PETALING JAYA: A month ago, mixed doubles shuttler Chen Tang Jie could barely lift his shoulder without pain. Yesterday, he lifted a trophy.
The 27-year-old Tang Jie completed a remarkable comeback from injury to steer his partnership with Toh Ee Wei to the Australian Open title, proving that resilience still wins on the world stage.
Tang Jie, who skipped the Hylo Open and Japan Masters to recover from a shoulder injury, showed no signs of rust as the world champions swept past Indonesia’s world No. 11 pair Jafar Hidayatullah–Felisha Pasaribu 21-16, 21-11 in a 42-minute final at the Sydney Olympic Park.
It was their first World Tour crown since the Korean Open in August last year, and for Tang Jie, the victory carried emotional weight.
“This win is significant because we won it after my injury struggle – that’s why I’m truly happy,” said Tang Jie, who was delighted with his physical transformation during his recovery.
Prior to the shoulder worry, Tang Jie-Ee Wei had competed in three tournaments after becoming the country’s first mixed doubles world champions in August.
They had reached the China Open final, semi-finals at the Denmark Open and quarter-finals at the French Open before the injury struck.
Tang Jie credited their success to a sharp tactical plan.
“We had met the Indonesian pair four times this year, so we knew it would be a tough match,” said Tang Jie.
“We stuck to our plan and were confident with our strategy.”
A delighted Ee Wei said the victory was the perfect catalyst in their bid to finish the season on a strong note at the SEA Games in Thailand from Dec 9-20 and the World Tour Finals from Dec 17-21.
“We had a very good ending at the Australian Open as it was our first title of the year,” said Ee Wei.
“It gives us more motivation and strengthens our belief in each other as we prepare for the Finals.
“We continued to trust each other. We thank our coach and also our support team.”
Both Ee Wei and Tang Jie were also touched by the support of their fans.
“We saw the Malaysian flag in the crowd, so we were really happy that they came to support us, along with our fans back home.
“This win is definitely for them,” said Ee Wei.
FINAL RESULTS
Men’s singles: Lakshya Sen (Ind) bt Yushi Tanaka (Jpn) 21-15, 21-11.
Men’s doubles: Raymon Indra-Nikolaus Joaquin (Ina) bt Fajar Alfian-Shohibul Fikri (Ina) 22-20, 10-21, 21-18.
Women’s singles: An Se-young (Kor) bt Putri Kusuma (Ina) 21-16, 21-14.
Women’s doubles: Rachel Allessya-Febi Setianingrum (Ina) bt Febriana Dwipuji-Meilysa Trias (Ina) 18-21, 21-19, 23-21.
Mixed doubles: Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei (Mas) bt Jafar Hidayatullah-Felisha Pasaribu 21-16, 21-11.
