KUALA LUMPUR: Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun’s dream of a maiden World Championships medal ended in heartbreak after they were edged 23-21, 21-23, 21-15 by South Korea‘s world No. 1 Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae in a pulsating quarter-final in Paris on Friday.
The world No. 7 showed real grit in the opening game, clawing back from 18-13 down to hold game points at 20-19 and 21-20, only to surrender it 23-21.
They responded with even greater resolve in the second, saving two match points at 20-18 before forcing deuce and snatching it 23-21 to keep their medal hopes alive.
But in the decider, Won Ho-Seung Jae’s trademark resilience proved too much.
Although Wei Chong-Kai Wun stayed within touching distance at 12-11, the Koreans reeled off a blistering run to 19-12 and never looked back, sealing victory in 68 minutes at the Adidas Arena.
“In the third game, during the crucial stage, we weren’t consistent enough with our shots. That gave them the chance to win a few points in a row,” said Wei Chong.
The Koreans’ ability to soak up pressure and return almost every smash wore down the Malaysians’ attack.
“Yes, that’s one of their strengths. Even when we thought the rally was over, they kept returning everything. After a while, we lost focus and it became harder to keep our rhythm,” admitted Kai Wun.
While the Malaysians went toe-to-toe with the top seeds in the first two games, they conceded the tempo late on.
“In the third game, maybe we slowed things down too much. It became difficult for us to maintain the pace, and they took advantage,” Kai Wun added.
Despite the disappointment, Wei Chong-Kai Wun leave Paris encouraged, having bettered their last-16 finish on debut in 2023.
“We played without pressure because they’re the world No. 1. We just wanted to give our best and try to win a medal for Malaysia. We really gave everything out there,” said Wei Chong.
The defeat was their third straight against Won Ho-Seung Jae, but Wei Chong believes the campaign will serve as a springboard.
“Hopefully we can learn from this and be better in our next tournament. The mixed doubles and women’s doubles also did very well here. I hope Malaysian fans will continue to support the whole team.”
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
