Kian Meng-Pei Jing bag first GP Gold title

PETALING JAYA: Shuttlers Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing finally lifted their first Grand Prix Gold title.

Yesterday, Kian Meng-Pei Jing defeated Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet of Hong Kong 21-16, 22-20 in a roller-coaster mixed doubles final at the Thailand Open in Bangkok.

The first game was a one-sided affair with the third-seeded Malaysians dictating the pace from the start.

The Malaysians suffered a drop in form in the second game and found themselves trailing 8-15.

But they won over the fans with their dogged determination as they fought their way back into the game to troop off winners in 39 minutes. The win was worth US$9,480 (RM39,380).

Said Kian Meng: “I lost focus in the second game and made many mistakes. Fortunately, I managed to find my touches again and we finished the match well.”

The 24-year-old Pei Jing was relieved that they overcame the intense pressure.

“I could not sleep on the eve of the final. I was restless and nervous. It was our sixth final this year and I did not want to mess it up with Kian Meng,” said Pei Jing.

“I’m so happy that we nailed it although it was not our best performance. We were lucky to turn the game around after trailing so far behind.

“Still, it’s a meaningful win for us. Finally, we have moved up a level by winning our first GP Gold title.”

The GP Gold is a second-tier tournament on the world circuit after the top-ranked Superseries.

In July, Pei Jing-Kian Meng captured the Vietnam Open title but it was a third-tier tournament.

The Malaysians had earlier missed chances to win a GP Gold tournament when they ended up as bridesmaids at the Malaysian Masters, Polish Open, Taiwan Open and Indonesian Masters.

Pei Jing said they would try to raise their level and aim for a Superseries title.

“We want to keep this momentum going and aim for bigger wins. It will be tougher in the Superseries but we will take it one step at a time,” she added.

Kian Meng-Pei Jing have withdrawn from this week’s Taiwan Masters to focus on three back-toback tournaments in Europe.

They will take part in the Denmark Open in Odense (Oct 18-23), French Open in Paris (Oct 25-30) and the Bitburger Open in Germany (Nov 1-6).