PETALING JAYA: Shuttlers Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun are excelling in the men’s doubles event at the Arctic Open. Their success continued with a victory over Japanese duo Keiichiro Matsui-Yoshinori Takeuchi in a thrilling second-round clash at the Energia Arena in Vantaa on Thursday. Just a day before, they had already stunned their seniors Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik in their opening match.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun had previously lost to Matsui and Takeuchi in the first round of the Indonesian Open in June, making this victory even sweeter as they exacted revenge. The Japanese pair is known for defeating higher-ranked opponents like Aaron-Wooi Yik and Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi. Despite the challenge, Wei Chong-Kai Wun displayed determination and composure, finally winning after 72 minutes of a hard-fought battle.
The pair has had a tough year, struggling to perform consistently at a high level. This quarter-final appearance is their first since winning the Taiwan Open in June. Rexy Mainaky, the national coaching director, expressed satisfaction with Wei Chong-Kai Wun’s win but emphasizes the need for improvement.
“Wei Chong-Kai Wun controlled the game yesterday,” said Rexy. “However, their decision making needs to be more consistent. They have been improving steadily in this tournament, but there is still room for growth.”
In the upcoming quarter-finals, Wei Chong-Kai Wun will face Indonesia’s 2022 Asian champions Pramudya Kusumawardana-Yeremia Rambitan. Another Malaysian pair, Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi, also secured a spot in the last eight after defeating Scotland’s Alexander Dunn-Adam Hall. They will compete against Denmark’s Rasmus Kjaer-Frederik Sogaard in the next round.
Switching to the women’s doubles category, Malaysia’s Anna Cheong-Teoh Mei Xing unfortunately bowed out after a loss to Thailand’s Jongkolphan Kititharakul-Rawinda Prajongjai. Additionally, Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing, an independent mixed doubles pair, ended their campaign with a defeat against Hong Kong’s Reginald Lee-Ng Tsz Yau.
