PETALING JAYA: In sports, no matter how thorough the preparation, the real test often comes on match day, and that proved to be the case for mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, who saw their All-England campaign end prematurely.
The world champions went down 21-18, 12-21, 23-25 to Denmark’s Rasmus Espersen-Amalie Kudsk in the opening round on Wednesday in Birmingham.
National doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky admitted that despite meticulous preparations for the tournament, Tang Jie-Ee Wei were still carrying the psychological burden of their past early exits at the prestigious event.
Since making their debut together at the world’s oldest badminton tournament in 2023, Tang Jie-Ee Wei have yet to go beyond the early rounds.
Their best attempt came in the 2024 edition when they reached the second round.
“This is sport and the result will always go one way or the other.
“When we talk about disappointment, it is not only the coaching staff or the fans who feel it. The players feel it themselves.
“Honestly, their preparation for the All-England was very good and I personally believed they were capable of producing a strong result.
“Maybe because their results at the All-England have not been good and they often lose early, it stayed in their minds. It was clear from their body gestures even the night before the match,” said Rexy.
Although they showed strong fighting spirit, especially towards the end of the third game, it was still not enough for them to turn the match around.
Rexy also explained that Ee Wei was visibly affected after several of her serves were called faults by the umpire.
“Nova (Widianto) was also a little disappointed but he admitted we have to accept the result because Ee Wei herself said she did not play well.
“There was definitely some disruption from the service faults. In a big tournament like this, when the opponents gain points from such calls, it can affect the players’ focus,” he added.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei have no other tournaments scheduled this month and will use the time to work on improvements before the Asian Championships in Ningbo, China from April 7-12.
