KUALA LUMPUR: A tad bit disappointed.
That was what national women’s doubles player Teoh Mei Xing felt after she and her partner Anna Ching Yik Cheong found out their opponents in the opening round of the Indonesia Open 2022, slated to be held from June 14-19.
The current world number 44 duo will lock horns with top national pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah, ranked 10th in the world, in the tournament at Istora Stadium in Senayan, Jakarta.
“Surely, it’s a bit tough. Their ranking is higher than ours and they are better too. So, we just have to try our best,” Mei Xing told reporters when met at a training session today.
Mei Xing said she had moved on from the country’s poor performance in the recent Uber Cup 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand, which saw them eliminated again in the group stage.
The 25-year-old shuttler said the experience she gained in the world’s most prestigious badminton team tournament would motivate her to do better in future outings.
She said they had discussed a lot with the coaching team to find ways to minimise unforced errors on court.
“I can feel that my smash is getting better after I came back from Thailand but we still need to raise our standard though,” she added.
Meanwhile, Pearly said it was normal to play against teammates as it can happen in any tournament.
She said their upset win over world number four Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota of Japan in the last eight of the Thailand Open last month had fired them up for more success.
However, Pearly said there was still room for improvement, especially in her communication with Thinaah.
“We also need to be more alert and careful so as not to lose focus, especially during long rallies,” she said. – BERNAMA
