Markis Kido (left) and Hendra Setiawan feel that the top Malaysian pair are a threat.
OLYMPIC champions Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia are targeting their sixth title of the year in the Super Series Masters Finals but have tipped Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong as their main obstacle in Kota Kinabalu.
Markis, 24, said that Kien Keat-Boon Heong have always found a way to unsettle them and expected the Malaysians to post the strongest threat.
After failing six consecutive times to beat Kien Keat-Boon Heong, the Indonesians turned the tables on the Malaysians at the Beijing Olympics and beat them again in the French Open.
However, a straight-game defeat in the China Open has made Markis-Hendra cautious again and they are not ready to suffer another loss in the Super Series Masters where they will meet Kien Keat-Boon Heong in a Group B match tomorrow.
“Our target is to win the tournament but unlike other Super Series events, there is no pressure. We don’t fear any pair but have to watch out for Kien Keat-Boon Heong,” said Markis.
“But we lost the last meeting so we cannot underestimate them. We must be wary of their threat if we want to win.”
Hendra said that Markis’ knee injury restricted their performance in the China Open and their chances of winning (in Kota Kinabalu) is good if Markis is not handicapped by the same problem.
“The knee injury is the reason why we couldn’t play well but Markis has recovered. Kien Keat-Boon Heong are strong but there are also other good pairs,” said Hendra.
“They (Kien Keat-Boon Heong) used to be very good last year but their performance has dropped and we also gained some confidence after beating them in the Olympics. Their problem is more mental and once they overcome that, they will be strong again.”
Markis and Hendra both agreed that the secret behind their consistency is because they enjoy the game more after winning the Olympic gold as the win has lifted a huge pressure off their shoulders.
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