HONG KONG – Fresh off their historic World Championship victory, Chen Tang jie and Toh Ee Wei will swiftly return to competition at the Hong Kong Open, commencing Tuesday, seeking to build on their momentum.
The newly crowned world champions, seeded third in the mixed doubles draw, are slated to face England’s Callum Hemming and Estelle Van Leeuwen in their first-ever encounter. Their triumph in Paris marks a significant milestone for Malaysian badminton, and national mixed doubles head coach Nova Widianto emphasizes the need for sustained mental fortitude as they navigate the increased expectations.
“For this, I hope they can maintain their consistency moving forward, as compared to other top pairs, that is sometimes the aspect they are still lacking,” Nova stated. “But I believe after becoming world champions, their self-belief will shine through and help them become more consistent.”
Also competing in Hong Kong is the women’s doubles pairing of Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, who will defend their title against Taiwan’s Chang Ching-hui and Yang Chin-tun.
An intriguing all-Malaysian men’s singles clash is set to headline the opening round, pitting former Asian champion lee Zii Jia against national No. 1 Leong Jun Hao. This will be their fourth career meeting, as both players aim to rebound from disappointing results at the recent World Championships.
in men’s doubles,Malaysia’s top teams-Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik,Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani,and Man Wei chong-Tee Kai Wun-will look to improve upon their performances. top seeds Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik will begin against England’s Ben Lane and Sean vendy,while Wei Chong and Kai Wun are drawn against compatriots Nur Azriyn Ayub and Tan Wee Kiong.
Second-seeded Sze Fei and Izzuddin will face China’s Xie Haonan and Zeng Weihan. Wan arif Wan Junaidi and Yap Roy King, coming off a strong showing in paris, will have a challenging first-round match against third seeds Kim Astrup and Anders skaarup Rasmussen, who recently secured a bronze medal at the World Championships.
