PETALING JAYA: World No. 4 mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei are targeting a strong showing at the Malaysian Masters later this month, having not featured together at the event last year.
After a brief split last year, the reigning world champions are eager to embrace the pressure of playing on home ground when they compete at the Super 500 Malaysian Masters at the Unifi Arena in Bukit Jalil from May 19–24.
Ee Wei is particularly relishing the chance to perform in front of home fans again, a privilege she enjoys twice a year following the season-opening Malaysian Open in January.
“It’s always a nice feeling to play in front of the home crowd. Even better that we get to experience it twice a year,” said Ee Wei at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) yesterday.
The pair reached the quarter-finals of the Super 1000 Malaysian Open earlier this year, but acknowledged that expectations will be higher this time around.
“After becoming world champions, there is naturally more pressure, especially at home. But these are challenges we need to embrace to improve. It’s all part of the journey,” she added.
At last year’s edition, Ee Wei had partnered Loo Bing Kun before their run ended in the second round, while Tang Jie’s brief partnership with Chan Wen Tse ended in the opening round.
This year, Tang Jie-Ee Wei have been performing well. After their quarter-final exit at the Malaysian Open, they went on to win the Indonesian Masters title in January, and also reached the quarter-finals of the Asian Championships in Ningbo, China, last month.
