PETALING JAYA: Just a week after a disappointing opening round exit in the Malaysian Masters, Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei rebounded strongly by stunning China’s world No. 5 Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping to reach the second round of the Thailand Open.
World No. 20 Tang Jie-Ee Wei fought hard to come away with a 21-15, 19-21, 21-19 win over Malaysian Masters runners-up Yanzhe-Dongping in a thrilling first-round match at the Huamark Indoor Stadium in Bangkok yesterday.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei were leading 11-6 in the third game but the Chinese pair refused to give up and fought hard to go ahead at 14-13.
It was neck-and-neck from there but the Malaysians managed to keep their composure to win narrowly in the end.
“We didn’t think too much after losing in the first round at home but instead focused hard on doing better in this tournament,” said Ee Wei.
“We had prepared ourselves well mentally and in training, and this helped us to win.”
Tang Jie added: “We were playing against them for the first time and we couldn’t afford to relax at all in the match even when we were leading as they have the ability to catch up.
“In the third game, we had to keep our focus until the end and we are happy that we managed to do it.”
It was also sweet revenge for Tang Jie-Ee Wei, who had lost to Dongping and her previous partner Wang Yilyu in the Indian Open in January.
The Malaysian pair will next face Japan’s world No. 21 Yuki Kaneko-Misaki Matsutomo for a place in the quarter-finals.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei need to raise their performance again after losing 19-21, 24-22, 17-21 to the Japanese pair in their only encounter so far in the All-England in March.
“We will go all out to try to win,” said Ee Wei.
Meanwhile, there was further good news when independent pair Chan Peng Soon-Cheah Yee See also booked their spot in the second round.
World No. 36 Peng Soon-Yee See also had to battle hard to topple Singapore’s world No. 26 Terry Hee-Jessica Tan 15-21, 21-11, 22-20.
Peng Soon-Yee See have a tough task next against South Korea’s world No. 9 Kim Won-ho-Jeong Na-eun.
The former had lost 8-21, 15-21 to the latter in the first round of the Malaysian Masters.
