logo
Jimmy-Pei Jing hope to make history by winning first mixed doubles title in Macau

Jimmy-Pei Jing hope to make history by winning first mixed doubles title in Macau

The Star6 days ago
PETALING JAYA: Mixed doubles pair Jimmy Wong-Lai Pei Jing are on the brink of creating history not just for themselves but also for Malaysian badminton at the Macau Open today.
They can end a 23-year title drought by knocking out Denmark's Alexandra Boje and Mathias Christiansen in the final.
No Malaysian mixed doubles pair has ever won the tournament since its inception back in 2002.
For Pei Jing, it has been a long wait of more than 13 years to reach a final, after making her debut in 2012 with Tan Aik Quan, where they exited as early as the second round.
Her best effort previously was a semi-final finish with Tan Kian Meng in 2016, where they were stopped by Hong Kong's Tan Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet.
Jimmy and Pei Jing have been riding on a strong momentum in this tournament, having defeated several seeded pairs along the way.
They stunned fifth seeds Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto of India in the second round, before pulling off another upset in the quarter-finals by beating second seeds Cheng Xin-Zhang Chi of China.
In the semi-finals yesterday, they continued their fine form by taking down world No. 19 and sixth seeds Amri Syahnawai-Nita Marwah of Indonesia 21-18, 21-16.
It will not be an easy match against the Danes today although they are returning to action after Christiansen served a one-year suspension for failing to comply with anti-doping whereabouts requirements.
The Danes showed their determination when they dashed hopes of an all-Malaysian final after coming from behind to defeat top seeds Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei 15-21, 21-17, 21-11 yesterday.
On paper, Jimmy and Pei Jing have never faced this Danish pair as they were only formed in March.
However, when Pei Jing partnered Kian Meng, they won three of their five previous encounters against Boje-Christiansen, with the latest win coming at the Indonesia Open last year.
Malaysia will also be represented in the men's doubles final through Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King, who overcame fellow Malaysians Choong Hon Jian-Mohd Haikal Nazri 21-13, 21-15 in the semi-finals.
They will face either top seeds Sabar Gutama-Moh Reza Isfahani of Indonesia or Taiwan's Lee Fang-chih-Lee Fang-jen.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

New drive for M-League
New drive for M-League

New Straits Times

time14 minutes ago

  • New Straits Times

New drive for M-League

KUALA LUMPUR: Selangor have become the second M-League club to secure a sponsorship deal with a global car brand, which could mean that Malaysian football is regaining commercial traction. Hyundai Motor Malaysia today announced its partnership with the Red Giants as the Official Mobility Partner for the 2025-2026 season. "Together, we're driving passion, performance, and pride both on and off the pitch as we shape a future inspired by our core belief: Progress for Humanity," Hyundai said in a statement. "To all Red Giants fans, we can't wait to journey through this thrilling season with you." Hyundai's support is a sign that the M-League, long plagued by financial uncertainty, is gradually regaining corporate confidence. Last month, UMW Toyota Motor came on board as the Official Mobility Partner of Johor Darul Ta'zim, with the brand's iconic logo featured on the team's jerseys for the 2025-2026 season.

Zii Jia's registration for two tourneys next month shows he's on the mend
Zii Jia's registration for two tourneys next month shows he's on the mend

The Star

timean hour ago

  • The Star

Zii Jia's registration for two tourneys next month shows he's on the mend

PETALING JAYA: Former Asian champion Lee Zii Jia appears to be on the mend from his previous injury after signing up for two tournaments in September. Based on the main and qualifying (M&Q) list, the two tournaments are the Hong Kong Masters, a Super 500 event scheduled from Sept 9 to 14, followed by the China Masters in Shenzhen from Sept 16 to 21, which carries a Super 750 status. Also listed for the tournament is compatriot Leong Jun Hao. Meanwhile, Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin, Justin Hoh and Cheam June Wei will also compete in the Hong Kong Open, but they will have to go through the qualifying rounds first. However, as the China Masters carries a higher status, Aidil and June Wei will not be competing, while Justin has only been placed on the reserve list. Zii Jia's registration for these tournaments further strengthens the belief that he has fully recovered from the right ankle ligament injury he sustained in December last year. A short clip circulating on social media also shows Zii Jia undergoing intensive training with his coach, Yeoh Kay Bin, after five months without competitive action. The last time he competed was at the All-England in March, where he crashed out in the first round. That, along with the Orleans Masters, were the only tournaments he played in this year before his management, TeamLZJ, announced that he would be taking an extended break due to a recurrence of his old injury. Since then, although he has been granted a protected ranking by the Badminton World Federation (BWF), his standing has slipped to No. 52 in the world. The Star had earlier reported that the former world No. 8 would not be withdrawing from the World Championships in Paris, despite speculation that he might do so ahead of the Aug 12 withdrawal deadline. This is because his recurring injury had continued to trouble him, forcing him to pull out at the last minute from several tournaments, including the Japan Open and China Open last month.

Justin's deep dive with Danish masters
Justin's deep dive with Danish masters

New Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • New Straits Times

Justin's deep dive with Danish masters

KUALA LUMPUR: Men's singles shuttler Justin Hoh is excited about the opportunity to learn from world No. 2 Anders Antonsen in a training stint with the Danish national team in Copenhagen from August 18–22. The training camp is arranged by national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen for World Championships-bound men's singles Leong Jun Hao and women's singles K. Letshanaa. Although Justin did not qualify for the World Championships, he believes this will be a great opportunity to gain valuable insights from Antonsen. Justin, who finished second at the Macau Open last Sunday, is set to continue playing in several World Tour events later this year. Antonsen, an independent player, has joined the Danish national team in Copenhagen in their preparations for the World Championships. "I'm really happy because it's my first time training in a different environment. "I also get to train with top players like Antonsen, so I'm very excited. "I'm looking forward to learning as much as I can," said Justin. "I think discipline, both on and off the court, is something I can learn from him, as it's an area I know I need to work on. "I'm really grateful for this opportunity to go to Denmark. "After that, I have quite a few tournaments coming up, and I hope to perform well in the final few months of the year." Justin will also be training with world No. 29 Rasmus Gemke, No. 63 Mads Christophersen and No. 73 Magnus Johannesen during the five-day stint. However, the 21-year-old Malaysian's hopes of training with world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen will not materialise, as the two-time Olympic champion has withdrawn from the World Championships to continue his rehabilitation following a back surgery in April. Meanwhile, Justin remains optimistic about maintaining his momentum after reaching his first Super 300 final in Macau. Still, he believes it may take until next year to secure a title due to the high level of competition in the Super 300 and Super 500 events he is scheduled to compete in for the remainder of the year. "It's tough to win a title because I've been playing in Super 300 and 500 tournaments where the opponents are very strong," said Justin. "Right now, my main target is to break into the top 32 first. Hopefully, I can focus on winning a title next year." Justin will return home after the Danish training stint to prepare for the Hong Kong Open (Sept 9-14) and the China Masters (Sept 16-21), where he will compete in the qualifying rounds.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store