KUALA LUMPUR: No mountain is too high to climb and no challenge is too great.
That is the spirit embraced by world No. 7 men’s doubles pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, despite suffering another defeat to world No. 1 Kim Won-ho-Seo Seung-jae in the Malaysian Open quarter-finals at the Axiata Arena yesterday.
On paper, the South Korean pair held a clear psychological edge, as they were the defending champions and had beaten Wei Chong and Kai Wun at the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou just two weeks ago.
Despite strong support from the home crowd, Wei Chong-Kai Wun were once again unable to overcome their opponents, even after taking the lead, before going down 17-21, 17-21.
The loss extended Wei Chong-Kai Wun head to head record against Won-ho and Seung-jae to 0-6.
Nevertheless, while the loss was a bitter pill to swallow, Wei Chong-Kai Wun remained optimistic that they can one day overcome the South Korean pair, despite their opponents’ reputation as one of the strongest men’s doubles combinations in the world today.
“We have already lost to them many times, but we don’t dwell on that. Just because we’ve lost before doesn’t mean we lack confidence. We know we can do it. Every time we face them, we have a chance. We just need to take that chance and give our best,” said Wei Chong.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun admitted that the South Korean pair were smart to change their strategy during the match, which made it difficult for them.
“At first, we were controlling the game, they were following our speed and doing what we wanted. But in the end, they were brave and switched their strategy. Maybe they played more slowly, point by point, which held us back. Towards the end, we started to have some doubts, tried too hard to win points, and made mistakes. It became too much for us,” said Kai Wun.
Won-ho-Seung-jae will continue their campaign in today’s semi-finals against India’s Ben Lane-Sean Vendy.
Meanwhile, Wei Chong-Kai Wun will shift their focus to the Indian Open, flying to New Delhi for the tournament which begins next Tuesday.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun are scheduled to face fellow Malaysians Nur Azriyn Ayub-Tan Wee Kiong in the first round.
