PETALING JAYA: Not every loss is a cause for despair.
Defeat on Saturday may have ended shuttlers Hoo Pang Ron-Lai Pei Jing's Hylo Open campaign, but the mixed doubles pair have every reason to hold their head high as they continue their remarkable rise towards a possible World Tour Finals berth.
The world No. 24 pair came agonisingly close to reaching their second consecutive final in two weeks before falling 20-22, 21-16, 17-21 to reigning world champions Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue of France in a gripping 70-minute semi-final at the Saarlandhalle in Saarbrucken, Germany.
Pang Ron-Pei Jing were trailing 17-19 in the deciding game before the world No. 3 French pair sealed victory.
Most athletes would be heartbroken having come so close but Pei Jing, 34, was overcome with a different emotion - pride.
"I’m super proud of how far we’ve come and what we’ve achieved so far," she said in a social media post after the match.
The veteran accompanied her message with a picture of herself smiling and giving two thumbs up, set to the music “Daily Strings - I’m proud of this moment”.
Her pride is well justified.
In just two months, Pang Ron-Pei Jing have climbed from world No. 85 to No. 24, with a potential breakthrough into the top 15 once their Hylo Open points are added.
The pair have also reached the latter stages of four of their last five tournaments, finishing runners-up at the China Masters in September and French Open last week, besides reaching the semi-finals at the Denmark Open and Hylo Open.
"We’ve given everything we had in every single match.
"But deep down, we know we still want more."
Their resurgence has also revived what once seemed an unlikely dream of qualifying for the season-ending World Tour Finals in Hangzhou from Dec 9-13.
At the start of October, the pair were languishing in 36th position in the Finals standings, seemingly too far behind to challenge for one of the eight qualifying spots.
They have since surged to 20th, even before their Hylo Open points are included.
With five Chinese and four Taiwanese pairings currently ahead of them, the qualification picture could work in their favour, as each nation is limited to two representatives.
The Malaysians will now look to capitalise on their momentum in three tournaments this month - the Korean Open starting tomorrow, Kumamoto Masters (Nov 10-15) and Hong Kong Open (Nov 17-22).
Deep runs in these events could significantly strengthen their chances of securing a coveted Finals berth.
"Thank you partner (Pang Ron) for always giving your best and believing in us. Let’s keep the momentum going, stay healthy and injury-free. The journey goes on," added Pei Jing.
"I truly hope we didn’t disappoint those of you who stayed up late to support us."
Goh Soon Huat-Lai Shevon Jemie, in 11th, are the only other Malaysian mixed doubles pair currently in the top 20 of the Finals standings.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s men’s doubles campaign also ended in the semi-finals after world No. 74 Aaron Tai-Yap Roy King narrowly lost 21-18, 15-21, 18-21 to Denmark’s Christian Faust Kjaer-Rasmus Kjaer in 59 minutes.
