KUALA LUMPUR: Rexy Mainaky has called for patience with the national mixed doubles squad following their recent poor results.
The national doubles coaching director said the BA of Malaysia (BAM) pairs were still adapting to different coaching methods following former head coach Nova Widianto’s departure in July.
Rexy is currently overseeing the department, with help from Teo Kok Siang and Pang Cheh Chang.
“We have to look at the transition following Nova’s departure. There are new ideas from the coaches, and Kok Siang and Cheh Chang are handling the squad at the moment,” said Rexy.
“A transition takes time. We hope the players can adapt quickly, but there has been a change of coach and a different approach.”
BAM’s mixed doubles pairs have struggled for consistency since June, with Jimmy Wong-Cheng Su Yin’s Japan Open semi-final appearance among the few bright spots.
The latest setback came at this week’s Kumamoto Masters, where Jimmy-Su Yin and Chen Tang Jie-Chan Wen Tse were eliminated in the first round on Wednesday.
World No. 32 Jimmy-Su Yin lost 21-8, 23-21 to China’s world No. 6 Guo Xin Wa-Chen Fang Hui, while Tang Jie-Wen Tse fell 21-15, 21-10 to Japan’s Yuichi Shimogami-Sayaka Hobara.
For Jimmy-Su Yin, it was a third consecutive opening-round defeat following similar exits at the Denmark and French Opens.
They reached the Arctic Open last 16 before the two European tournaments, but have been unable to build on their Japan Open breakthrough in July and Korea Masters quarter-final appearance in August.
Tang Jie-Wen Tse, meanwhile, have yet to reach a quarter-final in four tournaments together after last-16 finishes at the Arctic, Denmark and Korea Opens.
Tang Jie has been competing with different partners since regular partner Toh Ee Wei suffered a knee injury at the Singapore Open in May.
Rexy said Ee Wei’s absence was another factor to consider alongside the coaching transition.
Nova left BAM on July 31 to return to Indonesia, ending a stint that began in January 2023 and included guiding Tang Jie-Ee Wei to Malaysia’s first mixed doubles world title in Paris last year.
Kok Siang returned to the national set-up on Sept 1 as a mixed doubles coach, after serving in BAM’s junior and senior doubles programmes before leaving in 2022.