KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 — Malaysia’s badminton camp was dealt with a huge blow as none of their singles shuttlers, be it men’s or women’s, qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2022 Malaysia Masters, here, tomorrow.
Ng Tze Yong crashed out in the second-round action in Axiata Arena today at the hands of fourth-seeded Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan, 21-18, 21-16.
Despite losing the match, the world number 48 player deserved a pat on his back for his fighting spirit but it was Tien Chou’s experience that pulled him through to the last eight.
Tze Yong said he just needs to beef up his physical strength and stamina in catching up with higher-ranked players in the next future.
The 22-year-old player pointed out that his participation in the Malaysia Open last week as well as Malaysia Masters had bolstered his confidence to play in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, scheduled to be held from July 28 to Aug 8.
“I don’t want to think about medals in Commonwealth Games at the moment as I just hope to deliver my best in every match there,” he told reporters after the match.
Tze Yong was eliminated early in the first round of the 2022 Malaysia Open by Lu Guang Zu of China, 16-21, 23-21, 18-21.
Although professional women’s singles player Goh Jin Wei put up an aggressive display which saw her win 21-16 against Taiwanese star, Tai Tzu Ying, in the opening set, the former world champion ran out of steam in the remaining sets before conceding 7-21, 9-21.
World number 69 Jin Wei was gutted that she could not make it to the next round and admitted that there was a great divide between her and Tzu Ying, ranked second in the world ranking.
“I gave 200 per cent during the first set and then I lost my energy to fight in the second and third sets. I need to improve my stamina and learned a lot from Tzu Ying today, especially on her strategy as well as her patience throughout the game,” she said.
The 2018 Youth Olympics champion said she was now comfortable with the professional path taken but at the same time, would welcome any assistance from National Sports Council (NSC) or National Sports Institute (NSI) so as to push her to become a top player in the future.
“Yes, it all depends on them (NSI and NSC) but I have made the decision and was prepared for this (turn professional). If they want to help it’s a bonus for me,” she said. — Bernama
