PETALING JAYA: World No. 6 men’s doubles player Tee Kai Wun feels that pulling out of next week’s Malaysian Masters is the right move for both his long-term career and that of his partner Man Wei Chong.
Wei Chong’s right knee injury has worsened, and he may require surgery to fully recover.
Besides the Malaysian Masters, the pair will also miss the Singapore Open (May 26–31) and the Indonesian Open (June 2–7).
Kai Wun revealed the matter had already been discussed with the coaching team, and he personally advised Wei Chong to take a lengthy break instead of continuing to force himself to compete.
“This decision was something we discussed and I also shared my opinion. If he continues playing in this condition, his confidence will definitely drop.
“If you are not performing well and continue to struggle in tournaments, it becomes even harder. So I feel it is better for him to rest now,” said Kai Wun.
He also wants his partner to focus fully on recovery, especially with qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics set to begin next year.
At the moment, Kai Wun admitted they still do not know how long Wei Chong will take to fully recover.
“Our clear target is the Olympic qualification. This may be the right time for him to focus on recovery and come back stronger next year.
“So far, we still do not know as he is expected to meet the doctor this week.
“Even if it is only one month, we may still not be able to register for certain tournaments, so we have to wait and see how serious the injury is,” he added.
Wei Chong had been playing through pain since suffering the knee injury in February.
Despite that, he remained committed and continued competing in several major tournaments including the All-England, the Asian Championships in Ningbo and the Thomas Cup Finals in Horsens over the past three months.
