Latest news with #SudirmanCup
The Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Herry hails Aaron-Wooi Yik's fine run as extraordinary
National men's doubles shuttlers Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star PETALING JAYA: It is rare for players to hit the ground running under the charge of a new coach but doubles shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik have shown that they are an exception. And even doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi is surprised with how Aaron-Wooi Yik had turned their game around. On Sunday, Aaron-Wooi Yik captured the Singapore Open by beating a formidable pair in Kim Won-ho-Seo Seung-jae of South Korea to make it one of their best years in terms of winning World Tour titles. It was their fourth final appearance this year and third back-to-back finals. They had won the Asian Championships in April and competed in the Sudirman Cup in China before returning to lift the Thailand Open and finishing as the runners-up at the Malaysian Masters. "They have been playing for three straight weeks and still went on to win the title in is extraordinary," beamed Herry. "I think, there was a drop in their physical form in Singapore and that was expected but they made it up with strong determination to win. I'm proud of them. Aaron-Wooi Yik will begin their campaign in the Indonesian Open in Jakarta on Tuesday (June 3) but Herry is keeping the boys on their feet. "I'm not setting any big targets but I just want them to give their best," added Herry. The world No. 3 will take on Denmark's Rasmus Kjaer-Frederik Sogaard in the opening round.
The Star
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Kenneth tinkering with idea to make Leong consistent
PETALING JAYA: Beating a world-class opponent is one thing but doing it consistently is another altogether. That's the challenge national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen is tackling as he looks to help Leong Jun Hao sustain his momentum on the international stage. Consistency remains one of the most glaring issues for Jun Hao, despite his ability to trouble and even defeat higher-ranked opponents. His performance at the Singapore Open, however, offered a glimmer of promise. Jonassen was encouraged by the 25-year-old's run, which saw him reach his first quarter-final of the season, a milestone that had eluded him until now. What made the feat sweeter was Jun Hao's straight-game win over world No. 5 and former Asian champion Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in the second round. But the Malaysian was unable to build on that momentum, falling tamely to another Asian champion, Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand. Jonassen is well aware of this issue, and it is an area that he and the other coaches are looking to help Jun Hao improve on. 'I'm of course pleased with the win (against Jonatan) and performance, and reaching the quarter-finals is a bonus, it should boost confidence and help build some momentum. 'This is true about Jun Hao's inconsistency. After one good win, we're struggling to deliver another high-quality performance the next day and adapt to a new, tough opponent. That's an area we definitely need to improve on,' said Jonassen. Jun Hao, who has now climbed to No. 25 in the world rankings, has already claimed the scalps of several top players, including world No. 7 Kodai Naraoka during the Sudirman Cup campaign in Xiamen last April. He also stunned world No. 4 Li Shifeng of China in the opening round of the India Open in January. Previously, Jun Hao struggled with slow starts, often finding himself having to work hard to close a significant gap after falling behind early in matches. He has a chance to improve his game at the Indonesian Open next Tuesday, where he will face Lei Lanxi of China in the first round. Ironically, just a few days ago, Jun Hao defeated the world No. 27 in the Singapore Open opener.
The Star
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Inconsistency remains a glaring issue for Jun Hao
National men's singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao in action against Ireland's Nhat Nguyen in the first round of Malaysian Masters at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil on Wednesday. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star PETALING JAYA: Causing upsets against top players is always exciting, but men's singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao (pic) must find greater consistency if he wants to be more than just a dangerous underdog. Jun Hao's campaign at the Singapore Open came to an end in the quarter-finals following a 13-21, 11-21 defeat to second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand. The performance was a far cry from his sensational win over world No. 5 Jonatan Christie in the second round on Thursday, highlighting the inconsistency that continues to hold him back. It's a glaring issue Jun Hao must address if he wants to be seen as more than just a threat capable of occasional upsets. Reaching the quarter-finals may be his best result so far this year, but it also exposed his struggle to maintain form despite his ability to take down top-ranked opponents. Among his notable scalps this season are Japan's world No. 7 Kodai Naraoka, whom he defeated during the group stage of the Sudirman Cup, and China's world No. 4 Li Shifeng in the opening round of the India Open in January. However, there seems to be a recurring pattern – just a day after pulling off a big win, Jun Hao often falls flat in the following match. Even the 24-year-old acknowledges this shortcoming. 'I've done my best in today's match, but I admit it still wasn't enough. Maybe the wind conditions today were very different compared to yesterday. 'I think he (Kunlavut) was more consistent and knew how to control the match. His playing style is the same, but he looked more mature out there. 'I believe I just need to stick to what I'm doing now and keep focusing on what lies ahead,' said Jun Hao in an interview with BWF. Jun Hao will have a chance to make amends for his disappointment in Singapore when he heads to Jakarta next week for the Indonesian Open, which begins on Tuesday. The Malaysian will open his campaign against China's Lei Lanxi, the same opponent he defeated in the first round of the Singapore Open.
The Star
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Aaron-Soh game for Masters rematch with Man-Tee after slaying bogey pair
National men's doubles shuttlers Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun in action against compatriots Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik in the final match of Malaysian Masters at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil on Sunday. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star PETALING JAYA: No matter the outcome of today's Singapore Open quarter-final, Malaysia is assured of at least one semi-final spot as top men's doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik prepare to face compatriots Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun. This encounter is a replay of last Sunday's Malaysian Masters final, which was won by Wei Chong-Kai Wun. However, for Aaron-Wooi Yik, reaching the quarter-finals represents more than just progression. They have conquered a long-standing mental hurdle by overcoming their main rivals, Japan's Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi, in yesterday's second-round clash. Even sweeter was the chance to avenge the painful defeat they suffered at the Sudirman Cup group stage in Xiamen earlier this month. Malaysia finished second in their group and faced China in the knockout round, where they were eliminated. Reflecting on yesterday's match, Aaron-Wooi Yik admitted that the situation almost replayed the same script from Xiamen, despite being close to victory. Thankfully, they followed the advice of coach Herry Iman Pierngadi to stay patient, and their perseverance paid off with a 21-18, 24-26, 21-12 win. 'To be honest, it's a huge relief. I think all of us still remember the loss to them (Hoki-Kobayashi) at the Sudirman Cup, especially after we had such a big lead. Today, the second game felt similar, and it brought back those tough memories. 'But being able to beat them now really gives us a boost in confidence and belief in ourselves. You could see in the second game, once we got a little confused, they started picking up points quickly. It wasn't easy, but we managed to overcome it in the third game, and we're satisfied with the win,' said Wooi Yik in a post match with BWF. Despite riding high on morale and motivation, the Asian champions are keeping their feet firmly on the ground ahead of their all-Malaysian quarter-final clash against Wei Chong-Kai Wun. Wei Chong-Kai Wun echoed similar sentiments, saying that whichever pair plays better on the day deserves to move forward. For both sides, the main focus is ensuring Malaysia's continued progress in the tournament. 'This is our first time reaching the quarter-finals of the Singapore Open, and I have to admit the wind conditions here are quite strong. But we managed to handle it well, and that gave us a confidence boost,' said Wei Chong. The world No. 7 pair booked their spot in the last eight after defeating China's Huan Di and Liu Yang 21-16, 21-16 in the second round. Meanwhile, another Malaysian men's doubles pair in action today is world No. 1 duo Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, who secured their place in the quarter-finals after brushing aside compatriots Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi 21-13, 21-11. They will next face India's top pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Aaron-Wooi Yik tame Japanese bogeymen
K. M. Boopathy KUALA LUMPUR: Men's doubles Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik showed their steely side as they slayed Japanese bogeymen Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi despite fatigue at the Singapore Open yesterday. The extraordinary effort saw world No. 3 Aaron-Wooi Yik avoid a ninth consecutive loss to world No. 17 Hoki-Kobayashi. Thus, their wild celebrations after the match was understandable, considering their losing streak to Hoki-Kobayashi, especially their loss at the Sudirman Cup earlier this year. Most importantly, Aaron-Wooi Yik's 21-18, 24-26, 21-12 win over the Japanese has ensured Malaysia a semi-final representative in Singapore. They will next meet compatriots Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun in the quarter-finals. Newly crowned Malaysia Masters champions Wei Chong-Kai Wun defeated China's world No. 24 Huang Di-Liu Yang 21-16, 21-16 yesterday, "It's quite a relief because everyone would remember the Sudirman Cup loss. Today's win is a boost to our confidence," said a physically drained Wooi Yik. Aaron said that national men's doubles head coach, Herry IP, helped to make them more relaxed and focused. "There was a flashback about our last match against them at the Sudirman Cup. We had the match point in the second game but couldn't convert, our coach gave us a lot of motivation to boost us," said Aaron. "Our coach told us to focus on the strategy, like what we did in the first game. He wanted us to be relaxed and also enjoy the game more. "Possibly, we broke it (the mental barrier) with more patience and also a bit of luck. "We have secured a place for Malaysia in the semi-finals and we will treat it like a training match." Although Aaron-Wooi Yik lost to Wei Chong-Kai Wun in the Malaysian Masters final last week, the former, who are the Olympic bronze medallists and Asian champions, look confident.
