KUALA LUMPUR: National mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei are hoping to make it an all-Malaysian final in the Malaysian Open.
Yesterday, world No. 5 Tang Jie-Ee Wei advanced to the semi-finals after securing a straightforward 21-11, 21-18 victory over Japan’s world No. 14 Hiroki Midorikawa-Natsu Saito in the last eight at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.
Joining them in the semi-finals is another Malaysian pair, Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie, who had earlier defeated China’s world No. 11 Cheng Xing-Zhang Chi 21-15, 22-20 in another quarter-final match.
It was a historic day for Malaysia, with two mixed doubles pairs reaching the semi-finals of the home tourney.
The last pair to reach this stage was another mixed doubles pair Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing in 2019.
Ee Wei is keeping her fingers crossed that they will be able to clear their semi-final hurdle and make it an all-Malaysian final in the home tourney.
However, she acknowledges the difficulty of the task ahead, as she and Tang Jie will face China’s world No. 1 Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping while Soon Huat-Shevon take on Thailand’s newly-paired world No. 57 Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran in the last four today.
Dechapol-Supissara have been on an impressive run in the tournament, claiming the scalps of higher-ranked opponents, including Taiwan’s world No. 21 Ye Hong-wei-Nicole Gonzales Chan, China’s Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin (No. 2) and France’s world No. 15 Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue, en route to the last four.
“Soon Huat-Shevon and both Tang Jie and I are all proud of representing Malaysia and both of us reaching the semi-finals is a good achievement for Malaysian mixed doubles,” said Ee Wei.
“Tomorrow (today) of course both of us will go all out on court. If we can make it an all-Malaysian final, it will be good.”
For the record, no home pair has won the mixed doubles title in the Malaysian Open since Teh Kew San-Ng Mei Ling triumphed 60 years ago in 1965.
Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying were the last Malaysian mixed doubles pair to reach the Malaysian Open final in 2016, where they settled for the silver medal.
Tang Jie said: “It’s a great achievement for us to reach our first semi-final in this tournament and we will give our very best for our next match.
“The Chinese pair are very strong and consistent.
‘‘We will try to challenge them as much as we can.” — NG CHIA YIN
