Taipei: Demonstrating their undeniable talent, Malaysia’s World No. 19 mixed doubles pair, Chen Tang Jie/Toh Ee Wei, secured their spot in the Taipei Open final on Saturday.
In a swift and decisive match that lasted a mere 34 minutes, the fourth-seeded duo dominated the court, defeating the host pair of Ye Hong Wei/Lee Chia Hsin with a convincing score of 21-14, 21-19 in the semi-finals held at the Tian-Mu Arena, University of Taipei.
Highlights of Chen Tang Jie/Toh Ee Wei vs. Ye Hong Wei/Lee Chia Hsin in the 2023 Taipei Open semi-finals:
After the match, Malaysia’s mixed doubles coach Nova Widianto praised Chen/Toh for their exceptional composure in the match, acknowledging the significance of this victory as they continue to accumulate crucial points for qualification to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
“Today, Tang Jie and Ee Wei showcased exceptional skills, although they appeared slightly rushed towards the end of the second set, losing some focus,” commented Widianto.
This marked the duo’s third appearance in a final this season, they had previously entered the finals at the Iran International Challenge and Orleans Masters, where they emerged as champions in both tournaments.
In Sunday’s final, Chen/Toh will face another mixed pair from Taiwan, Chiu Hsiang Chieh/Lin Xiao Min. The local duo secured their spot in the final by defeating their compatriots Tseng Min Hao/Hsieh Pei Shan with an impressive score of 21-10, 21-8.
As they look ahead to the final match, Widianto cautioned his players against underestimating their opponents, despite their lower ranking at World No. 50.
“Tomorrow, we must maintain our focus. Although our opponents hold a lower ranking, they possess the advantage of playing on their home turf,” emphasized Widianto, who started coaching Chen/Toh in December of 2022.
In women’s singles, Tai Tzu-Ying, Taiwan’s top-seeded women’s singles player, faced little resistance in the semi-finals as she comfortably defeated Thailand’s Pornpicha Choeikeewong with a score of 21-12, 21-16, securing her spot in the final for the sixth time in her career. Tai is now standing just one match away from claiming her fifth Taipei Open title.
Tai will face Chinese-American player Zhang Beiwen in the championship match.
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma/Amalia Cahaya Pratiwi will cross sword with Lee Yu Lim/Shin Seung Chan of Korea in the women’s doubles final.
