SINGAPORE: National mixed doubles, Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing yesterday squeezed their way into the Singapore Badminton Open mixed doubles final for a chance to end their 27-month title drought.
Kian Meng-Pei Jing last won a title in the Malaysian Master in January 2017.
The unseeded pair prevailed over Hafiz Faizal and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja of Indonesia, 21-16, 20-22 22-20 in a breathtaking 71 minutes semi-final match.
The victory was sweet revenge for Malaysia as the seventh seeded Indonesians took down national number one pair of Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying in the quarter-finals and another Malaysian pair Chen Tang Jie-Peck Yen Wei in the first round.
Kian Meng-Pei Jing will be meeting third seeds, Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai of Thailand today who subdued top seeds Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong of China in the semi-final yesterday.
“We began to build our confidence after the Malaysia Open,” said Pei Jing when met after the game.
The duo reached the semi-finals in the just concluded tournament.
“We didn’t think much. We just prepare for the toughest games but we are happy that we won again. This is really building more confidence in us,” she said.
Tracking back their journey in Singapore Open, Kian Meng-Pei Jing upset second seeds Yuta Watanabe-Arisa Higashino in the first round and triumphed over another Japanese pair Kohei Gondo-Ayane Kurihara in the second round; and the Indonesian duo of Ricky Karandasuwardi-Pia Zebadiah Bernadet in the quarter-finals.
Kian Meng-Pei Jing were at one time the 10th best in the world in 2016 but experienced a slump in performance from 2017 until last month.
In the four championships they participated early this year starting with Malaysia Masters, Indonesia Masters, German Open and All England, Kian Meng-Pei Jing were showed the exit in the first round.
“We have been trying very hard to find our form since 2018. We are happy that we can make a comeback,” said Pei Jing.
The pair expect a tough game today as Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai are also Thailand’s lone participants in the tournament which offers a total prize of US$355,000.
“We need to play very well. We also have to be really prepared mentally,” said Pei Jing.
Malaysian mixed-doubles pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Jemie Lai shocked world number one, Liliyana Natsir-Tontowi Ahmad of Indonesia in the final of the Singapore Badminton Open last year. – Bernama
