PETALING JAYA: Mixed doubles shuttler Chen Tang Jie is looking to make the most of his brief partnership with Chan Wen Tse when they compete in the Malaysian Masters starting next Tuesday.
The experimental pairing lasted just under two months, as Tang Jie has since reconciled with his original partner Toh Ee Wei following a previous fallout.
Tang Jie-Wen Tse’s outing at the Axiata Arena next week will be their last appearance as a combo, with Tang Jie reuniting with Ee Wei for the upcoming Singapore Open while Wen Tse is expected to team up with a new partner.
Still, Tang Jie is determined to end the partnership on a positive note, especially after their encouraging run to the semi-finals of the Taiwan Open last week.
The tournament will also be a valuable learning experience for Wen Tse, who is making her debut at the Malaysian Masters.
Tang Jie knows it won’t be an easy task though, as they have been drawn to face seventh seeds Cheng Xing-Zhang Chi of China in the first round.
“I’m not setting any expectations, I just want to give my best,” said Tang Jie.
“The level at a Super 500 event is much higher than a Super 300. Personally, I want to do the best I can because every opponent is tough.
“As for Wen Tse, I hope she can gauge the gap between herself and other players, including me, and take this as a valuable experience.
“Opportunities like this don’t come often for junior players, so I hope she makes the most of it,” he added.
Ee Wei, meanwhile, will be partnering rising talent Loo Bing Kun and the pair will open their Malaysia Masters campaign against Taiwan’s Lu Ming-che-Hung En-tze in the first round.
Malaysia will also have four other representatives in the mixed doubles event.
Defending champions Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie will face Denmark’s Mads Vestergaard-Christine Busch in their opener.
Eighth seeds Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin will need to be on their toes against Indonesia’s Adnan Maulana-Indah Cahya Sari, who recently stunned world No. 1 Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin in the first round of the Thailand Open.
Yap Roy King-Valeere Siow are set to play India’s S. Karunakaran-Aadya Variyath, while independent pair Wong Tien Ci-Lim Chiew Sien will face a qualifier in the first round.
Last year, Tang Jie and Ee Wei were top seeds but fell short in the semi-finals.
