Tang Jie-Ee Wei take cues from Dechapol's mental game

New Straits Times

20 hours ago

KUALA LUMPUR: Thai mixed doubles ace Dechapol Puavaranukroh may be Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei's biggest obstacle, but the Malaysian pair also see him as a major source of inspiration on their comeback trail.
World No. 4 Tang Jie-Ee Wei, who recently reunited after a brief split, lost to Dechapol-Supissara Paewsampran in the semi-finals of the Indonesia Open last week.
The Thai world No. 5 now lead their head-to-head record 3-1.
Despite the defeat, Ee Wei admitted there's much to admire about Dechapol, the 2021 world champion with former partner Sapsiree Taerattanachai.
"Dechapol has a wealth of experience and is very strong mentally. He knows how to stay calm and push at the right time during crucial moments," said Ee Wei after training at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara on Friday.
"That's something we need to learn - how to manage pressure the way he and Supissara do."
Dechapol-Supissara have claimed five World Tour titles in just seven months as a pair.
They've also beaten Malaysia's top mixed pairs: holding a 5-3 record over world No. 6 Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai and winning their only meeting against world No. 13 Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing at last year's Kumamoto Masters.
Recalling last week's loss, Ee Wei said: "We had chances to beat them, but they made the right decisions and took the match (18-21, 21-15, 21-11)."
Still, the Malaysian pair are seeing steady progress.
"We didn't do well at the Singapore Open but made the semis in Indonesia," she added.
"We really wanted to win there, but our form isn't quite there yet. That said, our communication and combination are improving."
Tang Jie-Ee Wei went their separate ways following the All England in March due to personal differences, but decided to reunite soon after.
Their comeback began with a second-round exit at the Singapore Open.