BANGKOK: Winning at the highest level – the world championships - but falling short at the SEA Games was a bitter reality for mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei.
The world champions were left disappointed after suffering a shock 15-21, 16-21 defeat to home favourites Ruttanapak Oupthong-Jhenicha Sudjaipraparat in the semi-finals yesterday.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei had beaten the world No. 13 Thai pair in all three previous meetings, but they were far from their best this time and succumbed after 44 minutes.
Ee Wei admitted that pressure played a role in their below-par performance.
“We could not bring out our best game,” said Ee Wei.
“There was definitely pressure on us, but as athletes we need to find a way to put expectations aside and give our best performance.
“We prepared well and knew it would be tough against the home pair, but they put us under a lot of pressure and we struggled on court.”
The defeat, Ee Wei added, was a reminder that the pair are still a work in progress.
“We have to admit that we are not the finished article yet.
“People may say we are world champions, but we have not reached the stage where we can handle pressure consistently. We are still learning, and this defeat is a big lesson for us.”
