PENG SOON-LIU YING VOW TO BOUNCE BACK FOR INDIVIDUAL GOLD
Peng Soon-Liu Ying vow to bounce back for individual gold
SHUTTLER Chan Peng Soon has not ruled out a 1-2 finish for Malaysia in the mixed doubles individual competi tion despite a drab performance in the mixed team final.
The experienced Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying failed to capitalise on their 12-8 lead in the decider and went on to lose to India’s Satwik Rankireddy- Ashwini Ponnappa 14-21, 21-15, 15-21.
That led to the downfall of Malaysia in the final when they crashed 3-1 to India.
Besides Peng Soon-Liu Ying, Malaysia are also banking on Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie, who were hardly given the chance to play in the team event.
Peng Soon promised to get his act right with Liu Ying.
“It’s a defeat that we are not pleased about. We could not turn our game around in the third game against the Indians,” said Peng Soon.
“The standard of the mixed doubles are quite close, it’s all about who can perform on the day.
“We failed in the team event but we’ll get it right this time.”
The Rio Olympic silver medallists Peng Soon-Liu Ying are in a pursuit to win their first individual medal at the Games.
They crashed out in the semi-finals at the 2010 New Delhi Games and at the last Games in Glasgow four years ago, partnering Lai Pei Jing, they went down with in the semi-finals too.
The duo are drawn in the lower half with India’s Pranaav Chopra-Reddy N. Sikki and second seeds Chris Adcock-Gabrielle Adcock of England.
They are expected to clash against the English pair in the semi-finals.
Top seeds Soon Huat-Shevon are in the top half with Satwik-Ashwini and they are likely to meet in the quarter-finals.