Malaysia men’s doubles shuttlers Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King in action against Denmark’s Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen during the semi-final match of Malaysian Masters at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil on Saturday. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
PETALING JAYA: National shuttler Yap Roy King will now focus solely on men’s doubles after coaches couldn’t find a replacement partner in mixed doubles following Valeree Siow’s injury.
Valeree’s recurring left knee injury has flared up again, and she is now preparing to undergo surgery.
She had been on a long recovery break and only managed to play in two tournaments with Roy King this year, competing at the Asian Championships and Thailand Open.
She was forced to withdraw just two days before the Malaysian Masters in May due to the same issue, and it is understood that she will be heading abroad for surgery and rehabilitation.
National doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky believes Roy King has strong potential in mixed doubles, having reached as high as No. 43 in the world with Valeree.
But following discussions, Roy King has chosen to focus solely on men’s doubles with Wan Arif Wan Junaidi while Valeree recovers from a knee injury.
“We don’t want it to seem like we’re discarding someone when they’re no longer useful. With Valeree’s current condition, continuing to push Roy King in mixed doubles would only drain his energy unnecessarily,” said Rexy.
“Even Herry Ip (Iman Pierngadi) suggested that Roy King should focus on men’s doubles for now, though his potential in mixed doubles is undeniable.
“I spoke with Roy King, and he said that as long as he remains paired with Valeree, he would rather focus fully on men’s doubles for the time being. As for his long-term future, I’ll leave that to mixed doubles coach Nova Widianto to discuss with Herry and decide what’s best.”
Rexy also pointed out that the lack of depth among the women’s players makes it hard to find Roy King a suitable replacement partner. He believes pairing him with junior players would be counterproductive due to the significant gap in ranking and playing level.
“If he has to continue playing in the mixed doubles, it might just be for a few tournaments to collect ranking points.
“But if he is paired with someone far below his level, it could create more problems. Just imagine Roy King playing in a Super 750 event, then having to travel to Europe for an International Challenge with a different partner.
“That kind of schedule isn’t practical and would be far too exhausting,” he added.
Roy King-Wan Arif are currently preparing for the Japan Open, which starts on July 15, where they are set to face compatriots Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun in the first round.
