Danish doubles pair follow in their uncles' footsteps
KUALA LUMPUR: Men's badminton doubles pair William Kryger Boe-Christian Faust Kjaer had plenty of inspiration to draw from when growing up in Denmark.
Boe is the nephew of Mathias Boe, who, alongside Carsten Mogensen, formed the world No. 1 men's doubles partnership that won silver at the 2012 London Olympics.
Kjaer is the nephew of Kasper Faust Henriksen who is a former European Championships gold medallist.
"Christian and I both grew up in a badminton hall and picked up a racquet as soon as we could hit a shuttle. From there, it just evolved," said Boe, 22.
"I used to watch my uncle Mathias play at the All England when I was young.
"He texts us after every match with advice on what we can improve. He has always been a great supporter.
"Our biggest goal is to be the No. 1 pair in the world. But we are going to take things slow. Right now we just have to focus on our career and our play."
World No. 50 Boe-Kjaer made headlines last week after advancing to the Thailand Open final as qualifiers.
They were eventually beaten by Malaysia's world No. 3 pair, Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, 20-22, 21-17, 21-12.
It was a breakthrough achievement as the Danes had not progressed beyond the early rounds in their previous five tournaments.
"It's all about confidence. We train daily with some of the best players in the world," said Kjaer.
"We spar regularly with the world No. 1 pair, Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, so we know our level is high. We just need to prove it and believe we can win matches."
The Danes wasted no time after their Thailand Open campaign, jumping straight into action in the Malaysian Masters qualifying round.
They dispatched Malaysia's world No. 72 Chia Weijie-Lwi Sheng Hao 21-9, 21-10 in just 20 minutes at the Axiata Arena to secure a spot in the main draw today (May 19).
Boe-Kjaer will face reigning World Junior Champions Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing in the opening round of the main draw tomorrow.
Earlier, Aaron-Khai Xing earned their place in the main draw after overcoming teammates and world No. 67 Bryan Jeremy Goonting-Fazriq Razif 21-17, 21-17 in straight games.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
16 hours ago
- The Star
Pearly-Thinaah attribute amazing comeback win over China pair to change in mindset
National women's doubles shuttlers Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah posing after beating Indonesia's Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma-Amalia Cahaya Pratiwi in the quarter-final match of Malaysian Masters at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil on Friday. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star PETALING JAYA: Women's doubles shuttlers Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah's change in mindset is paying dividends. Pearly-Thinaah smashed into their maiden World Tour Super 1000 final after impressively beating China's world No. 6 Li Yijing-Luo Xumin in the Indonesian Open. The world No. 4 pair looked down and out after losing the first game 12-21 but showed great fighting spirit and mental fortitude to storm back to claim 21-17, 21-11 victories in the next two games at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta yesterday. Pearly attributed the breakthrough win to the pair's patient approach. "We kept reminding each other to be patient. We didn't want to rush. We just wanted to enjoy the game, whether win or lose," Pearly told the Badminton World Federation (BWF). "Our change in mindset was the turning point for us. We grew in confidence and that helped us win today (yesterday)." The win meant a lot for Pearly and Thinaah after previously struggling to even reach the last four in a Super 1000 tourney. "Words cannot describe how happy we are today (yesterday). From one game down, we really supported each other and we didn't want to give up easily," said Thinaah. "I'm very thankful to Pearly for her accurate smashes. We have been encouraging each other a lot in this tournament and before as well but today (yesterday) was a crucial point because it was not only about the strategy but also the mental and physical aspects. "I'm really thankful to have Pearly on my side." Pearly-Thinaah have avenged their defeat to Yijing-Xuomin after losing in straight games to the duo in the China Open first round last September. The pair have now reached their third final of the year after capturing the Thailand Open last month and finishing runners-up in the Indonesian Masters in January. Standing in Pearly-Thinaah's way in their bid to land the biggest title of their careers so far will be either Yijing-Xuomin's teammates, world No. 1 Liu Shengshu-Tan Ning or South Korea's world No. 3 Baek Ha-na-Lee So-hee. Pearly-Thinaah are out to emulate 2009 champions Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty, who were the only Malaysians previously to triumph in the women's doubles in the Indonesian Open. On their approach for the final, Thinaah said: "We want to have a relaxed mind and we just want to stay calm. "We have to remember each other's strengths and weaknesses and stay patient."
The Star
20 hours ago
- The Star
Goh-Izzuddin's world No. 1 spot could soon be under threat if they don't lift their game
Malaysia's Goh Sze Fei - Nur Izzuddin in action for mens double match during the Malaysia Open 2025 at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star PETALING JAYA: Reaching world No. 1 is hard but maintaining the top position seems even tougher. Men's doubles shuttlers Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, who surged to the coveted spot last month, are struggling for consistency and are in danger of relinquishing their position if they don't find a way to improve fast. Sze Fei-Izzuddin's run in the Indonesian Open ended in the quarter-finals after they narrowly went down 19-21, 21-9, 19-21 to world No. 8 homesters Sabar Gutama-Moh Reza at a packed Istora Senayan in Jakarta on Friday. The independent pair were looking good to make the semis when they led 17-14 and 19-17 in the deciding game but could not hold on and ended up losing in 57 minutes. It was Sze Fei-Izzuddin's third quarter-final exit in a row after they also suffered the same fate in the Malaysian Masters and Singapore Open. The duo have failed to progress to the last four in any of their competitions since capturing the Indian Open title in January. Sze Fei-Izzuddin will remain as the world No. 1 for now after their closest challengers for the top spot, Denmark's world No. 2 Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rassmussen and world No. 3 teammates Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik suffered early exits in the Indonesian tourney but could be overtaken next month if they don't rediscover their best form. Sze Fei-Izzuddin have two important back-to-back tournaments coming up next month – the Japan Open from July 15-20 and China Open from July 22-27. The pair won both the competitions last year and will be under pressure to reach the finals again in both to protect their ranking points and maintain their No. 1 position. Sze Fei-Izzuddin admitted that after losing to Sabar-Moh they needed to get used to the pressure of being at the top. "Our opponents controlled their emotions well during the last few points while we were quite nervous," said Izzuddin in a post-match interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF). Sze Fei said: "These are the things we need to improve on and we hope to do better next time. "The pressure is always there. It depends on how we handle the expectations." Going through ups and downs is normal and the onus is now on Sze Fei-Izzuddin to fight back and prove that they deserve to remain as the world's best pair.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Rashid believes Tze Yong can fight his way back despite tough road to recovery
KUALA LUMPUR: Former singles legend Datuk Rashid Sidek hopes men singles shuttler Ng Tze Yong will make a strong comeback from his latest injury setback although it looks tough on paper. Tze Yong has to go for another round of surgery to recover from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury sustained at the Malaysian Masters last month and that means he will be out of the competition scene for a few months. Rashid sympathies with Tze Yong, who is currently lying at 199th spot in the world rankings. 'Tze Yong is a very determined player and I hope he will come out of this difficult situation stronger,' said Rashid. 'It will be hard for sure. Careers of former players like women singles players Julia Wong and Norshaliza Baharom were cut short because of recurring injuries. Even mixed doubles shuttler Goh Liu Ying struggled during her heydays. 'It will never be the same after a surgery. The players will have to deal with fear of aggravating the injury when they push themselves during training after making a comeback. 'The leg will be swollen when they go the extra mile in training. It's also hard for coaches to decide how much is enough when an injured player returns for training. 'I'm sorry that Tze Yong has to go through this but knowing him, I'm sure, he will go through this bravely and stay positive. With Tze Yong is out in the cold again, Malaysia's hopefuls are Leong Jun Hao, Justin Hoh and professional Lee Zii Jia. 'It's a tough season for Malaysia's singles department but I hope coach Kenneth (Jonassen) will be able to manage it,' he said. Tze Yong, who was forced to retire from a match against Hong Kong's Angus Ng Ka Long due to pain in his knee at the home meet, is choosing to be optimistic. 'It's tough to accept, especially after all the hard work leading up to this point, but I know this is just another challenge to overcome,' said the 25-year-old Tze Yong, who just recently returned to competition after taking slightly over a year to recover from his previous injury. He underwent surgery for his back twice last year after injuring it during the Malaysian Open in January. 'I'm staying positive, and I'm fully focused on coming back stronger.' The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) confirmed that Tze Yong had to undergo knee surgery after scans revealed a torn ACL, requiring surgical intervention following a thorough medical examination. 'This is a difficult moment for Tze Yong, but he is mentally strong and focused on the recovery process,' said Kenneth Jonassen, BAM's director of singles. 'Our medical and coaching teams are working closely with him to ensure he gets the best care possible. We will support him every step of the way, both on and off court.'
