Latest news with #MalaysiaOpen
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Frustrated Shevon Lai hits back at netizens
KUALA LUMPUR: The irked wife has smashed back at some caustic citizens and invited them to partner her husband. Shevon Lai, who is usually composed, was not amused this time, and took the drastic step to respond on social media following the scathing criticism of her and her mixed doubles partner Goh Soon Huat, who is also her husband, after their loss to Thai pair Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran at the Singapore Open on Friday. World No. 5 Soon Huat-Shevon suffered an agonising 19-21, 22-20, 21-17 defeat to world No. 8 Dechapol-Supissara in the quarter-finals. "If you guys wanna keep condemning me for not having initiative to find the shots, and feel I am letting Soon Huat run the entire court himself on purpose, please speak to @gohsoonhuat, and come train with us, I will let you feel how is it when I look for the shuttle. #fedupofthis," wrote a frustrated Shevon in her Instagram story. "And I am more than happy to let you partner @gohsoonhuat. You take my position and see how it feels." To be fair to Shevon-Soon Huat, it has always been a close tussle between them and Dechapol-Supissara, who have established themselves as one of the world's top pairs since starting their partnership last October. Dechapol, world champion in 2021 and former world No. 1 with his previous partner. Sapsiree Taerattanachai, has achieved considerable success with Supissara. The duo have won four World Tour titles including the Malaysia Open in January. Soon Huat-Shevon trail closely, 3-4 in thier head-to-head meetings following the defeat in Singapore. Despite their advancing age, the 35-year-old Soon Huat and the 32-year-old Shevon have been the most consistent Malaysian pair on the World Tour, reaching the quarter-final stage or beyond in eight of their last nine tournaments. However, they suffered a rare first round defeat in the Malaysia Masters last week with Soon Huat carrying a leg injury prior to the tournament. Soon Huat-Shevon will play in the Super 1000 Indonesia Open starting on Tuesday, where they could meet Dechapol-Supissara in a second round clash. And they hope fans won't be too judgemental.
New Straits Times
27-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
'Break-up? What break-up?': Tang Jie-Ee Wei show fire in Singapore
KUALA LUMPUR: A lot has changed since Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei last walked off the court together as a pair in March, but on Tuesday at the Singapore Open, they showed the fire was far from gone. In their first match back on the World Tour since parting ways after the All England, Tang Jie-Ee Wei looked like a pair with unfinished business. Their 21-18, 21-15 win over Americans Presley Smith-Jennie Gai wasn't just about clearing the opening hurdle. It was about making a statement, they're back. Despite a promising start to the year - reaching the semi-finals at both the Malaysia Open and Indonesia Masters - the pair stumbled in Europe, suffering early exits at the Orleans Masters and All England. The results prompted a surprise decision to split, with both going on to partner different teammates at the Taiwan Open and Malaysia Masters. Tang Jie even dabbled in men's doubles during the Taiwan stop, which proved a valuable learning experience. "The speed is different, but I was able to pick up some insights on how to better protect my woman's partner in mixed doubles," said Tang Jie. "We're still trying to get better, there's still a lot more to be adjusted." Ee Wei admitted the chemistry is still a work-in-progress, but took heart in their strong return. "We did pretty well considering it's been a while. We're trying to regain momentum and experimenting with new things on court. We'll take it one match at a time and let the results come naturally," she said. Interestingly, world No. 4 Tang Jie also today reclaimed their position as Malaysia's top-ranked mixed doubles - a status they last held in February. Their return to the national No. 1 spot was made possible after Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai's first-round loss in Kuala Lumpur last week saw them slip from No. 3 to No. 5 in the latest world rankings. Next up for Tang Jie-Ee Wei is a second-round clash against Taiwan's Ye Hong Wei-Nicole Gonzales Chan - a favourable matchup as they eye another fine run in the Super 750 event, where they were semi-finalists in 2023. Meanwhile, Soon Huat-Shevon are doing everything they can to wrestle back lost ground. The 2018 Singapore Open champions were efficient in their opener, dispatching Ukraine's Oleksii Titov-Yevheniia Kantemyr 21-11, 21-8 in just 21 minutes. But sterner tests await. A tough second-round clash against China's Feng Yan Zhe-Wei Ya Xin could prove decisive in their efforts to reclaim lost momentum. The day ended in heartbreak for Wong Tien Ci-Lim Chiew Sien, though not for a lack of effort. The world No. 33 pushed Thailand's world No. 8 Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran to the limit before going down 19-21, 21-19, 22-20.
The Print
26-05-2025
- Sport
- The Print
Satwik-Chirag team leads Indian challenge at Singapore Open; Prannoy, Lakshya, Sindhu also in fray
Now fully fit, the Indian team, which reached the semifinals of Malaysia Open and India Open earlier this year, will open against Malaysia's Choong Hon Jian and Muhammad Haikal. The former world number one duo last played at the All England Championships in March but withdrew in the second round due to Chirag's back injury. They also pulled out of the Sudirman Cup because of Satwik's health issues. Singapore, May 26 (PTI) The celebrated pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will make a much-anticipated return to elite competition after shaking off fitness concerns when the duo leads a star-studded Indian challenge at the Singapore Open Super 750 tournament starting here on Tuesday. By reaching the finals of last week's Malaysia Masters, Kidambi Srikanth managed to lift himself and the overall gloom that had set over Indian badminton in the past few months. He broke the pattern of India's singles players largely failing to make a deep run in the tournaments week after week for the past few months. Though he won't be competing this week, he will serve as an inspiration for his compatriots as they fight it out at the USD 1,000,000 event. HS Prannoy, a 2023 World Championships bronze-medallist who witnessed the rampaging run of Srikanth at Kuala Lumpur, will look to produce a similarly gritty show when he begins his campaign against Denmark's Rasmus Gemke. Pranniy is on a comeback trail after battling chikungunya last year. The 32-year-old, who has been bogged down by fitness issues and the after-effects of the illness, showed promise against Japan's Kenta Nishimoto last week but fell to Yushi Tanaka in the second round. Lakshya Sen will look to silence doubts about his fitness when he faces Lin Chun-Yi in the opening round. The 23-year-old from Almora, a 2021 World Championships bronze-medallist, has struggled to find form since reaching the Paris Olympics semifinal. Sen's four first-round exits this season are concerning for a player seen as a future leader of Indian badminton after Srikanth and Prannoy. Similarly, Priyanshu Rajawat, 23, has tested the patience of Indian fans with six first-round exits. Known for his immaculate hand-eye coordination and attacking style, Rajawat now faces pressure to deliver but he can take a cue from academy mate Srikanth, who also trains in Hyderabad. Kiran George, 25, has also failed to live up to expectations. After reaching the India Open quarterfinal earlier this year, he has not capitalised on his chances. He opens against China's Weng Hong Yang. Sindhu leads women's challenge ===================== In women's singles, PV Sindhu remains a work in progress. Despite multiple coaching changes, consistent deep runs have eluded the two-time Olympic medallist. The 29-year-old suffered a hamstring injury during training in Guwahati in February, forcing her to miss the Asia Team Championships. Since returning, she has faced early defeats against players such as Thuy Linh Nguyen, Putri Kusuma Wardani, and Kim Gaeun. Sindhu, a former world champion, will face Canada's Wen Yu Zhang in the first round. Other Indian women's players face tough draws. Anmol Kharb takes on former Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei of China, while Aakarshi Kashyap will be up against third seed Han Yue. Malvika Bansod faces Thailand's Supanida Katethong and Rakshita Ramraj square off against South Korea's Kim Ga Eun. Anupama Upadhaya plays Chinese Taipei's Sung Shuo Yun, while Unnati Hooda will face second seed Wang Zhiyi, the Malaysia Masters champion. India's top-ranked women's doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, seeded eighth, will play Chinese Taipei's Chang Ching Hui and Yang Ching Tun. The Mixed doubles pairs — Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto and Rohan Kapoor/Ruthvika Shivani Gadde — are also in the fray. PTI ATK PM ATK PM PM This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
New Straits Times
26-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Malaysian pairs ready to rock the world [WATCH]
KUALA LUMPUR: The current generation of Malaysian men's badminton doubles who have captured five global titles so far this year have drawn comparison with the golden era of 2007. Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, soon to be installed as world-ranked No. 1, have won the India Open, world No. 3 Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik have won the Thailand Open and Asian Championships, and world No. 8 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun have captured the Malaysia Masters (on Sunday) and Indonesia Masters in January. In 2007, Malaysian men's doubles was a major force on the world scene. Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong captured five international titles, including the Malaysia Open and All England, to become world No. 1. Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah lifted the Asian crown, and Chan Chong Ming-Hoon Thien How won the New Zealand Open under Rexy Mainaky's first stint as the men's doubles head coach (2005-2012). Now with Malaysia having three men's pairs in the world top 10, Rexy, who is now the national coaching director, said the current batch have the potential to match the "2007 era" under new men's doubles head coach Herry IP. "I hope this set of players can match the era when I first came here where we had five or six pairs who were in the world top 15 or top 10," said Rexy. "With our new coach (Herry) who had also coached me in my playing days, I'm positive about this new group of seniors like Aaron-Wooi Yik and the others. "This is the first all-Malaysian final (Wei Chong- Kai Wun beat Aaron-Wooi Yik) in the Malaysia Masters after 12 years and this shows progress. "But this doesn't mean that we have to be satisfied because we have won many titles. They used to play with speed and power, but now are able to control their emotions and stay focused when things get tough. We must keep this going. "However, South Korea have a pair (a threat to Malaysia) whom we must be aware of while China have a few, as well as Denmark." On Sunday at the Axiata Arena, Wei Chong-Kai Wun became the first local pair to win the Malaysia Masters in 12 years since Goh V Shem-Lim Khim Wah's feat in 2013. Apart from the established pairs, Malaysia have others like Arif Junaidi-Yap Roy King (world No. 22), Choong Hon Jian-Haikal Nazri (No. 41) and world junior champions Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing (No. 58) with the potential to follow in their footsteps. However, the country's big guns cannot rest on their laurels as South Koreans Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae, who skipped the Malaysia Masters, will return to action, beginning with the Singapore Open starting tomorrow. World No. 10 Won Ho-Seung Jae have swept two Super 1000 titles, the Malaysia Open and All England, and with new head coach Park Joo Bong leading South Korea again, the Malaysians must be prepared. Malaysia's doubles stars should capitalise on the momentum and target the Super 1000 titles at the Indonesia Open on June 3-8 and China Open on July 22-27. A solid outing in these two big tournaments will set up the Malaysians for a genuine title bid at the World Championships in Paris on Aug 25-31.
New Straits Times
26-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Malaysian pairs ready to rock the world
KUALA LUMPUR: The current generation of Malaysian men's badminton doubles who have captured five global titles so far this year have drawn comparison with the golden era of 2007. Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, soon to be installed as world-ranked No. 1, have won the India Open, world No. 3 Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik have won the Thailand Open and Asian Championships, and world No. 8 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun have captured the Malaysia Masters (on Sunday) and Indonesia Masters in January. In 2007, Malaysian men's doubles was a major force on the world scene. Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong captured five international titles, including the Malaysia Open and All England, to become world No. 1. Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah lifted the Asian crown, and Chan Chong Ming-Hoon Thien How won the New Zealand Open under Rexy Mainaky's first stint as the men's doubles head coach (2005-2012). Now with Malaysia having three men's pairs in the world top 10, Rexy, who is now the national coaching director, said the current batch have the potential to match the "2007 era" under new men's doubles head coach Herry IP. "I hope this set of players can match the era when I first came here where we had five or six pairs who were in the world top 15 or top 10," said Rexy. "With our new coach (Herry) who had also coached me in my playing days, I'm positive about this new group of seniors like Aaron-Wooi Yik and the others. "This is the first all-Malaysian final (Wei Chong- Kai Wun beat Aaron-Wooi Yik) in the Malaysia Masters after 12 years and this shows progress. "But this doesn't mean that we have to be satisfied because we have won many titles. They used to play with speed and power, but now are able to control their emotions and stay focused when things get tough. We must keep this going. "However, South Korea have a pair (a threat to Malaysia) whom we must be aware of while China have a few, as well as Denmark." On Sunday at the Axiata Arena, Wei Chong-Kai Wun became the first local pair to win the Malaysia Masters in 12 years since Goh V Shem-Lim Khim Wah's feat in 2013. Apart from the established pairs, Malaysia have others like Arif Junaidi-Yap Roy King (world No. 22), Choong Hon Jian-Haikal Nazri (No. 41) and world junior champions Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing (No. 58) with the potential to follow in their footsteps. However, the country's big guns cannot rest on their laurels as South Koreans Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae, who skipped the Malaysia Masters, will return to action, beginning with the Singapore Open starting tomorrow. World No. 10 Won Ho-Seung Jae have swept two Super 1000 titles, the Malaysia Open and All England, and with new head coach Park Joo Bong leading South Korea again, the Malaysians must be prepared. Malaysia's doubles stars should capitalise on the momentum and target the Super 1000 titles at the Indonesia Open on June 3-8 and China Open on July 22-27. A solid outing in these two big tournaments will set up the Malaysians for a genuine title bid at the World Championships in Paris on Aug 25-31.
