PETALING JAYA: Mixed doubles shuttler Lai Pei Jing may be 32 but she is still staying hungry in her badminton career.
Pei Jing has enjoyed a promising start with new partner Jimmy Wong, 22, after ending her partnership with the 30-year-old Tan Kian Meng last month.
Yesterday, Jimmy-Pei jing did well to come from behind to defeat South Korea’s Kim Gi-jung-Eom Hye-won 18-21, 21-10, 21-13 in Phuket to reach the Thailand International Series final.
It was the independent pair’s second consecutive final after they finished runners-up to Hong Kong’s Tang Chun Man-Ng Tsz Yau in the Vietnam International Challenge in Hanoi last week.
This time, Jimmy-Pei Jing have an opportunity to go one better when they take on China’s Guo Jiaxuan-Wu Mengying for the title today.
The Chinese pair only combined in January and are not household names yet but will still be no pushovers after pulling off a stunning victory over world No. 14 national duo Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin in the German Open second round last month.
Jiaxuan-Mengying also caught the eye when they made it to the last four in the World Tour Super 300 Thailand Masters before going down to home favourites and eventual champions Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran.
Jimmy-Pei Jing will need to be on top of their game to deny the Chinese duo.
Pei Jing’s last title came in the 2022 Korean Open with Kian Meng while Jimmy, who previously played in the men’s doubles, has never been crowned champion before.
Jimmy-Pei Jing were the only Malaysian representatives to progress beyond the quarter-finals in the competition.
