Eei Hui wants charges to maintain Japan Open momentum

a decent outing at last week’s Japan Open, national mixed doubles coach, Chin Eei Hui has urged her charges to keep their momentum for the China Open which starts today.

At the Japan Open, 2016 Rio Olympic Games silver medallists, Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying did well to reach the semifinals while Singapore Open champions Goh Soon HuatShevon Lai Jemie, made the last eight.

When contacted in Changzhou yesterday, Eei Hui said: “Peng Soon-Liu Ying did well in Japan. There was so much quality in the semi-final match (against eventual champions Zheng SiweiHuang Yaqiong of China).

“As for Soon Huat-Shevon, they still have a lot to learn. It didn’t take long before their opponents figured out their weakness and forced them into making unforced errors.”

While Peng Soon-Liu Ying and Soon Huat-Shevon lived up to expectations, another Malaysian pair, Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing, crashed out in the second round of the Japan Open.

Eei Hui, however, praised the struggling pair, and she hopes they will come out of their slump soon.

“Kian Meng-Pei Jing may have lost in the second round, but they were very unfortunate to have faced Zhang Nan-Li Yunhui (China) so early on.

“I think they played well in the first round to knock out the 2017 Sea Games gold medal winners (Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai of Thailand). I haven’t seen Kian MengPei Jing play like that in a very long time.

“Their main problem is they can’t seem to play in tournaments like they do during training. I hope their performance in Japan, would inspire them to push harder here in China,” added Eei Hui.

In the China Open, Peng SoonLiu Ying will face Siwei-Yaqiong, once again, this time in the opening round.

Soon Huat-Shevon take on Indonesia’s Ricky KarandasuwardiDebby Susanto, while Kian MengPei Jing play Denmark’s Niclas Nohr-Sara Thygesen.

The other Malaysians competing in the China Open are underfire men’s doubles Goh V ShemTan Wee Kiong, Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi, women’s singles Soniia Cheah, Goh Jin Wei, and women’s doubles Vivian Hoo-Yap Cheng Wen and Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean.