KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s mixed doubles pair, Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei, refused to celebrate just yet despite defeating Thailand’s sixth-seeded Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai in the first round of the All England today.
This was the Malaysian pair’s first victory over the Thais, with previous encounters ending in defeats.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei proved their superiority on the court, winning 21-14, 12-21, 21-15 after a gruelling 57-minute battle at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena.
Despite their significant victory today, they believe they still have a long journey ahead in this tournament.
Last year’s edition saw them exit early in the first round after losing to Japanese pair Yuki Kaneko-Misaki Matsumoto.
“For me, this is only the first round, and we cannot be satisfied because we have not yet won the championship. So, we still need to perform well and focus on tomorrow’s match,” said Tang Jie in a post-match interview with BWF.
However, both players were still pleased with their victory over the 2021 world champions, as it will serve as great motivation to face their next opponents.
“We have lost to them many times, and we do not want to overthink it. Instead, we motivate each other and boost each other’s confidence.
“In previous tournaments, they have performed well, and they even managed to defeat (Zheng) Si Wei-(Huang) Ya Qiong,” added Ee Wei.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei will take on either Dutch pair Robin Tabeling-Selena Piek or Mathias Thryyi-Amelie Magelund from Denmark, who will play later.
At the same time, the national mixed doubles pair’s success was not replicated by the women’s singles player, Goh Jin Wei, who fell to China’s sixth seed, He Bing Jiao, 15-21, 20-22. – March 13, 2024