KUALA LUMPUR: World champions Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei will be the overwhelming favourites to claim their first World Tour title of the year at the Australia Open — but much depends on the former’s recovery from a shoulder injury.
The world No. 4 remain red-hot favourites in Sydney, especially with most of the top 10 pairs absent.
However, Tang Jie is still regaining full timing and feeling after a right shoulder injury sustained at the French Open last month.
The injury forced them to withdraw from both the Hylo Open and last week’s Kumamoto Masters.
National mixed doubles coach Nova Widianto confirmed: “Tang Jie has recovered physically. But his timing and feeling are not fully back.”
He added that Tang Jie only resumed full smashes last week.
Still, as the only top-10 pair competing in Australia, Tang Jie-Ee Wei have a golden chance to secure their first tour title of the season.
Their main rivals this year — China‘s Jiang Zhen Bang-Wei Ya Xin and Feng Yan Zhe-Huang Dong Ping, and Thailand’s world No. 3 Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran — are all absent in Sydney.
The only potential threat could come from Denmark’s world No. 18 Mathias Christiansen-Alexandra Boje, who defeated the Malaysians in the Macau Open semi-finals in August.
Tournament organisers hailed the Malaysians as “one of the most electrifying mixed doubles pairs in the world,” praising their chemistry, precision and championship mentality.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei will open their campaign against compatriots Wong Tien Ci and Lim Chiew Sien (world No. 34)/
World No. 20 Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin could also make a mark in the absence of top-10 pairs.
They face Australia’s world No. 147 Andika Ramadiansyah-Nozomi Shimizu in the first round, with a likely semi-final clash against Christiansen-Boje.
Meanwhile, Korea Masters runners-up Jimmy Wong-Lai Pei Jing (world No. 29) face a tough opener against Indonesia’s world No. 11 Jafar Hidayatullah-Felisha Pasaribu.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
