Man-Tee wary of potential clash with Korean duo, but won't overlook earlier pairs
PETALING JAYA: The men's doubles competition is fierce at the moment, leaving seventh seeds Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun with no clear advantage despite heading to the World Championships in Paris from Aug 25-31 as one of the top pairs.
Based on the draw conducted on Wednesday, Wei Chong-Kai Wun have already mapped out their route to the podium.
This time, they are determined not to suffer the same heartbreak as in 2023, when they came close to winning a medal but fell in the quarter-finals on their World Championships debut.
Now competing as seventh seeds, they have the advantage of a first-round bye and are expected to face brothers Toma Junior and Christo Popov in the second round. The Malaysians hold a 2-0 record against the French duo.
If they advance, the pair are likely to take on England's Ben Lane-Sean Vendy. Lane has just recovered from surgery to remove a small extra bone behind the ankle joint known as the os trigonum.
Even so, it is no reason for them to underestimate Lane and Vendy, who are still capable of posing a serious threat.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun's main concern is a potential quarter-final clash against South Korea's Kim Gi-jung-Kim Sa-rang. Since 2021, they have faced the world No. 74 pair three times but have yet to win.
'This seeding is important in some ways and not so important in others because even the unseeded pairs are strong. Maybe it gives us a slight advantage, but the most important thing is our performance.
'In the round of 32, we might face France's Popov brothers. Matches against them are always tough and it's not a guaranteed win, especially since they will be playing at home, so we need to be well prepared.
'After that, I think we will meet the English pair, who have just recovered from injury. Then there is the Korean pair, Kim Gi-jung-Kim Sa-rang, whom we have never beaten before. Hopefully, we can perform well,' said Wei Chong.
Apart from Wei Chong-Kai Wun, Malaysia will also have three other pairs in the men's doubles, led by 2022 world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, world No. 3 Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and debutants Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King.
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