KUALA LUMPUR: Men’s doubles Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun could not cap their European tour with a final appearance at the Hylo Open in Saarbrucken, Germany on Saturday.
The Malaysian world No. 5 pair lost 21-16, 21-15 to Indonesia’s world No. 11 Sabar Karyaman Gutama-Reza Pahlevi Isfahani in the semi-finals at the Saarlandhalle Indoor Arena.
The Indonesians now lead their head-to-head record 3-1.
In the first game, Wei Chong-Kai Wun gave themselves too much to do after trailing 16-5 at one point. They did claw back points to make the score respectable but it was too little too late.
In the second game they kept the scores close, trailing at the mid-game interval 10-11. However, they later completely lost their momentum as the Indonesians took over and closed the match.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun were the only Malaysians left in the tournament after Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik were sent home by Sabar-Reza in the quarter-finals on Friday.
Despite the setback, Wei Chong-Kai Wun can take heart from a solid showing on the European circuit, having reached the quarter-finals of the French Open last week before advancing to the last four in Germany.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
