PETALING JAYA: National men’s doubles pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun (pic) are on the right track and despite their inconsistent performance, they must capitalise on this rare opportunity to go far in the World Championships.
World No. 25 Wei Chong-Kai Wun outplayed world No. 32 Lucas Corvee-Ronan Labar of France 21-17, 21-18 in the opening round at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Tuesday.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun then breezed into the third round after receiving a walkover as their opponent and 10th seeds Choi Sol-Gyu-Kim Wan-ho of South Korea have withdrawn.
National doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky was pleased with their overall performance after the duo crashed out in the first round of three back-to-back championships.
“Their game was better than in the previous tournaments – Korean, Japan and Australian Opens – as they played with direction,” said Rexy.
“Their performance may not have met my expectations but they have improved and it’s just that their communication is inconsistent.
‘‘They are still traumatised from failing to perform well in the previous three tournaments, but they managed to clear their first hurdle in two games, so that is something positive from them.
“My advice to them is to communicate effectively, understand each other’s strengths, support one another and avoid overthinking.”
Wei Chong-Kai Wun will likely face world No. 3 Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang of China in the last 16 today.
It will be sweet revenge for the Malaysian pair if they could come out on top.
The Malaysian duo fought hard but could not prevent the latter from winning 21-18, 18-21, 21-13 in the third round of the Singapore Open in June.
Rexy has urged Wei Chong-Kai Wun to play aggressively in today’s match.
“I want them to remember that they have nothing to lose and that they should not play submissively by waiting for their opponent to make mistakes,” said Rexy.
“They need to have strong fighting spirit, understand their opponents’ game, play with direction and not rely solely on luck.”
