Big flops: Ow Yao Han (right) returning the shuttle as Chooi Kah Ming looks on during their first round match against England’s Chris Langridge-Peter Mills Wednesday. The English pair won 17-21, 21-19, 21-19.

CHOOI Kah Ming-Ow Yao Han have been given ample time since winning the World Juniors title in 2009 to make an impact.

They are, in fact, one of national doubles chief coach Tan Kim Her’s favourite pairs in the national set-up due to their promising potential.

But apart from a serious knee injury which set Kah Ming back for six months in 2011, the pair have failed to make an impact on the senior stage.

Kah Ming-Yao Han were again a massive letdown in the first round of the Maybank Malaysian Open, losing 21-17, 19-21, 19-21 to England’s Chris Langridge-Peter Mills yesterday.

World No. 34 Kah Ming-Yao Han, who won the first game, blew several chances to seal victory before handing the second game to the Englishmen.

In the deciding rubber, they led 5-0 and then 11-6 at one stage but were again unable to kill off their opponents as Langridge-Mills fought back to win 21-19.

And, this time, Kim Her has finally lost his cool.

“I’m really angry at them. At their current level, they should have beaten their opponents easily,” said Kim Her.

“Although they didn’t play well at all, they still have good potential and can further improve.”

Kah Ming attributed their defeat to “nervousness and our over-eagerness to win”.

“When they caught up in the third game, we panicked a little and tried to finish off the game as fast as possible,” said Kah Ming.

“That led to us committing too many unforced errors and we simply lost the initiative.”

Yao Han added that the thought of trying to win their first match in their Malaysian Open debut eventually saw them putting too much pressure on themselves.

While Kim Her was bitterly disappointed with them, he had only praises for his 2011 world junior champions – Nelson Heg-Teo Ee Yi.

The pair took on the experienced Markis Kido-Alvent Yulianto and gave the Indonesians a massive fight before bowing out 21-23, 21-14, 19-21.

“I’m really surprised at how well Nelson-Ee Yi played. They matched the Indonesians stroke for stroke and played well beyond my expectations,” said Kim Her.

In other matches, the professional pair of Gan Teik Chai-Ong Soon Hock scrapped through to the second round after narrowly beating the English-Scottish combination of Marcus Ellis-Paul Van Rietvelde 15-21, 21-17, 22-20.

It was however the end of the road for KLRC pairs Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari and Mohd Razif Latif-Vountus Indra Mawan and national back-up pair Low Juan Shen-Tan Yip Jiun.

Fifth seeds Hoon Thien How-Tan Wee Kiong and the reunited Goh V Shem-Lim Khim Wah, however, cleared their first hurdles.

Thien How-Wee Kiong defeated Denmark’s Christian John Skovgaard-Mads Pieler Kolding 22-20, 21-19 while V Shem-Khim Wah overcame another Danish pair – Rasmus Bonde-Mads Conrad Petersen – 23-21, 16-21, 21-11.

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