PETALING JAYA: Mixed doubles shuttlers Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei are keen to finish the job in the Australian Open by capturing the title Saturday (Nov 22).
The reigning world champions have not won a World Tour title this year and are fired up to end their drought when they take on Indonesia's world No. 11 Jafar Hidayatullah-Felisha Pasaribu in the title match.
On Friday (Nov 21), Tang Jie-Ee Wei showed their class by beating Thailand's 2021 world title winner Sapsiree Taerattanachai and her new partner Pakkapon Teeraratsakul 21-16, 21-14 at the Sydney Olympic Park.
Pakkapon-Sapsiree gave the world No. 4 pair a scare when they caught up to 13-13 in the second game after trailing 3-11.
Top seeds Tang Jie-Ee Wei steadied the ship in time to come away with the win in 50 minutes.
The duo have reached their third final this year after triumphing in the world meet in August and finishing runners-up in the China Masters in September.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei will now hope to finish their campaign on a high by coming out on top over second seeds Jafar-Felisha.
The Indonesians booked their place in the final after a hard-fought 19-21, 21-13, 21-14 victory over Thailand's world No. 12 Ruttanapak Oupthong-Jhenicha Sudjaipraparat in an exhausting 88-minute match.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei hold the advantage in the final as they have never lost to Jafar-Felisha before, winning all four of their past clashes including in the third round of the world meet this year.
The Malaysians last won a World Tour title in the Korean Open in August last year.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei will be out to become the country's first mixed doubles pair to win a World Tour title this year.
Clinching the crown will give the duo a huge boost ahead of the Thailand SEA Games badminton competition from Dec 7-14 and the World Tour Finals from Dec 17-21 in Hangzhou.
Meanwhile, Malaysia's challenge in the men's doubles ended after world No. 4 independent pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani went down 15-21, 15-21 to Indonesia’s world No. 32 Raymond Indra-Nikolaus Joaquin.
