KUALA LUMPUR: Getting enough rest and keeping the pressure off proved to be a winning formula for Karen Lyne Dick, who struck two gold medals at the Southeast Asia Table Tennis Championships in Kuala Lumpur today.
Karen enjoyed a fruitful day after partnering with Javen Choong to win the mixed doubles title before teaming up with Tee Ai Xin to capture the women’s doubles crown at the Malaysian Sepak Takraw Academy.
Javen-Karen defeated Singapore’s Koen Pang Yew En-Ser Lin Qian 11-9, 8-11, 11-4, 15-13 in the mixed doubles final.
She then partnered Ai Xin to beat Indonesia’s Almaira Nebuchadnezzar-Siti Aminah 12-10, 11-8, 8-11, 11-1 in the women’s doubles final.
The 24-year-old credited proper rest and a relaxed mindset for helping her maintain her performance across both finals.
“The main key was getting enough rest,” Karen said.
“I slept well last night and, before the matches, I told my partners to relax and just play as we normally do in training. We didn’t want to put too much pressure on ourselves.”
Winning the mixed doubles title with Javen gave her a boost heading into the women’s doubles final, though she admitted there was still room for improvement.
“After winning the mixed doubles, I was feeling quite good,” she added.
“I felt my performance was stable today, although I still needed to make a lot of adjustments in the women’s doubles and stay focused.”
Karen will now turn her attention to the women’s singles, where she faces a familiar opponent in Ai Xin in today’s round of 16.
“I think we will both give our best. We just have to go out there and play,” she added.
“I will just focus on taking things step by step. I don’t want to think too far ahead.”