KUALA LUMPUR: World No. 9 men’s doubles pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun have set their sights on breaking into the world’s top eight ahead of next year’s Malaysia Open after conceding that their hopes of qualifying for the World Tour Finals are all but over.
The French Open champions revealed their ambition following a 21-17, 21-17 semi-final defeat to South Korea’s world No. 1 Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae at the Korea Open at Jinnam Stadium in Yeosu on Saturday.
Wei Chong said the pair would now focus on making the most of their remaining two tournaments, the Kumamoto Masters beginning on Tuesday and the Hong Kong Open, before turning their attention to the new season.
“I think we can’t qualify for the World Tour Finals, and we just want to play our best in the next two tournaments, and maybe our target is top eight for next year’s Malaysia Open,” said Wei Chong in a post-match interview with the Badminton World Federation.
The defeat also extended Wei Chong-Kai Wun’s miserable record against Won Ho-Seung Jae, who have now beaten the Malaysians in all seven of their meetings.
Despite arriving in Yeosu after their French Open Super 750 triumph last month, Wei Chong-Kai Wun once again found themselves unable to overcome the formidable Koreans.
The Malaysians remained competitive throughout the 39-minute encounter but struggled to contain their opponents’ attacking play at crucial moments.
There was also a moment of controversy late in the opening game when Won Ho swung at a shuttle that appeared to be heading out with the Koreans leading 18-17.
His racket slipped from his hand and struck the net, prompting Kai Wun to appeal for a fault, but the umpire waved away his protest.
The Malaysians then challenged the line call unsuccessfully, allowing Won Ho-Seung Jae to establish a two-point advantage at 19-17 before closing out the game.
Wei Chong admitted their defensive shortcomings made it hard to withstand the Koreans’ relentless attacking pressure.
“I think for me, my defence today was not really good because I couldn’t return a few of their smashes. So, I think that’s the problem,” said Wei Chong.
Kai Wun echoed his partner’s assessment, explaining that their struggles in defence had also affected their tactical approach.
“Because our defence was not doing really well, we didn’t want to lift so easily, and from there we didn’t do so well,” said Kai Wun.
Despite the setback, Kai Wun believes the pair have improved significantly since last season, although recurring weaknesses continue to keep them from performing consistently at the highest level.
“I think actually it’s already getting better compared with last year, but we still have things to learn because there are still small issues that we need to work on,” he said.