PETALING JAYA: No one wants to win the Korean Masters more than mixed doubles pair Jimmy Wong-Lai Pei Jing, who have fallen short in six previous finals.
But for assistant coach Ameer Amri Zainuddin, reflecting on Jimmy-Pei Jing’s past experiences, he has urged the pair not to overthink today’s match, noting that simply reaching this stage is already a significant achievement.
Since being paired together in April, Jimmy-Pei Jing have not only steadily climbed the rankings to reach No. 37 in the world, but have also consistently advanced to tournament finals. Today’s match in Korea marks their seventh attempt to stand on the podium as winner.
In yesterday’s semi-final at the Wonkwang University Cultural and Sports Center in Iksan, Jimmy-Pei Jing overcame home favourites An Yun-seong-Lee Yu-lim 21-14, 19-21, 21-15 to secure their spot in the championship match.
For Ameer, he wants Jimmy-Pei Jing to take to the court today without any pressure, even though the situation puts them in a desperate bid to claim their first title after repeated disappointments.
Most recently, just two weeks ago, they fell short in Medan, losing in the final of the Indonesian Masters.
“At the moment, I’m already happy with what Jimmy-Pei Jing have shown. Our focus is to give our best and display their true gameplay.
“We rely on Pei Jing’s experience to guide Jimmy on court, helping him stay calm and create opportunities. What matters most is that we enjoy the final.
‘’Winning or losing is not the priority for me because they have already shown remarkable consistency in reaching the final,” said Ameer when contacted.
However, the tournament’s third seeds face a tougher challenge today against another home pair, Kim Jae-hyeon and Jeong Na-eun.
Even with a new partner, the 25-year-old Na-eun’s skill and experience cannot be underestimated, having recently claimed a silver medal at the Paris Olympics in August last year with Kim Won-ho.
“For tomorrow’s (today’s) match, we will face another Korean pair, and the female player (Na-eun) is very experienced.
“We don’t want to think too far ahead about winning the title or anything like that,” he added.
