next against Hong Kong’s world No. 18 Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet.
The former may be higher ranked but Chun Man-Ying Suet have more experience on their side.
Coach Nova Widianto hopes Tang Jie-Ee Wei will cut down their mistakes to stay alive in the tournament.
“They played well enough in the first round but made some easy mistakes when serving and receiving the shuttle,” said Nova.
“Their first-round opponents were not so strong but the Hong Kong pair are better, so they need to be more careful.
“Tang Jie-Ee Wei have never played against this pair before. It will be evenly contested but I see that the Hong Kong pair are becoming more consistent.”
World No.11 Soon Huat-Shevon made their Olympic Games qualification bid even more difficult when they surprisingly went down 8-21, 19-21 to Hong Kong’s world No. 24 Reginald Lee-Ng Tsz Yau
The loss was a bitter blow for Soon Huat-Shevon after they failed to make it past the second round in what was their last Asiad outing last week.
Soon Huat-Shevon are in danger of missing the boat to the 2024 Paris Olympics if they don’t improve.
The independent pair had seemed to have turned the corner after nine consecutive early round exits in individual competitions this year when they made it into the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Open in Kowloon last month but yesterday’s result showed that they were still plagued by inconsistency.
Kian Meng-Pei Jing scraped through to the second round after ousting England’s Gregory Mairs-Jenny Mairs 21-9, 21-17 and they have to step up to avoid being the second Malaysian victims in the hands of Reginald-Tsz Yau.
