KUCHING: National mixed doubles pair, Jimmy Wong-Cheng Su Yin, delivered one of the biggest upsets of the Singapore Open after toppling world No.1 pair Feng Yan Zhe-Huang Dong Ping in straight sets on Tuesday (May 26)
The relatively new Malaysian partnership produced a composed and fearless display to defeat the Chinese favourites 23-21, 21-16 in the opening round of the Super 750 tournament.
Jimmy and Su Yin only formally partnered earlier this year, making the victory even more significant against one of badminton’s most established mixed doubles combinations.
Meeting each other for the first time, the clash quickly evolved into a battle of anticipation and reading movement, with both pairs constantly attempting to predict the next attacking sequence.
The Malaysians initially took control of the opening set, carving out slim early leads through aggressive front-court pressure and quick attacking exchanges.
However, the experienced Chinese pair slowly clawed their way back into the contest, eventually dragging the opening game into a tense deuce battle.
Still, Jimmy and Su Yin held firm under pressure to eventually steal the set 23-21.
Momentum then shifted heavily towards the Malaysians in the second game.
Growing in confidence, Jimmy and Su Yin dictated much of the pace while continuously forcing Yan Zhe and Dong Ping into uncomfortable defensive positions.
Despite several attempts from the Chinese duo to overturn the momentum, the world No.1 pair failed to overcome the challenge posed by the Malaysians before eventually falling to a straight-sets defeat.
The victory now stands as one of the national pair’s biggest wins together after taking down one of badminton’s most dominant mixed doubles combinations on the World Tour.
The victory now stands as one of the national pair’s biggest wins together after taking down one of badminton’s most dominant mixed doubles combinations on the World Tour.
