PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s men’s doubles shuttlers are finding their feet after months of partnership changes, but Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei has warned against complacency ahead of the Korean Open, which starts today.
The tournament will be without former world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, whose bid to qualify for the World Tour Finals suffered another setback following their withdrawal.
The world No. 4 pair retired from their French Open quarter-final two weeks ago after Wooi Yik sustained a right heel injury.
They also skipped last week’s Hylo Open in Germany, making the Korean Open their second consecutive tournament withdrawal.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) have yet to comment on their latest withdrawal.
Aaron-Wooi Yik are currently sixth in the race for the season-ending Finals in December, with the top eight pairs qualifying.
They remain listed in the main draws for the Kumamoto Masters from Nov 10-15 and the Hong Kong Open from Nov 17-22.
Despite the setback, BAM performance committee chairman Chong Wei welcomed the recent resurgence of the national men’s doubles, highlighted by Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun’s French Open triumph and Aaron-Wooi Yik’s runners-up finish at the Denmark Open.
“I’m quite happy with the athletes’ performances over these past few weeks,” said Chong Wei.
“I hope they can keep it up.
“But what’s more important is for them to analyse their losses so that they can improve. “We cannot always be at the top but we can always learn.”
World No. 8 Wei Chong-Kai Wun will lead Malaysia’s challenge at the Korean Open.
Five Malaysian pairs feature in the opening round at Jinnam Stadium in Yeosu City, but only a maximum of four can advance.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun face Low Hang Yee-Ng Eng Cheong in an all-Malaysian opening-round clash.
Unseeded Chia Weijie-Teo Ee Yi face Chinese fourth seeds Chen Boyang-Liu Yi, while Bryan Jeremy Goonting-Mohd Haikal Nazri make their Korean Open debut against China’s Wang Chang-Xie Haonan.
World No. 28 Nur Azriyn Ayub-Tan Wee Kiong open against South Korea’s world No. 151 Jin Yong-Jo Song-hyun, with defending champions and world No. 1 Kim Won-ho-Seo Seung-jae potentially awaiting in the second round.
In mixed doubles, national pair Chen Tang Jie-Chan Wen Tse face Australia’s Andika Ramadiansyah-Nozomi Shimizu.
Independent pair Hoo Pang Ron-Lai Pei Jing, who have reached the semi-finals in three consecutive tournaments, begin their bid to extend that streak against Thai siblings Tonkid Saeheng-Tonrug Saeheng.
Pei Jing’s 2022 triumph with then partner Tan Kian Meng remains her last career title.
