KUALA LUMPUR: Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) coaching director Rexy Mainaky is disappointed with the top national men’s doubles and mixed doubles pairs for failing to live up to expectations at the Malaysia Masters 2024.
He said Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei lacked bite despite being top seeds and playing on home ground in the Super 500 tournament at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil.
“It’s obvious the performances of Aaron-Wooi Yik and Tang Jie-Ee Wei were unacceptable. Aaron-Wooi Yik could have won but lacked fire and didn’t even kill sitters in the second game (of quarter-finals).
Rexy gave Aaron-Wooi Yik a rating of five or six on a scale of 10 for their performance.
“Tang Jie-Ee Wei’s play was atrocious from the first round until the semi-finals. Very poor combination and Ee Wei could not control the front court,” he told reporters at Axiata Arena yesterday.
He said these two pairs should have performed better as they have qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024 and were playing without pressure.
However, Rexy said all is not lost as the players are aware of their shortcomings and have enough time to bounce back for the Olympics.
Rexy also said Pearly Tan, who recovered from a back injury one week before the tournament, should have entered the final with M. Thinaah to match their achievement last year.
He acknowledged that the world number 13 pair has a lot of ‘homework’ to do, particularly Pearly, who needs to improve her defence and add power to her shots.
However, Rexy praised young national pair Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King for qualifying for the semi-finals despite being ranked a lowly world number 47.
“Wan Arif-Roy King marched into the semi-finals after upsetting the fourth and sixth seeds. I give them a 9/10 rating but hope they will not get big-headed.
“In the case of Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, they lacked the courage to make decisions when playing He Ji Ting-Ren Xiang Yu (of China),” he added.
Former world champions Aaron Chia-Wooi Yik lost 21-11, 19-21, 19-21 to South Korea’s world number 34 Jin Yong-Na Sung Seung while Wei Chong-Kai Wun were eliminated by third seeds Ji Ting-Xiang Yu 18-21, 16-21 in the quarter-finals.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei, Wan Arif-Roy King and Pearly-Thinaah crashed out in the semi-finals yesterday, losing to teammates Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie (11-21,19-21), Denmark’s Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen (13-21, 19-21) and South Korea’s Lee Yu Lim-Shin Seung Chan (16-21, 11-21) respectively.
