Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei displayed remarkable composure under pressure to secure a dramatic victory at the Malaysia Masters, keeping their title hopes alive on home soil.
The world No. 4 mixed doubles pair fought back from the brink to defeat Indonesian duo Amri Syahnawi and Nita Violina Marwah 21-19, 22-20 in a tense 47-minute contest at the Unifi Arena in Kuala Lumpur.
The Malaysians faced a serious scare in the second game when they trailed 20-17 and stared at three match points against them. However, they responded with five consecutive points to complete an impressive comeback and avoid being pushed into a deciding game.
Ee Wei later admitted the pair’s ability to stay calm during difficult moments came from lessons constantly reinforced by coach Nova Widianto.
She explained that the coaching staff regularly remind them to show character on court and never give up, even when trailing. According to Ee Wei, that mentality played a major role in helping them overturn the deficit.
Tang Jie also praised the Indonesian pair for their fearless approach and admitted the match was far tougher than expected. He said both he and Ee Wei spent considerable time discussing tactics before the match and focused throughout on disrupting their opponents’ rhythm rather than worrying about the scoreline.
The strong support from the home crowd also proved important during the closing stages as the Malaysians battled through one of their toughest tests of the tournament so far.
Their victory came shortly after another Malaysian mixed doubles pair, Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai, were eliminated following a three-game defeat to Taiwan’s Wu Guan Xun and Lee Chia Hsin.
Tang Jie and Ee Wei will next face China’s Gao Jia Xuan and Wei Ya Xin in the quarter-finals as they continue their pursuit of a maiden Malaysia Masters title.
Their chances have also received an unexpected boost after top seeds Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran withdrew from the tournament because of injury earlier in the week.
With momentum building and home support firmly behind them, the Malaysian pair remain among the leading contenders heading into the latter stages of the tournament.
