Danger from the get-go: Lane-Vendy (insert) hold the upper hand against Yew Sin and Ee Yi heading into their first round encounter in Birmingham.
KUALA LUMPUR: Men’s doubles shuttler Ong Yew Sin is wary of the threat posed by home pair Ben Lane-Sean Vendy as they gear up for their first round clash at the All-England starting on Tuesday.
Lane-Vendy hold the upper hand against Yew Sin and his partner Teo Ee Yi heading into their encounter.
The English duo are ranked 13th in the world, while Ee Yi and Yew Sin are currently at No. 30. Past results also favour Lane-Vendy, who have won two of their three previous meetings.
Their last encounter saw Yew Sin-Ee Yi bow out in the opening round of the Denmark Open last October.
To make matters more challenging, Lane-Vendy will be receiving support from 2007 All England champion Koo Kien Keat.
Despite this, Yew Sin believes they still have a fighting chance, having made full use of a month-long break at home to undergo intensive preparations under Teo Kok Siang.
“For me, the men’s doubles is very challenging, so no matter who our opponents are, we must be fully prepared,” said Yew Sin.
“We will be facing the English pair on their home ground, so the most important thing is to prepare ourselves mentally.
“We have played against them before, with both wins and losses. I also know they will have support from Koo.
“Apart from confidence, we are also aware that we are getting older. Because of that, we need to play more wisely,” added Yew Sin.
Ee Yi-Yew Sin are eager to deliver a strong performance after disappointing first round exits at the India Open and Indonesia Masters.
Even at last year’s All-England, Ee Yi-Yew Sin endured another early exit after falling to China’s Ou Xuan Yi-Liu Yuchen.
To better prepare themselves, they opted to skip the ongoing German Open and Orleans Masters, with Yew Sin also focusing on treatment for his foot injury.
“At that time, I was undergoing treatment and seeing a doctor. I only resumed full training two weeks ago because I needed time to regain my confidence on the court.
“I had suffered an injury earlier, but I hope to be fully fit before we leave,” he added.
