KUALA LUMPUR, Academy Badminton Malaysia coaching director Rexy Mainaky wants 2024 Indonesia Open runners-up Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun to be more daring in putting pressure on other top men’s doubles pairs in the world.

Rexy said Wei Chong-Kai Wun had played very consistently from the first round of the Super 1000 tournament before losing in the final to the second-seeded pair from China, Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang, 21-19, 16-21, 12-21, at the iconic Istora Senayan in Jakarta yesterday.

“Their performances at the Malaysia Masters and Singapore Open were ordinary, but from the first round of the Indonesia Open until the first game yesterday, they were very consistent.

“However, they need to seize the opportunities in front of them, be more courageous in making decisions, and put pressure on their opponents,” he told Bernama.

The national pair’s achievement deserves praise, showing significant improvement by advancing to their first-ever Super 1000 final after being knocked out in the first round five t
imes before.

Among the notable results achieved by the world number 20 pair in Jakarta was a come-from-behind 20-22, 21-16, 21-17 victory over the world number three pair from South Korea, Kang Min Hyuk-Seo Seung Jae, in the first round.

They also silenced the vociferous crowd at Istora Senayan by defeating home pair Sabar Karyaman Gutama-Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani 29-27, 21-13 in the semi-finals last Saturday.

Last month, Wei Chong-Kai Wun were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2024 Malaysia Masters by China’s He Ji Ting-Ren Xiang Yu, 21-18, 21-16, followed by a second-round defeat at the 2024 Singapore Open by the world number four pair from Denmark, Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, 21-10, 20-22, 19-21.

Rexy reminded Wei Chong-Kai Wun to stay focused and strive to be among the world’s best pairs one day.

Yesterday’s result marked their first podium finish since becoming the runners-up at the 2023 Arctic Open in Vantaa, Finland, last October, where they lost to Astrup-Rasmussen 18-21, 17-21 in
the final.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency