PETALING JAYA: Doubles shuttler Man Wei Chong can take a bow.
While many would have given up after suffering a nagging injury, Wei Chong has persevered through the ups and downs since aggravating a right knee injury before the German Open in March this year.
The 27-year-old Wei Chong returned to play in the All-England and reached the quarter-finals but has struggled to regain his form since then.
And it did not help that he had to play with different partners, but he has returned to make a statement alongside Tee Kai Wun.
The world No. 11 pair showed renewed urgency and determination as they fought back to beat Japan’s Kakeru Kumagai-Hiroki Nishi 18-21, 21-15, 21-15 in the first round of the French Open at the Arena Grand Paris yesterday.
The victory was a welcome boost after their opening round exit at the Denmark Open last week.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun will face former world champions Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi of Japan next, but doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi is particularly pleased with Wei Chong’s progress.
“Wei Chong is still not at his best yet. I would say he is about 85 to 90 per cent back to his form,” said Herry.
“Despite that, I saw him playing to his true ability against the Japanese pair in the French Open first round. I truly hope he will return to top form with more bite in his game. He has all the potential to rise again.”
Their teammates Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik also cleared their opening round match after brilliantly dismantling China’s He Jiting-Ren Xiangyu 21-15, 21-19.
The reigning Denmark Open runners-up will next face Peeratchai Sukphun-Pakkapon Teeraratsakul of Thailand.
And if both pairs win, they will take on each other in the quarter-finals, assuring one place in the semis for Malaysia.
Aaron Tai-Yap Roy King and Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani can also make it an all-Malaysian quarter-final line-up if they beat their respective opponents – Kim Won-ho-Seo Seung-jae of South Korea and Daniel Lundgaard-Mads Vestergaard of Denmark.
Denmark Open champions Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah are set to reach the women’s doubles quarter-finals after setting up a match against teammates Carmen Ting-Ong Xin Yee.
Pearly-Thinaah ousted Bengisu Ercetin-Nazlican Inci of Turkiye 21-11, 21-15, while Carmen-Xin Yee pulled off a superb 21-11, 21-12 win against Margot Lambert-Camille Pognante of France to make it an all-Malaysian second round affair.
