KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 16 — National mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Peck Yen Wei fluffed their lines when it mattered most and missed the chance to win a maiden major title when they lost 15-21, 18-21 to Singapore’s Terry Hee Yong Kai-Tan Wei Han in the final of the India Open today.
World number 40 Tang Jie-Yen Wei, who are also the 2018 Malaysia International champions, had been expected to overcome their world number 182 opponents but never recovered from a shaky start at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall in New Delhi.
The Singapore pair took home US$31,600 (about RM132,000) as mixed doubles champions while the Malaysians received US$15,200 (about RM64,000).
Tang Jie-Yen Wei qualified for their first Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Super 500 event (third-tier) final after stunning their more illustrious seniors, Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing, 21-19, 21-23, 21-14 in a hard-fought 71-minute semi-final yesterday.
The Singaporeans, who clinched the 2021 Czech Open title last October, came into the final still fresh, having received a walkover from Russians Rodion Alimov-Alina Davletova after Alimov tested positive for Covid-19 before the semi-finals.
Terry-Wei Han also received a walkover in the second round when their opponents, India’s Akshan Shetty-Simran Singhi withdrew after one of them tested positive for Covid-19 as well. — Bernama