Good control: Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin in action against Denmark’s Mathias Christiansen-Alexandra Boje in the first round match. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: It was third time lucky for national mixed doubles pair Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin as they finally got the better of Denmark’s Mathias Christiansen-Alexandra Boje at the Malaysian Open yesterday.
The world No. 21 Malaysians beat the world No. 12 Danes for the first time in three meetings, rallying from behind to claim a 20-22, 21-18, 21-17 win at the Axiata Arena.
The victory was made sweeter as it marked Pang Ron–Su Yin’s first win at the Malaysian Open, after they exited in the opening round last year.
“It’s our first win at the Malaysian Open, and I’m very happy and satisfied to have finally beaten the Danish pair,” said Su Yin.
“Last year we lost in the first round, so it’s nice to get this win and we hope to keep the momentum going.”
Pang Ron-Su Yin had previously lost to the Danes at the Macau Open and the Malaysian Masters last year.
Su Yin said staying composed was key to their comeback, while crediting Pang Ron and the coaches for keeping her focused.
“I didn’t think too much when we were trailing. My partner and the coaches reminded me to stay calm and focus on one point at a time,” she said.
For Pang Ron, the win was a positive way to begin their home tournament, but he remained cautious ahead of a tough second-round test tomorrow.
Pang Ron–Su Yin will face an all-Malaysian challenge next, with reigning world champions Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei awaiting them in the second round after the latter defeated Indonesia’s Jafar Hidayatullah-Felisha Pasaribu 21-12, 21-17 yesterday.
“One reason to be happy is that we won at home,” said Pang Ron.
“But facing teammates in the next round will be tough. Of course we want to win, but it would also be good just to have one Malaysian pair in the quarter-finals.”
Tang Jie echoed Pang Ron’s view, saying an all-Malaysian clash would be challenging for the players but positive for the country.
“It’s always tough playing teammates, but for Malaysia, this is a good thing,” said Tang Jie.
“We want to win, of course, but sometimes it comes down to who has the luck on the day.”
Tang Jie added that nerves were present at the Super 1000 tournament, noting that opening matches are often difficult.
“But our communication was good, and we hope to carry that into the next round.”
