PETALING JAYA: Former shuttler Goh Liu Ying believes that China’s top two mixed doubles pairs will still present a tough challenge despite switching partners for the prestigious All-England from March 11-16 in Birmingham.
Despite boasting world No. 1 Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping and world No. 2 Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin in their ranks, China have still decided to reshuffle the partnerships in the Super 1000 competition.
Yanzhe will combine with Yaxin while 2020 Tokyo Olympics champion Dongping will team up with Zhenbang.
Liu Ying, who won silver with Chan Peng Soon in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, feels that it will still be no easy task for the national pairs against the two Chinese combinations.
Malaysia’s top three pairs - world No. 3 Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, world No. 4 Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie and Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin (No. 15) - could go up against Yanzhe-Yaxin or Zhenbang-Dongping depending on the draw.
“It’s always not an easy task to face Chinese pairs even though they have split the established partnerships,” said Liu Ying.
“I don’t think this is a big issue for China as they decided to split up the top pairs. You could say both these pairs are at the same level and maybe China are looking for the best combinations.”
Yanzhe-Dongping finished runners-up to Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran in the Malaysian Open last month while Zhenbang-Yaxin captured the Indian Open title.
The Chinese coaches, though, do not seem satisfied with their pairs’ showing so far this year.
Both pairs have big shoes to fill after the retirement of legendary compatriots Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong at the end of last year.
Siwei-Yaqiong used to dominate the mixed doubles and won all the big titles on offer in badminton including the 2024 Paris Olympics, World Championships in 2018, 2019, 2022 and Asian Games in 2018 and 2022.
The duo also claimed the All-England crown thrice in 2019, 2023 and 2024.
Yanzhe-Donping and Zhenbang-Yaxin have never won the title in Birmingham before with Dongping coming the closest when she finished runners-up in the 2022 edition with former partner Wang Yilyu.
Meanwhile, no Malaysian mixed pair have ever triumphed in the All-England.
In recent times, Liu Ying and Peng Soon were the country’s best performers in the event when they came second best in 2017 after going down to China’s Yaqiong and Lu Kai in the final.
Men’s singles ace Lee Zii Jia was the last Malaysian to win the title when he stunned Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen in the final in 2021.
The draw for the tournament this time will be released on March 4.
